Mikhalchishin - Stetsko - Fighting Chess With Magnus Carlsen, 2012 PDF

Mikhalchishin/Stetsko
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Fi
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Chess with Ma
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nus Carlsen
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Volume 1 of the ongoing series
Editorial board
GM Victor Korchnoi
GM Helmut Pfleger
GM Nigel Short
GM Rudolf Teschner
Z1Z
EDITION OLMS
m
Adrian Mikhalchishin Oleg Stetsko
FIGHTING CHESS WITH
MAGNUS CARLSEN
Translated and edited by Ken Neat
Z1Z
EDITION OLMS
m
TheAuthorS
AdrIanMIkhalChIShIn (born 1954) has an excel l ent i nternati onal reputati on, above al l as a fi ne chess trai ner.
The Ukrai ni an-born grandmaster worked from 1980 to 1986 wi th the 12th world champi on Anatol y Karpov,
and he has also assi sted Zsuzsa Pol gar, Maya Chiburdani dze, Vassily l vanchuk and Arkady Nai ditsch. As
chai rman of the FIDE Trai ners' Commi ssi on, Mi khal chi shi n can also call on on hi s wealth of experi ence as
an active player. He parti ci pated in several USSR nati onal champi onshi ps, 4th pl ace in 1984 i n the 51st
champi onshi p in his home city of Lvov bei ng his greatest competi ti ve success. He has also taken part i n
four Chess Ol ympi ads, three ti mes f or hi s new homeland of Sl oveni a (2000, 2002 and 2004).
Oleg tetSko(born 1936) was a professi onal ai rforce pilot and a chess pl ayer of Sovi et master standard,
who pl ayed several ti mes i n the strong USSR Armed Forces champi onshi ps. After hi s reti rement i n 1984 he
was appoi nted to the trai ni ng staff of the USSR nati onal team, whi ch i n 1989 he helped to wi n the second
Worl d Team Champi onshi p i n Lucerne. Stetsko then worked as a journali st for the presti gi ous 4magazi ne,
of whi ch Anatol y Karpov was the edi tor-i n-chi ef. In the 1990s together wi th the well-known grandmaster
Eduard Gufeld he wrote several books, i ncludi ng The Complete Dragon and Winning with the Torre Attack.
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Edi tor: Ken Neat
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OHI0HIS
Preface e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e a e a a a a a e e e e a a e a a e e e e e e a e e e 8
Magnus Carlsen - Hero of the Computer Era e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0
G. Kacheishvili-M. Carlsen 14 M. Maki Uuro-M. Carlsen 14 M. Carlsen-D. Kedik 1b
. Bindrich- M. Carlsen 1b D. Pavasovic- M. Carlsen 1 E. Rozentalis-M. Carlsen 1
M. Carlsen-L. Aronian 1J A. Onischuk-M. Carlsen 1J C. Pedersen-M. Carlsen 1B
M. Carlsen-G. Kamsky 1B M. Carlsen-A. Adly 1U M. Carlsen-A. Naiditsch 1U
L. Aronian-M. Carlsen 2
1 From Master to Grandmaster e a a a a a e e e e e e e a e a a a a a a a a e a a a a a a o a a a a a a o 22
Game 1 M. Carlsen - H. Harestad 2U
Game U M. Carlsen-S. Ernst U1
Game b M. Carlsen-E. Shaposhnikov Ub
Game M. Carlsen-E. Vladimirov 41
Game B M. Carlsen-N. Short 4
Game 2 M. Carlsen-S. Zhigalko 2
Game 4 M. Carlsen -S. Dolmatov U4
M. Carlsen-G. Kasparov UU
Game J D. Palo-M. Carlsen 4U
2 The Way to the Top e e e e a a o e a a a a e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e a e e e e e e a 50
P. H. Nielsen-M. Carlsen b
Game 1 I. Cheparinov-M. Carlsen bb
Game 12 M. Carlsen-K. Lie 2
Game 14 M. Carlsen- Amonatov J1
Game 1 M. Carlsen-A. Beliavsky JJ
Game 1J M. Carlsen-J. Nunn B1
Game 1U M. Carlsen-A. Morozevich U
M. Carlsen -A. Shirov UU
M. Carlsen-V. Topalov 1J
Game 2U M. Carlsen-L. Aronian 112
Game 2b L. Aronian-M. Carlsen 11B
M. Carlsen-Y Pelletier 12b
Game 2J M. Carlsen- T. Radjabov 12U
Game 2U D. Jakovenko-M. Carlsen 1Ub
Game U1 M. Carlsen-M. Adams 14U
C
Game U M. Carlsen-A. Shirov b1
Game 11 M. Carlsen- Nikolic bJ
Game 1U B. Jobava-M. Carlsen
Game 1b M. Carlsen-G. Kamsky JU
M. Carlsen -A. Beliavsky B
Game 1B M. Carlsen-M. Adams B4
Game 2 A. Morozevich-M. Carlsen Ub
Game 21 M. Carlsen-A. Morozevich 11
Game 22 M. Carlsen-V. lvanchuk 1J
Game 24 M. Carlsen- L. Aronian 11b
M. Carlsen-L. Aronian 12U
Game 2 M. Carlsen-A. Onischuk 12b
Game 2B V. Kramnik-M. Carlsen 1UU
Game U M. Carlsen-L. Dominguez 14
