Onstage Offstage

Georg Meier – Magnus Carlsen
5th GRENKE Chess Classic; Baden-Baden, April 5, 2018
b4rk1/q5rp/8/3pQ1R1/p3p3/4P1P1/4BPK1/5R2 w - - 0 38

Position after 37. ... Qf7xa7

Today World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen took over the stage with all his presence, risking his neck bone against Georg Meier. After pushing too hard to bust his rival’s Kingside, Magnus just played his last bluff (37. ... Qf7xa7), reaching the position of the diagram (which is dramatically lost for Black). 38. Bg4! Threatening 39. Be6+ Kh8 40. Rh5 followed by Rh5xh7+ and Qe5-h5 mate. 39. ... Kh8 39. Ra1? And Meier misses the chance for his “Immortal Game”: 39. Rh5! Qe7 (or 39. ... Qf7 40. Rxh7+! Kxh7 41. Rh1+ Kg8 42. Be6+−) 40. Rxh7+! Kxh7 41. Rh5+ Kg6 (41. ... Kg8 loses – if more prosaically – to 42. Be6+ Rff7 43. Bxf7+ Kxf7 44. Qf4++−) 42. Rh6+!! and mate in two moves. Now Carlsen escapes the nightmare: 39. ... Qe7! 40. Qxg7+ Qxg7 41. Rxg7 Kxg7 42. Rxa4 Bc6 43. Rb4 ½ : ½.

Georg Meier (left) vs. Magnus Carlsen (right). Photo: Georgios Souleidis/GRENKE Chess Classic.