The Game of Seduction

Magnus Carlsen – Hikaru Nakamura

Unofficial World Fischerandom Chess Championship match game 7 (45+15); Høvikodden, February 12, 2018

rnknqbbr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNKNQBBR w KQkq - 0 1

Position 558

1. d4 f5 2. f4. If 2. e4 there might follow 2. ... fxe4 3. Qxe4 d5 4. Qe1 Nbc6 5. f4 Bf7 6. Nbc3 e6 7. g3 Bh5 8. Be3 Bd6 9. Bh3 Kb8 10. a3 a6 11. Nf2 Rf8 12. Nd3 h6 13. Rg1 g5 and Black is fine, Shredder 10 – Radjabov, Livingston Duelle Mensch–Maschine, Mainz 2006, match game 2. 2. ... g5!? Nakamura must win and doesn’t not hesitate to go for a Pawn sacrifice. 3. fxg5 h6 4. Ndc3 d5!? 5. g4! Carlsen, too, immolates Pawns for the initiative. 5. ... fxg4 6. e4 dxe4 7. Nd2 hxg5 8. 0-0-0 Nd7 9. Ndxe4 Nf7 10. d5 a6 11. Bd4 Rh6 12. Be2 Nfe5 13. Nxg5 Rg6 14. Ne6! No doubt White is giving rhythm to the game! 14. ... Bxe6 15. dxe6 Rxe6 16. Bxe5 Rxe5 17. Qg3. Threatening Rd1xd7. 17. ... Bh6+ 18. Kb1 Re3 19. Qxg4. Material equality has finally been restored, but White still keeps the initiative. 19. ... 0-0-0 20. Nd5 Re5

21. Bxa6! Again, a sacrifice. The Northern God is furious. 21. ... c6! If 21. ... bxa6 then 22. Qc4 Rxd5 23. Qxd5(!) would leave White with somewhat of an advantage. From a practical standpoint, Hikaru’s decision is probably the best. 22. Nb6+ Kc7 23. Nxd7 Rxd7 24. Rxd7+ Qxd7 25. Qxd7+ Kxd7 26. Bxb7. Here is where Carlsen wanted to arrive: a Rook and Bishop of opposite colour endgame two Pawns up which, however, appears anything but easy to win, mainly due to the pseudo-trapped White Bishop. 26. ... Ra5 27. Re1 Bg5 28. Rg1 Bf6 29. Rg8 Rb5 30. Bc8+ Kc7 31. b3 Re5. Threatening ... Re5-e1 mate. 32. Kc1 Re2 33. h3 e6 34. Ba6 Re3 35. Kd2 Rxh3 36. Bd3. White has finally succeeded in freeing his Bishop, but at the cost of a valuable Pawn. 36. ... Rh2+ 37. Ke3 Bc3 38. a4 Kd6 39. Rg6 Rh3+ 40. Ke4 Rh4+ 41. Kf3 Rh3+ 42. Kg2 Rh7 43. Rg4 Rg7 44. Bg6. Quite understandably, Carlsen is not yet willing to concede a draw. 44. ... c5 45. Kf3 Ba5 46. Ke2 c4 47. Rd4+ Ke7 48. Be4 cxb3 49. cxb3 Rg3 50. Bf3 Rg1 51. b4 Bc7 52. Rc4 Bd6 53. Be4 Rg3 54. Kd2 Rb3 55. b5 Be5 56. Bc2 Rb2 57. Rc6 Kd7 58. Ra6 Bd6 59. Kc3 Be5+ 60. Kd3 Bf4 61. a5. And finally White resignedly moved towards a theoretical draw. 61. ... Bc7! 62. Ra7 Kd6 63. Ra6+ Kd7 64. b6 Bxb6 65. axb6 Kc6 66. Ba4+ Kb7 67. Ra7+ Kxb6 68. Re7 Kc5 69. Rxe6 Rb4 70. Bc2 Rd4+ 71. Ke3 Rd8 72. Be4 Rd6. Nakamura decides not to speculate on Calsen’s Zeitnot (time control is with no increment) and, with commendable fair play, offers him a draw. 73. Re5+. But no! Carlsen prefers to lose on time rather than lose his sense of immortality. 73. ... Kb6 74. Bd5 Kc5 75. Ke4 Rd8 76. Bf7+ Kc6 77. Rh5 Rd1 78. Bb3 Rd2 79. Bd5+ Kc5 80. Bf7+ Kc6 81. Bb3 Kd6 82. Ke3 Rb2 83. Bc4 Rg2 84. Bd3 Rg1 85. Kd4 Rd1 86. Rh6+ Ke7 87. Ra6 Kd7 88. Ke4 Ke7 89. Bc4 Rd6. Once again Hikaru offers a draw. 90. Ra7+. Once again Magnus refuses with disdain. 90. ... Rd7. Draw? 91. Ra5. No. 91. ... Rd1 92. Ke5 Re1+ 93. Kd4 Rd1+ 94. Bd3 Kd6 95. Ra6+ Ke7 96. Ke4 Rd2 97. Ke3 Rd1 98. Ke4 Rd2 99. Bc4 Rd6. For the last time, draw? 100. Ra5. No. 100. ... Rd1 101. Ke5 Re1+ 102. Kd5 Rd1+ 103. Kc5 Kf6 104. Ra6+ Kf5 105. Re6 Rc1 106. Re2 Rd1 107. Bb3 Rd8 108. Bc2+ Kf4 109. Re4+ Kf3 110. Rc4 Rf8 111. Kb4 Ke2 112. Kc3 Ke3 113. Re4+ Kf3 114. Rd4 Rc8+ 115. Rc4. They reserved the roles of chivalrous: now is Magnus who offers a draw. 115. ... Re8. No, too late. 116. Rb4 Re3+ 117. Kb2 Re2 118. Rb3+ Kf2 119. Rc3 Re7 0 : 1. And finally Carlsen’s time expired.

Artwork © Willum Morsch‏ (@WillumTM)

Playing Fischerandom chess Magnus forgot about time, or perhaps, it just flew by and he forgot about himself. Photo: Berit Roald/NTB Scanpix. “I don’t understand what happened. Still with a few seconds left I was sure I could get a draw, but it was just stupid”, Carlsen told NRK afterwards. “I was just trying to defend myself. I’ve been lucky because earlier I came very close to losing the game”, Nakamura said.