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.

In the Cage

Étienne Bacrot – Magnus Carlsen

9th GRENKE Chess Festival; Freestyle Open; time control: 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; Karlsruhe, April 19, 2025

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Position #302

1. d4 d5 2. Ng3 0-0-0 3. 0-0-0 f6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Ng6 6. Nbc3 e5 7. dxe5 Rxd1+ 8. Rxd1 Nxe5 9. f4 Nc4. More prudent was to retreat to d7.

10. a4. Much stronger appears to be 10. Be2! (threatening the check at g4), for after 10. ... f5 11. Bc5! fxe4 12. Bxf8 Black cannot safely retake on account of the Bishop checking at g4.
10. ... b6 11. g3 f5 12. Bh3 Rxe4 13. Bxf5+ Re6 14. Qa2 Qc6 15. Nb5 Kb7 16. Nd4 Qd5 17. Bxe6 Bxe6

18. b3?? A sucidal move, which literally buries the White Queen behind its own Pawns. Simply 18. Nxe6 Qxe6 20. Qb3 would leave White with a not too comfortable but sufficiently tenable position.
18. ... Ba3+! 19. Kb1 Qh5! 20. Rd3

20. ... Qh3! 21. Rd1 Nd2+ 22. Ka1 Bb4 23. Qb2 Bg4 24. Rc1 Nf3 25. Nxf3 Bxf3 26. Qxg7 Nc6 27. Kb2 Bd2 28. Ra1 Qg2 29. Bd4 Be4 30. Bc3 Be3 0–1.

The End of the Beginning

Magnus Carlsen – Hikaru Nakamura

1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour; second leg; Stage 2: Knockout; Final match game 1; time control: 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; Paris, April 13, 2025

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Position #103

1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 e5 4. b4!? Contemporary Romanticism.

4. ... Nxb4 (4. ... cxb4 5. Nd5 d6 6. d4!↑)
5. Nxe5 g6 6. d4 0-0. On 6. ... cxd4 7. Bh6+ would be annoying.
7. Ng4! Bg7. Black has not an easy time as White’s initiative can easily take the lead after either 7. ... h5 8. Nh6+ Kh7 9. g4! or 7. ... cxd4 8. Nh6+ Kg7 9. Nb5 or 7. ... Bxd4 8. Rxd4! cxd4 9. Nb5 (9. Nd5).
8. dxc5 d5! 9. Nh6+ Kh8 10. g4 Be6 11. cxd5 Nxd5 12. Bxd5 Bxd5 13. Bb2 Be6 14. g5 Rxd1+ 15. Qxd1 Qc8 16. Rg3 Qxc5 17. Ne4 Qd5 18. Qxd5 Bxd5 19. Nf6 (19. Nc3!? Bxa2 20. Ba3)
19. ... Bxa2 20. Ra3 Be6 21. Rxa7 Nd6 22. f3 Rc8 23. Be5 Nf5 24. Nxf5 Bxf5 25. Rxb7 Be6 26. Rb4 Bxf6 27. Bxf6+ Kg8 28. Kf2 Rc5 29. Kg3 h6 30. gxh6 Kh7 31. Bg7 g5

32. e4? Carlsen has kept all power in his own hands so far, but his last move was a bit too impulsive and could cost him dearly. More consistent was 32. Re4! Rc4 33. Re5 Kg6 34. e4 with a crushing advantage.
32. ... f5! 33. Rb7 f4+ 34. Kf2 Rc2+ 35. Ke1

35. ... Ba2?? A tragic oversight that loses at once. Simply 35. ... Rxh2! 37. Bf8+ Kg8 would leave White empty-handed.
36. Bf8+ 1–0. What a difference can one tempo make! Idem to say: 36. ... Kg8 37. h7+ Kh8 38. Bd6 or 36. ... Kg6 37. Rg7+ Kf6 38. h4! or 36. ... Kh8 37. Be7 Rxh2 38. Bxg5 winning in all cases.

The Last First Time

Magnus Carlsen – Fabiano Caruana

1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour; second leg; Stage 2: Knockout; Semifinal match game 2; time control: 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; Paris, April 12, 2025

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Position #4

1. c4 c5 2. b3 b6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Ne6 5. Qd2 Nf6 6. Ne3 Re8 7. Bb2 Bb7 8. f3 Bf4?! The Black dark-squared Bishop goes from the a-side to the h-side looking for something to target, but the whole journey takes a little too much time. 8. ... d5! seems a more direct way to equilibrium.
9. g3 Bh6 10. N1g2 g6. Finally, fianchettoing the Bishop.

