Earth King

Magnus Carlsen – Fabiano Caruana

World Chess Championship match; tie-break game 1 (25+10); London, November 28, 2018

English Opening A22

16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen dominated the tie-break, winning three games in a row out of the four scheduled. 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Bb4 4. e4 0-0 5. Nge2 c6 6. Bg2 a6 7. 0-0 b5 8. d4 d6 9. a3!? It implies a very interesting Pawn sacrifice. A not-too-recent game continued: 9. cxb5 axb5 10. h3 Re8 11. Be3 exd4 12. Bxd4 Bxc3 13. Nxc3 b4 14. Bxf6? (White ought to have played 14. Na4 eventually followed by a2-a3) 14. ... Qxf6 15. Nb5 Rd8 16. Nd4 Ra7 17. f4 c5 18. Nb3 Nc6 19. Rf2 c4 20. Nd2 c3 with Black clearly on top, Zubarev – Vysochin, 70th Ukrainian Chess Championship, Ordzhonikidze 2001. 9. ... Bxc3 10. Nxc3 bxc4 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Na4 Be6 13. Qxd8 Rxd8 14. Be3 Nbd7 15. f3 Rab8 16. Rac1 Rb3 17. Rfe1. White obviously got more than enough positional compensation for the Pawn. 17. ... Ne8 18. Bf1 Nd6 19. Rcd1 Nb5? Caruana seeks for new spaces and new landscapes. Yet Black had probably nothing better than 19. ... Nb7 followed by ... Kg8-f8-e8 struggling and striving for a draw at most. 20. Nc5 Rxb2 21. Nxe6 fxe6 22. Bxc4. Clearly not 22. Bg5?? because of 22. ... Nd4! 23. Rxd4 (23. Bxd8?? Nxf3+ 24. Kh1 Rxh2 mate) 23. ... exd4 24. Bxd8 Ne5 and it is Black who wins. 22. ... Nd4 23. Bxd4 exd4

24. Bxe6+? Stockfish spotted 24. Rxd4 Kf7 25. Kh1!! (neutralising Black’s saving resource ... Nd7-e5) which would have left Black completely paralysed and harmless. After the text, instead, the ending is anything but won for White, due to the unhappy position of his King. 24. ... Kf8 25. Rxd4 Ke7 26. Rxd7+ Rxd7 27. Bxd7 Kxd7 28. Rd1+ Ke6 29. f4 c5 30. Rd5 Rc2 31. h4 c4 32. f5+ Kf6 33. Rc5 h5 34. Kf1 Rc3 35. Kg2 Rxa3 36. Rxc4 Ke5 37. Rc7 Kxe4? Oops, Caruana forgot something. After the intermediate Rook check move 37. ... Ra2+! 38. Kh3 Kxe4 39. Rxg7 Ra1! 40. Rg5 Kf3! the draw was on the board. 38. Re7+! Instead Carlsen does not forgive and does not forget. 38. Rxg7?? Ra2+! 39. Kh3 Ra1! would have simply transposed into the aforementioned line. 38. ... Kxf5 39. Rxg7 Kf6 40. Rg5 a5 41. Rxh5 a4 42. Ra5 Ra1 43. Kf3 a3 44. Ra6+ Kg7 45. Kg2 Ra2+ 46. Kh3 Ra1 47. h5 Kh7 48. g4 Kg7 49. Kh4 a2 50. Kg5 Kf7 51. h6 Rb1 52. Ra7+ Kg8 53. Rxa2 Rb5+ 54. Kg6 Rb6+ 55. Kh5 1 : 0.

Fabiano Caruana – Magnus Carlsen

World Chess Championship match; tie-break game 2 (25+10); London, November 28, 2018

Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Ne7 9. c4 Ng6 10. Qa4 Bd7 11. Qb4 Qb8. Deviating from 11. ... Bf5, as in the 12th game. 12. h4 h5 13. Be3 a6 14. Nc3 a5 15. Qb3 a4 16. Qd1 Be7 17. g3 Qc8 18. Be2 Bg4 19. Rc1 Bxe2 20. Qxe2 Qf5

21. c5!? In a nearly win–win situation, Caruana goes into the wild. 21. Nb5 was much quieter and probably better suited for claiming a slight edge. 21. ... 0-0! Of course, 21. ... dxc5 22. Bxc5 Bxc5 23. Qb5+ would only justify White’s gamble. 22. c6 bxc6 23. dxc6 Rfc8 24. Qc4 Bd8! 25. Nd5 e4! 26. c7? This is tantamount to surrender, but by now White had exhausted his tricks. 26. Bg5? Ne5! 27. Bxd8 Kh7! would also end somewhat similarly, while after 26. Bd4 (probably best) 26. ... Ra5! 27. Ne3 Qf3! 28. 0-0 Bxh4! Black would mount a very violent attack. 26. ... Bxc7! 27. Nxc7 Ne5 28. Nd5 Kh7! 0 : 1. “Carlsen’s consistent level of play in rapid chess is phenomenal. We all play worse as we play faster and faster, but his ratio may be the smallest ever, perhaps only a 15% drop off. Huge advantage in this format”, 13th World Chess Champion Garry Kimovich Kasparov tweeted.

Magnus Carlsen remains the World Champion after a compelling tie-break win over Fabiano Caruana on Wednesday. Photo: Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA.