Among the Lesser Gods

Magnus Carlsen – Javokhir Sindarov

1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour; first leg; Stage 2: Knockout; Third-place Final match game 2; time control: 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; Wangels, February 14, 2025

rkqbrnbn/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RKQBRNBN w EAea - 0 1

Position #909

1. d4 d6 2. e4 e5 3. d5 f5 4. f3 f4 5. c4 c5 (5. ... c6 6. Nf2 Nd7 7. Nd2⩲)
6. Nf2 Ba5 7. Nd2 Nd7 8. Nd3 Qc7 9. a3 Bxd2 10. Qxd2 Bf7 11. g3 g5 12. b4 b6 13. Ba4

13. ... 0-0 (13. ... 0-0-0? 14. Bb5! Δ a3-a4-a5→)
14. h4 Bg6 15. gxf4 gxf4 16. Qg2 Nf6 17. Bc6 Rab8 18. Ka2 Nf7 19. Rab1 Kh8 20. Rb3 Nd8 21. Bb5 Bh5 22. Qb2 cxb4? (22. ... Bxf3 23. Nxe5 dxe5 24. Rxf3 Ng4 25. h5⩲)

23. Nxf4! a6 (23. ... exf4 24. Bd4+−)
24. Bxa6 Ra8 25. Bb5 Rxa3+ 26. Rxa3 bxa3 27. Qc3 Be8 28. Bxe8 Nxe8 29. Ne2 Nf6 30. Rb1 Nd7 31. f4 Nb7

32. Nd4! Ndc5 (32. ... exd4 33. Bxd4+ Kg8 34. e5+−)
33. fxe5 dxe5 34. Ne6 Nxe6 35. Bxb6 Qd6 36. dxe6 Nc5 37. Bxc5 Qxc5 38. Rb5 Rf2+ 39. Ka1 Rf1+ 40. Rb1 Rf8 (40... Rxb1+ 41. Kxb1 Kg7 42. Qd2 Qb6+ 43. Ka2 Qxe6 44. Qd5+−)
41. h5 Kg7 42. Rb7+ 1–0.

The Long Afternoon

Javokhir Sindarov – Fabiano Caruana

1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour; first leg; Stage 2: Knockout; Semifinal tie-break game 5 (Armageddon); time control: 5 minutes; Wangels, February 12, 2025

rbbqnknr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RBBQNKNR w HAha - 0 1

Position #500

1. c4 d5 2. cxd5 Qxd5 3. Ngf3 c5 4. Nc2 Ngf6 5. Ne3 Qd8 6. 0-0 0-0 7. b3 b6 8. Bb2 Bb7 9. d4 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Nxd4 Nd6 12. Bd3 Nde4 13. Nef5 e6 14. Ne7+ Kh8 15. Rac1 Nc5 16. Bc2 Bd6 17. Nec6 Rfc8

18. Nb4? In an Armageddon White can afford no other outcome than victory, which may justify Sindarov’s off-the-rails conduct. From a purely objective position, however, he should have played 18. b4! Bxc6 19. bxc5 with a possible balance.
18. ... Nxb3! 19. Bxb3 Bxb4 20. Nb5 Bc5 21. Be5 Rd8 22. e3 a6

23. Nc7? Jumping straight into a dead end. If anything, after 23. Rxc5! bxc5 24. Nd6 Rd7 25. Ba4 White regains the Exchange with still a way to go and impossible hopes.
23. ... Rac8 24. Bc4 Nd7 25. Bg3 b5 26. Nxe6!? A desperate gamble.
26. ... fxe6 27. Bxe6 Bb6 28. Rxc8 Bxc8 29. Rd1

30. ... Re8! 30. Rd6. Or 30. Bxd7 Rd8 winning.
30. ... Nf8 31. Bxc8 Rxc8 32. Kf1 Bc5 33. Rxa6 Kg8 34. Ke2 b4 35. Be5 Be7 36. Kd3 Nd7 0–1.