11. h4! Qb8 12. g4 Bg7 13. h5 Bh6. Otherwise there follows h5-h6.
14. 0-0-0 Bg5 15. Bc2 Nf4 16. Nxf4 Qxf4 17. Nf1 Qxd2+ 18. Nxd2 e5 19. Kb1 Re6

20. h6! Keeping Black bottled up.
20. ... 0-0 21. e4 d6 22. b4 Nd7 23. Ka1 Rc8 24. Bb3 Rf6

It’s finally time to break through:
25. c5! Ba6. Both 26. ... bxc5 and 26. ... dxc5 would be met by 27. Nc4 with prompt invasion by the Knight.
26. Bc4 Nb8? Black was already very short of time, and inevitably committed mistakes. Here 26. ... Bb7! was called for, so as to reply to 27. Bb3 with 27. ... Ba6, offering to repeat moves.
27. b5! Rxc5 28. bxa6 Bxd2 29. Rxd2 Rxc4 30. Bxe5! Re6. The Bishop is obviously taboo because of the back rank mate at d8.
31. Bxd6 Nxa6

32. Bb8!? The simple doubling of the Rooks, with 32. Rhd1, should suffice, but Carlsen is irresistibly tempted by the tricky text move, which fell like a thundernbolt on Caruana.
32. ... Re8? The cool 32. ... Kf8!! would hold everything together, for if 33. Bxa7 Black can reply with 33. ... Rc7 without fear of being checkmated.
33. Bxa7 b5 34. Bd4 Nc7 35. Bf6 Ne6 36. Rhd1 Ra4 37. Rd3 g5 38. R1d2 b4 39. Kb1 Rea8 40. Be7 Re8 41. Bf6 Rea8 42. Rb2 R4a6 43. Rdb3 Nf8 44. Bxg5 1–0.

Unfinished

Magnus Carlsen – Fabiano Caruana

1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour; second leg; Stage 1: Rapid Round Robin; time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Paris, April 7, 2025

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Position #751

1. f4 f5 2. g3 g6 3. a4 a5 4. Nc3 Nd6 5. d4 Nc6 6. e3 Bc4 7. Rf2 Nb4 8. b3 Be6 9. Rd2 Qf7. The opening turned out well for Caruana, who is going to castle a-side with fine play.
10. Nd3 Nxd3 11. Rxd3 c6 12. e4 fxe4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Bxe4 0-0! 15. 0-0-0! Of course, the heterogeneous castling is strategically sound and tactically challenging!
15. ... Bg4 16. R1d2 e6 17. Rc3 Qe7 18. Kb2 Rab8 19. Bg2 Bf5 20. h3

20. ... g5!? Black does not hesitate to give up a Pawn in order to keep the Bishop in the diagonal.
21. g4 Bg6 22. fxg5? A very hot Pawn. Within a couple of moves, Black’s attack unleashes all its potential. 22. f5! was called for.
22. ... b5! 23. Bh2

23. ... bxa4!! 24. Bxb8 Rxb8 25. h4? And Carlsen continues to play with fire. 25. Rc4! axb3 26. c3! was now the only way to survive.
25. ... Qb4! With the manifest threat of ... a4-a3+.
26. Qg3

26. ... c5? A spontaneous mistake! The right break was 26. ... e5! (27. dxe5 Re8), in fact preventing White’s next move.
27. Rc4! Qb6. Not 27. ... Qxd2 by reason of 28. Qxb8+ Kg7 29. Qe5+ Kg8 30. Qxc5 with overwhelming advantage.
28. h5 axb3 29. cxb3 Bf7? And, finally, Caruana comes to his cupio dissolvi. Correct was 29. ... Be8! 30. Rxc5 Bxd4+ 31. Rxd4 Qxc5 still holding everything together.
30. Rxc5 e5. Now the line as above does not work because of Black’s Rook en prise with check.
31. Bd5 Bxd5 32. Rxd5 exd4 33. Qd3 a4 34. b4 Qxb4+ 35. Ka2 Bg7 36. Rxd7 Qb3+ 37. Qxb3+ axb3+ 38. Kb1 Re8 39. Kb2 Re5 40. Rf2 d3 41. Kxb3 1–0.

