Newsflash: Magnus Carlsen Retains World Championship Title

In November 30th, in New York City, Magnus Carlsen turned 26 and successfully defended his World Championship title against ferocious challenger Sergey Karjakin. The classical portion of the match was split 6-6, all draws except for a big win by Karjakin in round eight, and a Thanksgiving counter-punch by Magnus in round ten. The rapid portion of the match began with no huge surprises, a Ruy Lopez with few fireworks.

[pgn]

[Event "Carlsen-Karjakin World Chess Champs"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[WhiteTeam "Russia"]
[BlackTeam "Norway"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "NOR"]
[WhiteClock "0:03:41"]
[BlackClock "0:07:39"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3
O-O 9. Nc3 Nb8 10. Ne2 c5 11. Ng3 Nc6 12. c3 Rb8 13. h3 a5 14. a4 b4 15. Re1
Be6 16. Bc4 h6 17. Be3 Qc8 18. Qe2 Rd8 19. Bxe6 fxe6 20. d4 bxc3 21. bxc3 cxd4
22. cxd4 exd4 23. Nxd4 Nxd4 24. Bxd4 Rb4 25. Rec1 Qd7 26. Bc3 Rxa4 27. Bxa5
Rxa1 28. Rxa1 Ra8 29. Bc3 Rxa1+ 30. Bxa1 Qc6 31. Kh2 Kf7 32. Bb2 Qc5 33. f4 Bd8
34. e5 dxe5 35. Bxe5 Bb6 36. Qd1 Qd5 37. Qxd5 Nxd5 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

In the second rapid game, Magnus Carlsen had a winning edge, but the challenger held for as long as he could, finally finding a stalemate defense that shocked chess fans all the way up to Anish Giri.

If you ask me Karjakin has just become World Chess Defense Champion. #CarlsenKarjakin

— Anish Giri (@anishgiri) November 30, 2016

[pgn]

[Event "Carlsen-Karjakin World Chess Champs"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[PlyCount "167"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[WhiteTeam "Norway"]
[BlackTeam "Russia"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "NOR"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]
[WhiteClock "0:04:15"]
[BlackClock "0:00:55"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. a4 a6 7. c3 d6 8. Re1
Ba7 9. h3 Ne7 10. d4 Ng6 11. Nbd2 c6 12. Bf1 a5 13. dxe5 dxe5 14. Qc2 Be6 15.
Nc4 Qc7 16. b4 axb4 17. cxb4 b5 18. Ne3 bxa4 19. Rxa4 Bxe3 20. Bxe3 Rxa4 21.
Qxa4 Nxe4 22. Rc1 Bd5 23. b5 cxb5 24. Qxe4 Qxc1 25. Qxd5 Qc7 26. Qxb5 Rb8 27.
Qd5 Rd8 28. Qb3 Rb8 29. Qa2 h6 30. Qd5 Qe7 31. Qe4 Qf6 32. g3 Rc8 33. Bd3 Qc6
34. Qf5 Re8 35. Be4 Qe6 36. Qh5 Ne7 37. Qxe5 Qxe5 38. Nxe5 Ng6 39. Bxg6 Rxe5
40. Bd3 f6 41. Kg2 Kh8 42. Kf3 Rd5 43. Bg6 Ra5 44. Ke4 Rb5 45. h4 Re5+ 46. Kd4
Ra5 47. Kc4 Re5 48. Bd4 Ra5 49. Bc5 Kg8 50. Kd5 Rb5 51. Kd6 Ra5 52. Be3 Re5 53.
Bf4 Ra5 54. Bd3 Ra7 55. Ke6 Rb7 56. Kf5 Rd7 57. Bc2 Rb7 58. Kg6 Rb2 59. Bf5
Rxf2 60. Be6+ Kh8 61. Bd6 Re2 62. Bg4 Re8 63. Bf5 Kg8 64. Bc2 Re3 65. Bb1 Kh8
66. Kf7 Rb3 67. Be4 Re3 68. Bf5 Rc3 69. g4 Rc6 70. Bf8 Rc7+ 71. Kg6 Kg8 72. Bb4
Rb7 73. Bd6 Kh8 74. Bf8 Kg8 75. Ba3 Kh8 76. Be6 Rb6 77. Kf7 Rb7+ 78. Be7 h5 79.
gxh5 f5 80. Bxf5 Rxe7+ 81. Kxe7 Kg8 82. Bd3 Kh8 83. Kf8 g5 84. hxg6 1/2-1/2