Game U2 M. Carlsen -!. Cheparinov 14U
3 Life at the Top e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e o e e e 155
Game M. Carlsen- Eljanov 1bb
Game b V. Topalov-M. Carlsen 1
Game 1 M. Carlsen-V. Topalov 1
Game M. Carlsen- V. lvanchuk 11B
Game 41 L. Dominguez- M. Carlsen 1B1
Game 4 L. Aronian- M. Carlsen 1b
Game 4b M. Carlsen -A. Beliavsky 21
Game 41 M. Carlsen- V. Anand 2B
Game 4 M. Carlsen-A. Grischuk 21b
Game b1 M. Carlsen-Wang Yue 221
Game b M. Carlsen-P. Leko 2
Game bb M. Carlsen- Radjabov 21
Game b1 M. Carlsen -R. Ponomariov 244
Game b S. Karjakin-M. Carlsen 2b2
Game L.-D. Nisipeanu-M. Carlsen 2bB
Game 2 M. Carlsen - E. Bacrot 2b
Game 4 M. Carlsen-L.-D. Nisipeanu 211
Game 4 V. Kramnik-M. Carlsen 1bB
Game M. Carlsen-L. Aronian 1
Game B T. Radjabov- M. Carlsen 114
Game 4 Y. Pelletier-M. Carlsen 1B4
Game 42 M. Carlsen- T. Radjabov 11
Game 44 M. Carlsen-L. Aronian 1B
Game 4 M. Carlsen-L. Dominguez 2b
Game 4B L. Dominguez-M. Carlsen 212
Game b M. Carlsen-V. Topalov 21B
Game b2 M. Carlsen-D. Jakovenko 22
Game b4 M. Carlsen-V. Topalov 2
Game b M. Carlsen - V. Anand 24
Game bB M. Carlsen- V. Kramnik 241
L. Aronian -M. Carlsen 2b
Game 1 R. Ponomariov-M. Carlsen 21
Game M. Carlsen -H. Nakamura 2
4 Index B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B 274
Tournament and Match Record 214
Index of Carlsen's Opponents 21
Index of Openings 2B
I0BC0
The swift rise of the young Norwegian Mag
nus Carlsen to the top levels of chess has
literally overturned impressions about the
possibilities of teaching talented children.
Indeed, to progress at a young age from a
run-of-the-mill master to a real contender
for the chess crown in just five years is
something that only an outstanding tal
ent is capable of doing. In the history of
chess only Garry Kasparov has achieved
any similar. In this occurrence there is
much that is surprising: both the fact that
such an extraordinary talent appeared in
'non-chess' Norway, and the way itself in
which this chess mastery was acquired.
For graduates and successors of the So
viet Chess School, nurtured in a 'chess'
foundation established over decades, and
fostered from childhood in clubs at Pio
neers Palaces and then in chess schools
run by famous mentors, it is hard to imagine
a boy grasping the wisdom of chess virtu
ally on his own.
This is correct only in the sense that
Magnus likes to study chess on his own.
But there were also attendant circumstanc
es: Magnus's father, Henrik Carlsen, was
well known in Norway as a chess organiser,
and it was he who noticed his son's talent,
observing that already at the age of five
he had good analytical ability. And, not
surprisingly, knowing the precedent of the
famous Hungarian Judit Polgar, from an
early age the father began assisting his son
to become a chess professional, hoping
O
for great achievements. Another impor
tant factor was the boy's home situation.
Magnus has a secure basis-a wholesome
family, in which his sisters virtually idolise
him, and the attention and support of rela
tives and of society. Already at the age of
ten he had the help of a trainer, and as his
prowess developed he also acquired the
support of financial bodies, including the
Microsoft company.
By present-day junior standards, Mag
nus began a serious study of chess rather
late-at the age of eight. The initial motiva
tion was a promise by his father to include
him, if he played well, in the Norwegian
under-11 championship. This stimulated
the boy to study chess for 2-3 hours a
day over a period of six months. The rest
was accomplished by his all-consuming
interest in the game. Many point to the
prevalence of computer preparation, even
calling Magnus a computer boy. He does
not deny his enthusiasm for the computer;
indeed it would be strange not to make
use of it in the age of universal comput
erisation. For modern children, using a
computer does not present any particular
problems, and a grasp of the accompa
nying programs comes quite naturally to
them. As for purely chess preparation,
Carlsen uses the computer as an instru
ment, and he relates sceptically to con
tentions that it is emasculating live chess.