However, it wasn’t the chance that brought together two archrivals in a highly creative chess challenge. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Freestyle Chess.

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

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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.

Meaningful Coincidences

Bollywood Express

Deep Blues

Vincent Keymer – Magnus Carlsen

1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour; first leg; Stage 2: Knockout; Semifinal match game 1; time control: 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; Wangels, February 11, 2025

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Position #360

1. g4 Ng6 2. Nb3 e5 3. Ng3 f6 4. c4 0-0-0. Carlsen took to the confession booth to critique his own development strategy, complaining that it had turned Black’s game into a struggle for survival.
5. d4 Nb6 (5. ... exd4 6. f4⩲/±)
6. d5 d6 7. Bf5+ Bd7 8. f3 a6 9. e4 Nf4 10. Bxd7+ Rxd7 11. Kc2!? White offers a Pawn and the Exchange (11. ... Nxc4 12. Kc1 Nh3 13. Qh1 Ne3 14. Bd2) for the sake of the initiative.
11. ... Ba7 12. Bd2 Kb8 13. Be3 Nh3 14. Qg2 Nf4 15. Qf2 h5 16. Rfd1 hxg4 17. fxg4 Nc8 18. c5 dxc5 19. Bxc5 g6 20. Bxa7+ Nxa7 21. Kb1 Qh7 22. Nc5 Rd6 23. Ne2 Nxe2 24. Qxe2 Nb5 25. Qc4 Rc8 26. a4 Nd4

27. g5! Keymer throws fuel on the fire, compelling Carlsen to think long and hard about each move.
27. ... Rcd8 (27. ... fxg5!? 28. Rxd4! exd4 29. e5 Ka8!! 30. Qxd4 Rdd8 31. Qb4 Rb8∞)
28. gxf6 Rxf6 29. Rf1 Rb6 30. Rf2 g5 31. Ka2 Ka7 32. Rcf1

Carlsen defended well so far, but now the clock tells its own story.
32. ... g4? (32. ... Rc8 33. Rf7 Qxh2 34. R1f2 Qh3∞)
33. Qc3? (33. Rf7! Qxh2 34. R1f2 Qh6 35. Rxc7+−)
33. ... Nf3 34. Rg2 Rg8 35. Rff2 Rd6 36. Qe3 Ka8 37. Ne6 c6? An oversight in time trouble.

38. Qa3! Rxe6. 38. ... Rd7 39. Nf8 loses material by a Knight fork.
39. dxe6 Rc8? 1–0. The g4-Pawn also falls and Carlsen has had enough of it.

Only In This World

Magnus Carlsen – Nodirbek Abdusattorov

1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour; first leg; Stage 2: Knockout; Quarterfinal match game 1; time control: 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; Wangels, February 9, 2025

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Position #381

1. f4 f5!? That is a very unusual situation as they both sacrifice the Exchange after only one move! The alternative was 1. ... Nb6 2. Nb3 f5 3. e4 fxe4 4. Rxe4 Bd5 5. Re1 Qg8 6. Bf2 Ng6 7. f5 Nf4 8. Ne3 e5 9. Nxd5 Nfxd5 10. g4! c6 11. Ra1!⩲ Gukesh – Caruana, 1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour (first leg), Stage 2: Knockout, Wangels 2025, Quarterfinal match game 1 (time control: 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move).
2. Bxa7 Bxa2 3. e4

3. ... Bxb1. “If I manage, let’s say he’d taken the Pawn immediately, I go g2-g3 up, make up for the Queen, protects the Pawn with Pawn to d5. Then I think I can probably give a check with the Bishop. And then after he blocks the check, I can, like move the Rook from b1 to d1 castling. As far as I can see, the rules allow that”, Carlsen explained in the confession booth.
4. Kxb1 fxe4 5. g3! “So at first, I’m thinking what is he doing because now g2-g3... The thing is his Bishop is covering the squares along the diagonal. So it seemed that nonsensical to take the Rook and also tactically, d5 was hanging in some lines or even if he was protecting e6. But I think that’s what he was worried about. Now I think ... d7-d5, looked very unappetising without the light squared control. So I think I will be able to bring the Queen out to e4 and I think be a little bit better”, said Carlsen.
5. ... c6 (5. ... d5 6. c4!⩲)
6. Qxe4 g6 (6. ... e6 7. Nb3 g6 8. d4 Nc7 9. Bxb8 Kxb8 10. Nfd2⩲)
7. Ne3 Bb6?! (7. ... e6 8. Nc4 Bc7 9. Bxb8 Kxb8 10. Ne5 d5 11. Qe3⩲)
8. Bxb8 Kxb8 9. Nb3