[/pgn]

After a short ten minute break, a surely dissapointed Carlsen found himself in a double-edged Ruy Lopez, and won a thriller, highlighted by...30 e4 and finally the crushing 38...Ra1 after 38. Rxc7?

[pgn]

[Event "Carlsen-Karjakin World Chess Champs"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[WhiteTeam "Russia"]
[BlackTeam "Norway"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "NOR"]
[WhiteClock "0:00:13"]
[BlackClock "0:10:47"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3
O-O 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 Be6 11. b4 Nc6 12. Nd5 Nd4 13. Ng5 Bxd5 14. exd5 Nd7 15.
Ne4 f5 16. Nd2 f4 17. c3 Nf5 18. Ne4 Qe8 19. Bb3 Qg6 20. f3 Bh4 21. a4 Nf6 22.
Qe2 a5 23. axb5 axb4 24. Bd2 bxc3 25. Bxc3 Ne3 26. Rfc1 Rxa1 27. Rxa1 Qe8 28.
Bc4 Kh8 29. Nxf6 Bxf6 30. Ra3 e4 31. dxe4 Bxc3 32. Rxc3 Qe5 33. Rc1 Ra8 34. h3
h6 35. Kh2 Qd4 36. Qe1 Qb2 37. Bf1 Ra2 38. Rxc7 Ra1 0-1[/pgn]

This put Carlsen in a great position in the fourth game of the rapid: Draw odds to retain the World Championship title, and the white pieces to boot. Karjakin responded to the grave spot with the Sicilian, much to the excitement of chess fans. But it turned into a Maroczy type position favoring Carlsen. He won the game and defended his title with a lovely tactic, leaving us with a grand impression of his title defense.

White to Move and Win

Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "Carlsen-Karjakin World Chess Champs"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[WhiteTeam "Norway"]
[BlackTeam "Russia"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "NOR"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]
[WhiteClock "0:01:40"]
[BlackClock "0:00:32"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. f3 e5 6. Nb3 Be7 7. c4 a5 8. Be3
a4 9. Nc1 O-O 10. Nc3 Qa5 11. Qd2 Na6 12. Be2 Nc5 13. O-O Bd7 14. Rb1 Rfc8 15.
b4 axb3 16. axb3 Qd8 17. Nd3 Ne6 18. Nb4 Bc6 19. Rfd1 h5 20. Bf1 h4 21. Qf2 Nd7
22. g3 Ra3 23. Bh3 Rca8 24. Nc2 R3a6 25. Nb4 Ra5 26. Nc2 b6 27. Rd2 Qc7 28.
Rbd1 Bf8 29. gxh4 Nf4 30. Bxf4 exf4 31. Bxd7 Qxd7 32. Nb4 Ra3 33. Nxc6 Qxc6 34.
Nb5 Rxb3 35. Nd4 Qxc4 36. Nxb3 Qxb3 37. Qe2 Be7 38. Kg2 Qe6 39. h5 Ra3 40. Rd3
Ra2 41. R3d2 Ra3 42. Rd3 Ra7 43. Rd5 Rc7 44. Qd2 Qf6 45. Rf5 Qh4 46. Rc1 Ra7
47. Qxf4 Ra2+ 48. Kh1 Qf2 49. Rc8+ Kh7 50. Qh6+ 1-0[/pgn]

Look for more analysis and reflections from our onsite reporter, GM Cristian Chirila, later this week.