At Start and Finish

Magnus Carlsen – Wesley So

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Final match game 1; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 29, 2020

Semi-Tarrasch Defence D41

Clash of genres: Carlsen is the World’s Champion of classical chess, and So is the World Champion of Fischerandom chess (a.k.a. chess960). If nothing else, Carlsen may rely upon a “theoretical” advantage in the Final of the inaugural Skilling Open, as all games will start from the position #518, which is the starting position of classical chess! 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 cxd4 6. Qxd4 exd5 7. e4 dxe4 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Ng5 Be6 10. Nxe6+ fxe6 11. Bc4. The most recent theory goes 11. Bg5 h6 12. 0-0-0 Ke7 13. Be3 Nc6 14. g3 Rc8 15. Kb1 Ng4 16. Re1 Kf7 17. Nxe4 Bb4 18. Re2 Nxe3 19. Rxe3 Nd4 20. a3 Be7 21. Bg2 Rhd8 22. Rd1 Nf5 23. Red3 Rxd3 24. Rxd3 Rd8 25. Kc2 Ke8 26. Rxd8+ Kxd8 27. Kd3 b6 28. Bh3 Nd6 29. Bxe6 Nxe4 30. Kxe4 a5 31. a4 Bc5 32. f3 Ke7 33. Bc4 Kf6 34. b3 g5 35. h3 Bf2 36. g4 Bg1 37. Be2 Bf2 38. Bc4 Bg1 39. Be2 Bf2 40. Bc4 ½ : ½ Radjabov – So, Champions Chess Tour, 1st stage, Skilling Open, chess24.com, November 25, 2020, quarterfinal match game 2 (time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move). 11. ... Ke7 12. 0-0 Nbd7 13. Be3!? This novelty is not all that much different with regard to 13. Re1 Rc8 14. Bb3 Nc5 which likewise produces a somewhat balanced game, E. l’Ami – Williams, 2nd PokerStars Isle of Man International Chess Tournament, Douglas 2015. 13. ... Rc8 14. Bb3 Nc5 15. Bxc5+ Rxc5 16. Rfe1 g6 17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. Rxe4 e5 19. f4 Bg7 20. Rae1 Rf8 21. fxe5 Rf5 22. e6 Bxb2 23. Rd1 Rc7. Probably playable, but much easier was 23. ... Rc1! in order to exchange a pair of Rooks and get closer to the draw. 24. g4 Rf8 25. Kg2 b5 26. Re2 Bc3 27. Re3 Bb4 28. Red3 a5 29. Rd7+ Rxd7 30. Rxd7+ Kf6 31. Rb7 a4

32. g5+ Kxg5 33. Rxb5+ Rf5?? A tragic mistake, which loses immediately. Instead after 33. ... Kf6! 34. Bxa4 (the King and Pawn ending is drawn as well) 34. ... Bd6 35. Bb3 Rb8! Black, in spite of his Pawn minus, must draw quite easily. 34. Rxb4 axb3

35. e7! Just so — 35. axb3?? Re5 it’s only a draw. 35. ... bxa2. Or 35. ... Re5 36. Rb5!+− (which So might have overlooked). 36. e8=Q a1=Q. Black is a Pawn up, but cannot avoid mate: 37. Qe7+ Kh6 38. Rh4+ Rh5 39. Qf8+ Qg7 40. Qf4+ g5 41. Qd6+ Qg6 42. Qf8+ Qg7 43. Rxh5+ 1 : 0.