2021 World Championship Kicks off with a Draw

2021 FIDE World Championship playing hall in Dubai, UAE

The 2021 FIDE World Chess Championship between World Champion Magnus Carlsen and challenger GM Ian Nepomniachtchi began on Friday in Dubai, UAE. // photo Eric Rosen, International Chess Federation (FIDE)

The first game of the 2021 FIDE World Championship is officially in the books: a less-than-peaceful draw between the reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen and his challenger GM Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Nepo attacked as White with 1. e4 on Friday, entering a Closed Ruy Lopez and receiving the Marshall Attack from Carlsen – though the gambit was declined by the challenger with 8. h3. The game began to leave the beaten path with Carlsen’s 8. … Na5? to earn Black the bishop pair, though the World Champion later gave his minor piece advantage back in a queenless middlegame, swapping both sets of bishops after 22. … Bxf3 and ruining White’s pawn structure.

Though Carlsen was playing down a pawn since the game’s early moves, Black’s position looked comfortable entering the endgame, pressuring Nepo into defense and forcing a string of accurate moves from his Russian challenger just before the first time control. Black regained his lost material after 33. … b4 helped open a lane for his rook, but Nepomniachtchi soon pressed Carlsen with an impossible decision, forcing repetition and agreeing to a draw after 45 moves.

GM Elshan Moradiabadi takes you in for a deep dive, as today’s guest annotator for Game 1 of the 2021 FIDE World Championship.

GMs Ian Nepomniachtchi and Magnus Carlsen

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi began his challenge of World Champion Magnus Carlsen's title with Game 1 on Friday in Dubai, UAE. // photo Eric Rosen, International Chess Federation (FIDE)