Lose to Win

Magnus Carlsen – Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov

Champions Chess Tour 2021; Grand Finale Tournament; match game 3; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com/Oslo, October 2, 2021

Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. 0-0 Nd7 7. c3 h6 8. d4 Bd6 9. Nbd2 0-0 10. Nc4 exd4 11. Nxd6. If 11. Nxd4 then 11. ... Nc5 12. e5 Be7 13. f4 f5∞ Fier – Salgado López, 1st Iberoamericano Online, chess24.com, July 6, 2020, match game 3 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move). 11. ... cxd6 12. Nxd4. 12. Qxd4 does not promise much either: 12. ... Qf6 13. Rd1 Ne5 14. Nxe5 dxe5 15. Qd6 Qxd6 16. Rxd6 Be6 17. Be3 Rfd8 18. Rxd8+ Rxd8 19. Bxa7 Bxa2!= Fier – Salgado López, 1st Iberoamericano Online, chess24.com, July 6, 2020, match game 1 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move). 12. ... Nf6 13. f3 Re8 14. c4 Qb6 15. Re1

15. ... d5! 16. cxd5 Nxd5 17. Kh1 Ne7 (17. ... Nb4 18. a3 c5=) 18. Nb3 Qc7 19. Be3 b6 20. Nd4 c5 21. Nb5 Qc6 22. a4 a6 23. Nc3 Be6 24. Qe2 f5 25. Qf2 Rac8 26. h3 Ng6 27. Qf1 (27. Qg3 Kh7 28. h4⩲) 27. ... f4 28. Bd2 Rcd8 29. Nd5 Bxd5 30. exd5 Qxd5 31. Rxe8+ Rxe8 32. Bc3 Nh4 33. Rd1 Qg5 34. Rd7 Nf5 35. Qc4+ Kh7 36. Qf7 (36. Qd3 Re3 37. Rxg7+ Qxg7 38. Qxf5+ Qg6 39. Qc8 Re8 40. Qb7+ Kg8 41. Qxa6∞) 36. ... Re7. Obviously not 36. ... Re2?? on account of 37. Qxf5+! Qxf5 38. Rxg7+ Kh8 39. Rg5+ Kh7 40. Rxf5 remaining a clear piece ahead.

37. Qxf5+!? Carlsen apparently specialised himself in sacrificing Queens, which also in this case was anything but ordinary, since after 37. Rxe7 Nxe7 38. Qc4 Nf5 39. Qe4 White would win back the Pawn with approximate equality. But with the results of the other games being instrumental in ensuring him the victory of the Champions Chess Tour 2021 — regardless of how this game turns out — Carlsen must have felt compelled to leave something for the others. 37. ... Qxf5 38. Rxe7 Qg5 39. Ra7? Allowing Black to mobilise his majority. 39. Rb7! Qg6 40. Rc7! was still a tough fight. 39. ... b5! 40. axb5. The trouble is that White cannot play 40. Rxa6?? on account of 40. ... b4 winning easily. 40. ... axb5 41. Ra5 c4 42. Ra7 Kg8 43. Rb7 g6 44. Kh2 Kf8 45. Kh1 Ke8 46. Bb4 Qf6 47. Bc3 Qf5 48. Kh2 g5 49. Rb6 h5 50. Rh6 g4 51. hxg4 hxg4 52. fxg4 Qxg4 53. Rh3 Kd7 54. Rf3 Ke6 55. Kg1 Qf5 56. Kf1 Kd5 57. Kg1 Kc5 58. Kh2 b4 59. Bh8 Kd5 60. Rh3 Ke4 61. Rf3 Qh7+ 62. Rh3 Qc7 63. Kg1 Qb6+ 64. Kh2 Qb8 65. Kg1

65. ... c3! 66. Bxc3 (66. bxc3 b3−+) 66. ... bxc3 67. bxc3 Qb6+ 68. Kh2 Qf2 69. Rf3 Qe3! 70. Rh3 Kd3 71. Rf3 Kxc3 72. Kh3 Kd4 73. Kh4 Ke4 74. Kg4 Qe2 0 : 1.

“Today was really poor, but right now I don’t really care. I am just happy to have won overall”, Carlsen said after being confirmed that he had won the Champions Chess Tour 2021 with two rounds still to go. Photo: Meltwater Champions Chess Tour (@ChampChessTour).