The Ninth Gate

Magnus Carlsen – Vincent Keymer

9th GRENKE Chess Festival; Freestyle Open; time control: 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; Karlsruhe, April 21, 2025

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Position #140

1. d4 d5 2. Nb3 f6 3. Nc5 Nd6 4. h4 a5 5. Bh2 b6 6. Ncd3 c5 7. c3 c4 8. Nf4 b5 9. f3 e5 10. dxe5 fxe5 11. Nxd5 Qxh4 12. g4 Ba7

Mutatis mutandis, Black is threatening scholar’s mate.
13. e3! Qh6! 14. Kg2 Qe6 15. e4 Nc7 16. Nc2 0-0-0 17. Nce3

With his last move Carlsen has offered a Queen sacrifice, but it is best for Keymer to decline it: 17. ... Bxe3 18. Nxe3 Nxe4? 19. Bxe4! Rxd1 20. Rcxd1 g6 21. Nf5! eventually followed by the Rook’s invasion at d6.
17. ... Qe8 18. Qe2 Nxd5 19. Nxd5 h5 20. Bg3 Be6 21. g5 Rd7 22. Rcd1

22. ... h4!? With almost no time left Black opts for a brilliant active defence — implying a Pawn sacrifice — which, in practical terms, cannot but be doomed to failure.
23. Bxh4 Qd8. The corollary of his previous move. Now the threat is ... Rh8xh4.
24. Qe1 Rh5 25. Qg3 Nf5?? Inevitably, with a few seconds on the clock, here comes the blunder of blunders.
26. exf5 Rxd5 27. Rxd5 Bxd5 28. Qg4 Bf7 29. g6 Qd2+ 30. Kh3 Rxh4+ 31. Qxh4 Bd5 32. Be4 Bxe4 33. Qxe4 Qh6+ 34. Kg2 Qg5+ 35. Qg4 Qd2+ 36. Kg3 Kc7 37. f6 Bf2+ 38. Kh3 Bc5 39. fxg7 Qh6+ 40. Kg2 Qd2+ 41. Kg3 1–0.