9. ... Nc7? (9. ... Ne6 10. Qb4 Nd4 11. Nc1!±)
10. Qb4 Bxe3 11. dxe3 Nd5 12. Qa5 e5 13. Bf3 e4 14. Bg2 Qg7 15. c4 Nf6 16. Kc2 Qf7 17. Bf1 d6 18. Ra1 N8d7. Or 18. ... Ne6 19. Qa7+ Kc7 (19. ... Kc8 20. Bh3+−) 20. Ra6! Nd8 21. Na5 with irresistible attack.
19. Nd4 Nc5 20. b4 Na6

21. b5! cxb5 22. Qb6 Nb4+ 23. Kd2 1–0.

The Last Word

Dommaraju Gukesh – Magnus Carlsen

1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour; first leg; Stage 1: Rapid Round Robin; time control: 10 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Wangels, February 8, 2025

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Position #931

1. f4 b6 2. b3 Nh6 3. Ngf3 g6 4. Bxh8 Qxh8 5. g3 c5 6. e3 Nc7 7. Nd3 f6 8. Nf2 Nf7 9. e4 f5 10. Qe2 e5 11. fxe5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 Qxe5 13. 0-0 d5

14. d4. An interesting Pawn sacrifice which gives enough compensation.
14. ... Qxd4 15. exf5 gxf5 16. Rbd1 Qg7 17. Nh3 Rf8 18. c4 0-0-0 19. Nf4 Rfe8 20. Qd3 d4 21. Bxa8 Nxa8 22. Qxf5+ Qd7 23. Qxd7+ Rxd7 24. Nd5 Rg7 25. Rde1. White has regained his Pawn and now heads towards a level ending.
25. ... Rxe1 26. Rxe1 Nc7 27. Nf4 Kd7 28. Re5 Re7 29. Rh5 Ne8 30. Rh6 Nd6 31. Nd5 Rf7 32. Nf6+ Kd8 33. Nd5 Nf5 34. Re6 Kd7

35. Re2?! 35. Rf6 seems a simpler and safer way to secure a draw.
35. ... Kd6 36. Rf2 b5! As such, there is nothing transcendental about it, except that Black’s moves come easier.
37. Kf1 bxc4 38. bxc4 Ke5 39. Ke1?! Nd6 40. Nf4 Rc7

41. Re2+? This makes things less easy. After 41. Nd3+! Ke4 42. Ke2 Nxc4 43. Rf4+ Kd5 44. Rf5+ Kd6 45. Rf6+ Black has nothing better than to repeat moves.
41. ... Kf5 42. Nd5?? A bad mistake, which allows Black to penetrate with overwhelming effect. 42. Rf2! would still hold everything up — at least for a while.
42. ... Rb7 43. h3 Ne4 44. g4+ Ke5 45. Kf1 d3 46. Re1 Kd4 0–1.

Randomnicity

Fabiano Caruana – Magnus Carlsen

1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour; first leg; Stage 1: Rapid Round Robin; time control: 10 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Wangels, February 7, 2025

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Position #55

1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 b6 3. 0-0 0-0 4. Bf4 Ba6 5. g3 c6 6. Qd2 Nd7 7. Rfe1 e5? A catastrophic mistake which precipitates Black into an unsustainable situation. 7. ... f5! was almost called for.

8. e4! c5. On 8. ... exf4 9. exd5 White catches the Black Queen in a curious trap.
9. dxe5 d4 10. Nd5 Nxe5 11. b4! Nc4 12. Qe2 Rxd5. A desperate try for Black before he gives up.
13. exd5 Qxe2 14. Rxe2 Nb2. Black regains the Exchange, but the positional evaluation does not leave room for doubt: White is winning.
15. Rde1 Bxe2 16. Rxe2 d3

17. Re7 g5 (17. ... cxb4 18. d6+−)
18. Bxg5 cxb4 19. Rxa7 b5 20. d6 Nb6 21. d7 N2a4 22. Nb3 Nxd7 23. Rxd7 dxc2 24. Be4 Rc8 25. Rd8+ 1–0.

And so here they are again! Photo: Nils Rohde.

