Norwegian world chess champion Magnus Carlsen has successfully defended his title for the fourth time, clinching his match against Russian challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi with a powerful attack with the Black pieces in the 11th and final game of their scheduled 14-game match in Dubai Friday.
Carlsen, who had a 1-4 career record against the Russian in classical matches going into the month-long contest, did not lose a game in winning the match 7½-3½. After five relatively even draws to open the match, Carlsen won an epic, record-setting 136-move clash in Game 6 and proceeded to win three of the next five games to retain the title belt he first won in 2013.
Given the Russian’s strong early play, Dutch GM Anish Giri, commenting on the match for the site Chess.com, called the second half of the match perhaps “the biggest meltdown in world championship history.”
Carlsen, the first Norwegian to hold the crown, wins $1.2 million for the victory, with Nepomniachtchi getting $800,000.
Although he could have coasted to the title with a 3-point lead going into Friday’s Game 11, Carlsen instead carried out an aggressive attack from the Black side of an Italian Opening, sacrificing his rook for a White knight at one point to open up attacking lines against Nepomniachtchi’s exposed king. Grandmaster analysts and chess computer programs alike judged that White was already on the ropes when he agreed to accept the sacrifice on Move 24.
The only hiccup for Black came when he missed what was widely seen as an immediately decisive line with 26…exf2+ 27. Qxf2 Rd6! and the White king cannot survive when the Black rook joins the attack.
Carlsen instead went for a less convincing and drawn-out line that still gave him a clear passed pawn up in a rook-and-pawn ending.
Nepomniachtchi fought hard to generate drawing chances, but in the end, the champion’s technique was too strong. Black on Move 44 gave up his rook to allow his pawn to queen and in the final position, White’s a-pawn is about to fall, and he faces a hopeless ending.
Nepomniachtchi conceded the game and the match.
The moves of Game 11:
Nepomniachtchi-Carlsen, World Chess Championship Match, Game 11, Dubai
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 d6 6. O-O a5 7. Re1 Ba7 8. Na3 h6 9. Nc2 O-O 10. Be3 Bxe3 11. Nxe3 Re8 12. a4 Be6 13. Bxe6 Rxe6 14. Qb3 b6 15. Rad1 Ne7 16. h3 Qd7 17. Nh2 Rd8 18. Nhg4 Nxg4 19. hxg4 d5 20. d4 exd4 21. exd5 Re4 22. Qc2 Rf4 23. g3 dxe3 24. gxf4 Qxg4+ 25. Kf1 Qh3+ 26. Kg1 Nf5 27. d6 Nh4 28. fxe3 Qg3+ 29. Kf1 Nf3 30. Qf2 Qh3+ 31. Qg2 Qxg2+ 32. Kxg2 Nxe1+ 33. Rxe1 Rxd6 34. Kf3 Rd2 35. Rb1 g6 36. b4 axb4 37. Rxb4 Ra2 38. Ke4 h5 39. Kd5 Rc2 40. Rb3 h4 41. Kc6 h3 42. Kxc7 h2 43. Rb1 Rxc3+ 44. Kxb6 Rb3+ 45. Rxb3 h1=Q 46. a5 Qe4 47. Ka7 Qe7+ 48. Ka8 Kg7 49. Rb6 Qc5 White resigns.