The main thing for Magnus is improving
his mastery and achieving results. Here
Preface
it is appropriate to recall the pithy saying
of Mikhail Botvinnik: 'Chess cannot be
taught, one can only learn it!' It is unlikely
that Magnus is familiar with the Patriarch's
claim, but he has patiently learned, pro
ceeding with the help of the computer,
picturesquely speaking, in seven-league
steps.
Another very important factor in his im
provement has been the reading of chess
literature. In the words of his father, he
literally swallowed all Kasparov's series
My Great Predecessors and from them he
remembers practically everything. These
books are a kind of academic course on
the classical heritage of chess. And the
fact that he prefers to work on chess on
his own ('Magnus is very independent
as regards preparation, I only help him',
testifies his trainer Simen Agdestein), is
merely an indication of his character. In
short, we see an example of the effective
study of chess by correspondence, based
on fertile ground. In the opinion of one
of the best trainers of the present time,
grandmaster Yuri Razuaev, the boy pos
sessed the gift of self-instruction.
It would be incorrect to talk about the
ineffectivness of this type of study, with
references to a lack of 'schooling'. There
have been countless examples of success

ful self-realisation. His way is familiar to
me not just by hearsay, since at a mature
age I managed to achieve chess master
standard and complete a correspondence
course at the Aviation Institute.
By his 19th year Carlsen had completed
his chess Academy, he had received high
marks from his examiners by victories in
very strong tournaments, and he was con
tinuing to improve. This is indicated by his
attainment of the high point 2800 in the
world rating list, which allows him to be
regarded as the strongest player in the
West. Carlsen has made his 'way to the
top' in chess high society. One of the many
ways available to a talented young person.
We would like to wish that his 'life at the
top' does not collapse, as in the novel of
the same name by the well-known English
writer John Braine.
In conclusion, we would like to thank
grandmaster Andrey Devyatkin for help in
describing the childhood stage of Magnus
Carlsen's chess career.
Oleg Stetsko
USSR Master of Sport
Senior Trainer of the USSR
national team 1985-89
NB@HUS BIlS0H ~ N0IO O ID0
OHUI0I cIB
When we begi n exami ni ng the chess phe
nomenon Magnus Carl sen and hi s way
to the top, the fi rst t hi ng that comes to
mi nd i s whether we can compare the tal
ented Norwegi an wi th the bri l l i ant chess
geni uses of the second hal f of the 20th
century, Robert Fi scher and Garry Kasp
arov. What i s i t that uni tes hi m wi th these
great champi ons? Above al l - a bri l l i ant
memory. Hi s fi rst trai ner, grandmaster
Si men Agdestei n, tol d me that he gave
the young Magnus an openi ng book to
read, and the next day, as i f nothi ng had
happened, he performed the new open
i ng to a hi gh standard. True, a stri vi ng for
sharp posi ti ons i mmedi atel y on emergi ng
from the openi ng, as possessed by the
young Fi scher and Kasparov, was not very
apparent, but al ready at the age of fi fteen
he was confi dentl y pl ayi ng compl i cated
openi ngs such as the Sveshni kov Vari ati on
and the Botvi nni k Vari ati on.
The greatest i nfl uence on the devel op
ment of the young tal ent was undoubt
edl y made by the Norwegi an grandmaster
Si men Agdestei n. Thi s showed i tsel f not
onl y in chess, but al so in the fact that Mag
nus i s a good footbal ler. After al l , hi s trai ner
pl ayed for hi s country at both chess and
footbal l , and he even scored a goal agai nst
I tal y! They met when Magnus was 1 0 years
ol d. I niti al l y the boy studied with the Norwe
gi an master Torbj0rn Ri ngdal Hansen, who
T
was doi ng hi s mi l itary servi ce at a Col l ege
for Top Athl etes, where Agdestei n ran the
chess secti on. And wi thi n a year he made
i ncredi bl e progress. Thi s i s not surpri si ng:
Magnus was l i teral l y gri pped by chess,
pl ayi ng i n al l possi bl e tournaments and
readi ng numerous chess books i n Engl i sh.
Hi s fi rst book was Find the Plan by Bent
Larsen. At that ti me Agdestei n correctl y
thought that, for lessons wi th a boy who
was at the stage of masteri ng the basi cs
of chess, a computer was not needed.
