Second Time Around

Magnus Carlsen – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 3rd stage; Opera Euro Rapid; Semifinal Armageddon tie-break game; time control: 5 minutes for White and 4 minutes for Black with no increment; chess24.com, February 12, 2021

Grünfeld Defence D85

In the third stage of the Champions Chess Tour 2021, too, as in the first one, Carlsen and Wesley So are the finalists. And in the semifinals, too, as in the quarterfinals, it took Carlsen till the Armageddon to dismiss his opponent. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bd2 Bg7 6. e4 Nb6 7. Be3 0-0 8. a4 a5 9. h3 Nc6 10. Nf3 f5!? At least, Vachier-Lagrave is the first to change course, knowing that Carlsen was eager to exorcise the demon who obliged him to the Armageddon climax: 10. ... Nb4 11. Be2 c6 12. 0-0 Be6 13. Ng5 Bc4 14. Rc1 Rc8 15. b3 Bxe2 16. Nxe2 Nd7 17. f4 h6 18. Nf3 e6 19. Ne5 c5 20. Nxd7 (20. Nc4 would have probably still retained an edge) 20. ... Qxd7 21. dxc5 Qc6 22. e5 Rfd8 23. Nd4? (correct is 23. Bd4 Bf8 with Black regaining the Pawn) 23. ... Qe4 24. Qd3?? 0 : 1 Carlsen – Vachier-Lagrave, Champions Chess Tour 2021, 3rd stage, Opera Euro Rapid, chess24.com, February 11, 2021, Semifinal match game 8 (time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move). 11. exf5 Bxf5 12. Be2 Nb4 13. Rc1 c6 14. 0-0 N6d5 15. Bd2 Qd6 16. Re1 Kh8

17. Nxd5. Hard to say, but probably 17. Bc4 was more in order here. 17. ... Nxd5. But luckily for Carlsen, Vachier-Lagrave neglects his last opportunity for resistance (17. ... cxd5!⩲). 18. Bc4 Nb4 19. Qb3 Rad8 20. Bg5 Bf6 21. Bh6 Bg7 22. Qe3 Rde8 23. Bf4 Nd5 24. Bxd5 Qxd5 25. Rc5 Qd8 26. Be5 Bc8

27. Qh6! The kiss of the white widow spider. 27. ... Rf6. The point is 27. ... Bxe5 28. Ng5! forcing mate. 28. Bxf6 exf6 29. Rxe8+ Qxe8 30. Qe3 Qd8 31. Qe1 Bf8 32. Rxa5 Bd7 33. Ra7 Qb8 34. Qa5 Kg7 35. Ra8 Qf4 36. Qd8 Qc1+ 37. Kh2 Qf4+ 38. Kh1 Qd6 39. Qb8 Qb4 40. Ra7 1 : 0.