Seven Hours and Forty-Five Minutes in the Desert

Magnus Carlsen – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi
World Chess Championship match game 6; Dubai, December 3, 2021
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. b3 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. c4 dxc4 9. Qc2 Qe7 10. Nbd2. “To me this looks like a completely new concept”, Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana says. 10. ... Nc6 11. Nxc4 b5 12. Nce5 Nb4 13. Qb2 Bb7 14. a3 Nc6 15. Nd3 Bb6 16. Bg5 Rfd8 17. Bxf6 gxf6!

“Basically I felt like I should play for more than a draw after the opening”, Nepomniachtchi said afterwards. Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has also focused on this move in her commentary, figuring something wild was coming. 18. Rac1 Nd4 19. Nxd4 Bxd4 20. Qa2 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 Qb7+ 22. Kg1 Qe4 23. Qc2 a5 24. Rfd1 Kg7 25. Rd2. “It looks like a simplified position, but it’s far from that. It contains a great deal of potential risk... for Black, less so for White...”, Caruana says.

25. ... Rac8?! As noted by most commentators, 25. ... b4 is here perfectly playable, for after 26. axb4 axb4 27. Nxb4 Black has 27. ... Bxf2+ regaining the Pawn with good prospects for equality. But Black, seeking unbalance at all costs, ventures to offer the two Rooks for the Queen, hoping for something that is very unlikely to happen. 26. Qxc8 Rxc8 27. Rxc8 Qd5 28. b4 a4. Threatening to infiltrate with the Queen on b3. 29. e3 Be5 30. h4 h5 31. Kh2 Bb2? Both are very short of time, which explains the roller coaster upside down until the time control at move 40. Unclear was 31. ... Qb3 32. Nc5 Qxa3 33. Rdd8 f5∞ (but not 33. ... Qxb4?? on account of 34. Rg8+ with mate in three). 32. Rc5! Qd6

33. Rd1? Due to time shortage, Carlsen misses here 33. Rcc2! Bxa3 34. Nf4! Qxb4 35. Rd7 e5 36. Nxh5+ Kg6 37. Rc6!!+− — “maybe not that obvious after all”, Grandmaster Anish Giri says. 33. ... Bxa3 34. Rxb5 Qd7 35. Rc5 e5 (35. ... Bxb4!) 36. Rc2? (36. e4!) 36. ... Qd5? 36. ... Bxb4! 37. Rcc1 Ba3! 38. Ra1 Qg4! is the engines’ recommendation for Black. 37. Rdd2 Qb3 38. Ra2 e4 39. Nc5 Qxb4 40. Nxe4. Time and again engines suggest 40. Rdc2! f5 41. Nxa4 Qxa4 42. Rc3 as a more promising endgame approach for White. 40. ... Qb3 41. Rac2 Bf8 42. Nc5. “How great would it be if 42. Rc8 a3 43. Rdd8 a2 44. Rxf8 a1=Q happens? Maybe the King escapes after 45. Rh8 Kg6!”, Grandmaster Erwin l’Ami asks and answers. 42. ... Qb5 43. Nd3 a3 44. Nf4 Qa5 45. Ra2 Bb4 46. Rd3 Kh6 47. Rd1 Qa4 48. Rda1 Bd6 49. Kg1 Qb3 50. Ne2 Qd3 51. Nd4 Kh7 52. Kh2 Qe4. This is not a mistake in itself, but “of course this 52. ... Qe4 was unnecessary”, Nepomniachtchi then said.

53. Rxa3! “Why did Ian allow this?”, Caruana echoes. 53. ... Qxh4+. Of course the ending resulting from 53. ... Bxa3? 54. Rxa3 is very likely won for White. 54. Kg1 Qe4 55. Ra4 Be5 56. Ne2 Qc2 57. R1a2 Qb3 58. Kg2 Qd5+ 59. f3 Qd1 60. f4 Bc7. Finally reaching the second — and last — time control. “Call it a draw if you want, but I wouldn’t like to play that endgame against Magnus!”, French Grandmaster Romain Édouard says. 61. Kf2 Bb6 62. Ra1 Qb3 63. Re4 Kg7 64. Re8 f5 65. Raa8 Qb4 66. Rac8 Ba5 67. Rc1 Bb6 68. Re5 Qb3 69. Re8 Qd5 70. Rcc8 Qh1 71. Rc1 Qd5 72. Rb1 Ba7 73. Re7 Bc5 74. Re5 Qd3 75. Rb7 Qc2 76. Rb5 Ba7 77. Ra5 Bb6 78. Rab5 Ba7 79. Rxf5. Whatever to win. Carlsen forces an endgame with Rook, Knight and three Pawns against Queen and one Pawn, especially as he is the only one who can win it. 79. ... Qd3

80. Rxf7+ Kxf7 81. Rb7+ Kg6 82. Rxa7 Qd5 83. Ra6+ Kh7 84. Ra1 Kg6 85. Nd4 Qb7 86. Ra2 Qh1 87. Ra6+ Kf7 88. Nf3 Qb1 89. Rd6 Kg7 90. Rd5 Qa2+ 91. Rd2 Qb1 92. Re2 Qb6 93. Rc2 Qb1 94. Nd4 Qh1 95. Rc7+ Kf6 96. Rc6+ Kf7 97. Nf3 Qb1 98. Ng5+ Kg7 Kf7 100. Nd4 Qh1 101. Rc7+ Kf6 102. Nf3 Qb1 103. Rd7 Qb2+ 104. Rd2 Qb1 105. Ng1 Qb4 106. Rd1 Qb3 107. Rd6+ Kg7 108. Rd4 Qb2+ 109. Ne2 Qb1 110. e4! Qh1 111. Rd7+ Kg8 112. Rd4 Qh2+ 113. Ke3 h4 114. gxh4 Qh3+ 115. Kd2 Qxh4. Analytically speaking, it is now a tablebase draw, but... chess is not an exact science! 116. Rd3 Kf8 117. Rf3 Qd8+ 118. Ke3 Qa5. 118. ... Qb6+! would have prevented the White King from moving to the Kingside where he (it) would feel safer. 119. Kf2 Qa7+ 120. Re3 Qd7 121. Ng3 Qd2+ 122. Kf3 Qd1+ 123. Re2 Qb3+ 124. Kg2 Qb7 125. Rd2. Marking the record of the longest World Championship game ever. Notwithstanding any appearances to the contrary, however, it is not a sign of good health for classical chess. 125. ... Qb3 126. Rd5 Ke7 127. Re5+ Kf7 128. Rf5+ Ke8 129. e5 Qa2+ 130. Kh3

130. ... Qe6? According to tablebases, the only two moves for a draw by Black now are 130. ... Qb1! and 130. ... Qc2! after which there may follow 131. Kg4 Qd1+ 132. Kh4 (132. Kg5 Qg1=) 132. ... Qe1= — but Nepomniachtchi was too exhausted for anything. 131. Kh4+− Qh6+ 132. Nh5 Qh7 133. e6! Qg6 134. Rf7 Kd8 135. f5 Qg1 136. Ng7 1 : 0.

“Obviously I’m elated to get this result. It was never easy nor, frankly, it shouldn’t be”, Carlsen finally said. Photo © Eric Rosen.