The Long Night

Magnus Carlsen – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
6th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 19, 2018
Nimzo-Indian Defence E20

Two men who shared a board nearly everyday for almost three weeks must know each other very well, so whatever may happen between them, it will not happen by chance. 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 0-0 5. Nf3 d5 6. a3 Be7 7. d4 dxc4 8. Ne5 Nc6. The Romanishin Variation of the Nimzo-Indian is on the board (though it is usually reached by another move order: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. g3 d5 5. Bg2 0-0 6. a3 Be7 7. Nf3 dxc4 8. Ne5 Nc6). It should only be noted that Karjakin has already adopted that, while Carlsen has thought longer (about half a hour) than his opponent to get here. 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. Nxc6 Qe8 11. Nxe7+ Qxe7 12. Qa4 c5 13. dxc5!? A plain novelty by Carlsen, perhaps just to disconnect Karjakin from his “book”: 13. Qxc4 cxd4 14. Qxd4 e5 15. Qb4 (15. Qh4 Qe6 16. 0-0 Bb7 17. Bg5 Nd5 doesn’t seem to lead to anything special either, Moiseenko – Karjakin, Eurasian Blitz Chess Cup of the President of Kazakhstan, Almaty 2016) 15. ... Qe6 16. Bg5 a5 17. Qh4 Nd5 18. Rc1 Rb8 19. Na4 f5 20. 0-0 f4 21. e4 fxe3 22. fxe3 Rxf1+ 23. Rxf1 h6 24. Nc5 hxg5 25. Rf8+ Kxf8 26. Nxe6+ Bxe6 27. Qxg5 Rxb2 28. Qxe5 Rb1+ 29. Kf2 Kf7 30. Qh5+ Kf8 31. Qe5 Kf7 32. Qh5+ Kf8 33. Qe5 Kf7 34. Qh5+ ½ : ½ Aronian – Karjakin, Grand Prix 2008–2010, 2nd stage, Sochi 2008. 13. ... Qxc5 14. Be3 Qc7 15. Rd1 Nd5 16. Bd4 Rd8. After a long thought. 17. Nxd5 exd5 18. Qc2 Qe7. Of no use is 18. ... Bh3 because of 19. f3 followed by Ke1-f2. 19. 0-0 Bh3 20. Rfe1 Rd7 21. Bc3 Re8 22. Rd4 Qg5 23. Qd2! Carlsen relies upon his marvellous technique in the hope to squeeze out a win in an endgame that looks very drawish. 23. ... Qd2 24. Bxd2 Be6 25. Red1 Rde7 26. f3 h5 27. Kf2 f6 28. Rd4 Kh7 29. R1d2 Bf7 30. h3 a6 31. Rf4 Kg8 32. Bd4 Kh7 33. Bc3 Kg8 34. g4 hxg4 35. hxg4 Kh7 36. Rf5 Rb7

37. Rfxd5! White’s Exchange sacrifice constitutes the only way to keep playing for high stakes at zero risk. That’s means that the ending is still very drawish, but not yet drawn. 37. ... Bxd5 38. Rxd5 Kg6. Black prefers to concede his opponent full material compensation for the Exchange rather than freezing himself on the defensive. However, the outcome of the text won’t be that different. 39. Rc5 Rh8 40. Kg3 Rb6 41. Rxc4 Rh1 42. Rc7 Rc1 43. Rd7 Rc6 44. a4 Rg1+ 45. Kf2 Ra1 46. a5 Ra4 47. Kg3 Rac4 48. Ra7 Re6 49. e4 Rc8 50. Rd7 Rec6 51. f4. Despite all, however, Carlsen is constantly exerting pressure on Black’s position. 51. ... R8c7 52. f5+ Kh7 53. Rd8 Rc8 54. Rd3 Re8 55. Rd4 Rc7. Here the engines give 55. ... Rec8(!) as Black’s best, so as to be always able to oppose Rook to Rook on the c-file (56. Rd7 R6c7). 56. Kf4 Rce7 57. Rc4 Kh6 58. Kf3 Rd7 59. Bd4. The immediate break with 59. e5! seemed now very strong, winning the a-Pawn in most variations. 59. ... Kh7 60. b4 Rd6 61. Ke3 Kh6 62. Rc1 Kh7 63. Bb6 Rd7 64. Bc5 Red8 65. Rh1+ Kg8 66. Kf4 Re8 67. Re1 g5+! 68. fxg6 Kg7 69. g5 Kxg6 70. gxf6 Kxf6 71. Rh1 Rf7 72. Ke3 Ke6 73. Rh4 Rf6 74. Rh7 Rf7 75. Rh5 Kd7 76. e5 Rf1 77. Ke4 Kc6?? Finally, exhausted, Karjakin sunk into his chair, just when the worst was by now over: 77. ... Re1+ 78. Kd5 Rd1+ 79. Kc4 (or 79. Bd4 Rd8!=) 79. ... Rc1+ was an easy draw. 78. Rh6+ Kb5 79. Rb6+ Kc4 80. e6! Re1+ 81. Kf5 Rf1+ 82. Ke5 Re1+ 83. Kf6 Rf1+ 84. Kg7 Ra8 85. e7 Re1 86. Kf7 Re4 87. Rd6 Rh8 88. Rxa6 1 : 0. The will to win has won.

Magnus Carlsen’s thinking shoes. Photo © Lennart Ootes.