The Apple in the Garden

With less than a month left to the start of the Fischerandom/Freestyle chess Grand Slam season, the International Chess Federation (FIDE), that is, the ruling body of classical chess, shows its teeth, warning the new community that nothing and no one but them can claim authority or other rights over chess. Reading between lines, however, there still seems to be a little room for avoiding a religious war and, at least so far, FIDE is still limiting itself to a “carrot and stick” approach; they “are open to dialogue”, but yet... they “will not hesitate to use all legal means against those who violate its rights [on the institution of a World Fischerandom/Freestyle Championship title] — be it initiators, organizers and/or investors of the project”. Besides its bullying executives, FIDE has a problem, though. World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen is one of the grey eminences of the new Freestyle Grand Slam, and that’s enough to give anyone a jolt to join him in such a revolutionary adventure. On the other hand, new forms call for new definitions of gens una sumus, and the only sponsor of the Freestyle alternative, German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner, will necessarily have to make a better and more open world order than the one implied by the closed elite Grand Chess Tour, which has no cultural significance apart from lining the pockets of the few rich professionals. Since this is the Year of the Snake, one may urge König Midas to take a bit of Abrahamic advice from the creation myth and contemplate, in his new reign, a Fischerandom/Freestyle Grand Slam women’s season as well.
And the titles of Open and Women’s World Non-Champions at stake.

Fabric for Fashion

• Louisa Thomas, “What Magnus Carlsen’s Jeans Have to Do with Chess”, The New Yorker, January 5, 2025

The fuss around the grand master’s wearing of denim pants to a tournament is a reflection of tensions within the game. [Read more].

Holy spirit: torn jeans show you’re too cool to care. Photo: Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sports Photo Agency.

Happily Ever After

On Saturday, January 4, 2025, in a traditional ceremony (jeans not allowed) held at Holmenkollen Chapel in Oslo, Norway, five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen tied the knot with his fiancée Ella Victoria Malone.

Newlyweds challenge the kiss between Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater at the prow of the Titanic under a golden glowing sunset. Photo © NTB/AFP via Getty Images.

The Betrothed

The Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang (VG) has announced that this weekend Magnus Carlsen, the king of chess, will be getting married to Ella Victoria Malone, with whom he had been going steady for a couple of years.

Say It Ain’t So

One Plus One Equals Three

Magnus Carlsen and Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi, the two finalists of the 12th World Blitz Chess Championship, being still tied after three tie-breakers, gave rise to an unprecedented outcome as they asked and obtained — on Carlsen’s suggestion — that the title should be shared. FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich welcomed the request and proclaimed them both World Champions! The whole story sounds like a terrifying display of strength — not only in chess — by Carlsen, who succeeded in imposing his authority upon FIDE, which was not appreciated by many of his colleagues. But he didn’t care about it. “It feels very good to share gold with Nepo. We reached a point where it had been a long day. We played many games, we had three draws and I felt that I could keep playing. But it was a nice solution to share the win, it was a good way to end it”, Carlsen told to the Norwegian media NRK. For the second time in less than a week, President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin took pen and paper and wrote a congratulatory telegram to a Russian World Champion, who “deservedly became World Champion, sharing this honourable title with the virtuoso Magnus Carlsen. Well done!”.
As for the other half of the sky, in the 10th Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), the queen of 上海 (Shànghǎi), did not indulge in such magnanimity with 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié). Once again she defeated her long-time friend (frenemy) in a final, if not classical, to win her first world title in the blitz specialty.
One final consideration concerns the fact or detail that this time, with the exception of Carlsen, all the World Rapid and Blitz Champions belong to countries which are members of the Asian Chess Federation. If anything, it should be something for Western supremacists to think about.

Fast and Furry-ous

Up and Around

With a twist worthy of the best Bollywood movies, five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, the king in jeans, pulled up his pants and hurried back to Lower Manhattan. The grand announcement, “Suiting up”, means that he will come back for his fans, just in time to play the 12th World Blitz Chess Championship! FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich, stuck in Moscow with flu, after hearing the other side of the story from Carlsen himself, deplored FIDE’s intransigent censors for their disproportionately punitive attitude towards questions of customs and modes of dress, exhorting them to use common sense. He must have been convincing because Carlsen won’t give up his transgression. “As a principle, I will definitely play in jeans tomorrow”, he said.

As E.L.V. Denim founder Anna Foster said, “There are more jeans than people in the world”. Photo: Benedikt Frank, courtesy of E.L.V. Denim.