On Time and Eternity

Jan-Krzystof Duda – Magnus Carlsen
8th Altibox Norway Chess; Stavanger, October 10, 2020
Caro-Kann Defence B15

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 0-0 8. Qc2 Re8+ 9. Ne2 h5 10. Be3 Nd7 11. 0-0-0 b5!? An interesting, although not new, Pawn sacrifice. 12. d5 c5 13. Bxb5 Rb8 14. c4 a6 15. Ba4 Re7!?TN (15. ... Re5 16. Nc3 Nb6 17. Bb3 Bf5 18. Qd2 a5 19. a3 Nxd5 20. Nxd5 Rxb3 21. Nc3 Rb6 22. Nb5 Re6 23. Qxa5 Qb8 24. Rxd6 Rbxd6 25. Nxd6 Qxd6 26. Qa8+ Kh7 27. Qd5 Qxd5 28. cxd5 Rd6 29. Rd1 c4 30. Bc5 Rd7 31. d6 Kg6 32. Rd4 Bd3 33. a4 Bf1 34. g3 Kf5 35. a5 Ke6 36. a6 c3 37. a7 cxb2+ 38. Kxb2 Bg2 39. Rb4 Rb7 40. Kc3 Rxb4 41. Bxb4 Bf3 42. Kd4 Kd7 43. Ke3 Bb7 44. Kf4 Ke6 45. f3 g5+ 46. Ke3 f5 47. h3 Ba8 48. f4 f6 49. Kd4 Bf3 50. Kc5 Bg2 51. Bc3 gxf4 52. gxf4 Be4 53. Bxf6 Ba8 54. Bc3 Bg2 55. Bb4 Ba8 56. Kd4 Bb7 57. Ke3 Ba8 58. Kf2 Bb7 59. Kg3 Ba8 60. Kh4 Bf3 61. Kg5 1 : 0 Ivić – T. R. Hansen, 34th European Chess Club Cup, Porto Carras 2018) 16. Ng3 Ne5 17. Ne4. 17. Nxh5 Rb4! would give Black plenty of initiative — which is what Carlsen is aiming at.

17. ... Reb7! 18. b3 Rb4 19. Bd2 Rxa4! 20. bxa4 Bf5 21. Rde1

21. ... h4? As they say, records are made to be broken — even the Invincibles’ ones. And here is where Carlsen — deliberately or not — decides to end his 125-game unbeaten streak. Best seems 21. ... Ng4! 22. f4 Nf2 23. Rhf1 Nxe4 24. Rxe4 Qd7= with comfortable equality. 22. h3 Ng6 23. Re3 Nf4 24. g4 Bg6 25. Kd1 f5 26. Nxd6 Qxd6 27. gxf5 Bh5+ 28. f3 Qf6 29. Bc3 Qg5 30. Qe4? (30. Rhe1+−) 30. ... Qg2? (30. ... Kh7!) 31. Rhe1 Qxa2 32. Qc2. “I overlooked this Queen move by him”, Carlsen told TV2 afterwards. “Believe or not, I was still thinking I could win. Well, it’s very disappointing”. 32. ... Qxc4 33. Re8+ Kh7 34. Rxb8 Qxd5+ 35. Qd2 Bxf3+ 36. Kc1 Qxf5 37. Re3 Ne2+ 38. Kb2 Nxc3 39. Qxc3 Qf4 40. Qd3+ f5 41. Rf8 Qb4+ 42. Kc1 Be4 43. Qb3 Qd4 44. Qc3 Qd6 45. Rf7 Qg6 46. Rd7 Qg1+ 47. Kb2 c4 48. Rxe4 fxe4 49. Rd4 Qf2+ 50. Qd2 c3+ 51. Kxc3 Qg3+ 52. Kb2 Qxh3 53. Rxe4 Qg3 54. Qd4 Qg2+ 55. Kc3 Qf3+ 56. Kb4 Qf8+ 57. Ka5 Qf5+ 58. Kxa6 g5 59. a5 h3 60. Re7+ Kg6 61. Qg7+ Kh5 62. Qh7+ Kg4 63. Re4+ 1 : 0.

In the end, Carlsen decided that one hundred and twenty-five games of solitude could be enough to widen his outlook on life. Photo © Lennart Ootes.