And onl y later, when the openi ng became
an i mportant el ement of the pl ay i n tour
naments, Magnus began worki ng wi th
the anal yti cal modul es Fritz and Rybka.
Agdestei n worked wi th Magnus several
ti mes a month, spendi ng two or three hours
on the anal ysi s of a game. I n Agdestei n' s
opi ni on, chi l dren cannot be forced to study
chess. Of course, i t i s not easy to teach a
youngster to pl ay, but if you can arouse hi s
i ndi vi dual i nterest, mi racl es occur. Thi s i s
how i t was wi th Magnus - moti vati on was
the mai n key to success!
Magnus t hought that on the way to
hi gher achi evements he shoul d become
Norwegi an champi on, but i n 2004 and
2005 the road was bl ocked by hi s expe
ri enced teacher, and i t was onl y in 2006
that he managed to surpass hi m. Surpri s
i ngly, Magnus was al so unabl e to wi n i n
t he young age categori es of t he European
Magnus Carl sen - Hero of the Computer Era
Champi onshi ps. But where now are those
who fi ni shed ahead of hi m? In the hi story
of chess thi s has al so occurred with other
pl ayers. For exampl e, up to the age of 1 6
the great Garry Kasparov was twi ce unabl e
to demonstrate hi s superi ori ty i n cl ass. I n
the fi rst stage of hi s work wi th Magnus,
Agdestei n set the objecti ve of reachi ng
master level of pl ay and he regarded i ndi
vi dual tournaments onl y as stages towards
the achievement of thi s ai m. But al ready
i n 2004 he real i sed that he was unabl e to
rai se the youngster to a hi gher level , and
the search for a new trai ner began.
Contact wi th Garry Kasparov earl y i n
2005 was not devel oped any further. But
a mentor was found on Scandi navi an soi l .
After contacts at a number of j oi nt tourna
ments in Scandi navi a, the strong Dani sh
grandmaster Peter Hei ne Ni el sen began
worki ng wi th the youngster. For a l ong
ti me he had been keepi ng an eye on the
young Norwegi an and a year earl i er he had
commented i n the press: the West had
not known such a great tal ent si nce the
ti me of Fi scher, and at such a young age
Carl sen was not i nferi or to ei ther Karpov or
Kasparov. At that ti me Ni elsen was actively
col l aborati ng with Vi shwanathan Anand,
and later, when he was havi ng to work wi th
both of them, he woul d someti mes enl i st
Magnus to prepare Vi shy for i mportant
events, such as, for exampl e, the match
for the worl d champi onshi p wi th Kramni k
i n 2008.
Worki ng wi th Ni el sen, Carl sen substan
ti al l y expanded hi s openi ng repertoi re,
whi ch had to be greatl y moderni sed. For
exampl e, with Bl ack he stopped pl ayi ng the
Ki ng's I ndi an Defence, whi ch di d not sui t
hi s styl e. At that ti me Magnus was most
successful in tense posi ti ons, in pl ay ' move
TT
by move', so to speak. Al though he was
sti l l a l ong way from the best pl ayers of thi s
type, such as Fi scher and Kasparov, he
was neverthel ess notabl e for hi s sensi bl e
and l ogi cal pl ay. True, at ti mes hi s pl ay
l ooked somewhat si mpl i fi ed, someti mes
automated, whi ch was a consequence of
fasci nati on with computer preparati on. Not
wi thout reason, Garry Kasparov warned
about the poi ntl essness of such pl ay. Thi s
i s how he descri bes the essence of the
pl ay i n so-cal l ed post-moderni sm chess:
' Nowadays most young pl ayers si mpl y
move t he pi eces i n anti ci pati on of a mi s
take, l i ke an i ce-hockey team knocki ng
the puck i nto the opponent' s zone, hopi ng
that somethi ng wi l l come of thi s. The pure
pragmati sm of the young shows i tsel f i n
many games. Carl sen sti l l needs to rai se
hi s understandi ng to match up wi th hi s
energy and opti mi sm' .
But even so, Magnus di d not devel op
l i ke a computer pl ayer, al though the work
wi th Ni el sen, who made acti ve use of the
computer, seri ousl y devel oped the ana
l yti cal aspect of hi s tal ent, whi ch is often
cal led pl ayi ng computer chess. I s thi s good
or bad? Nowadays chess has changed,
and the top pl ayers are not i ncl i ned to phi
l osophi se about the posi ti on; they need
qui ckl y and effi ci entl y to find not so much
the best move, as the opti mal deci si on.
Thi s enabl es them for a l engthy ti me to
mai ntai n the tensi on on the board and to
set the opponent the maxi mum di scomfort
in the sol vi ng of constant probl ems. The
pl ans for conducti ng the game in thi s type
of chess are far l ess concrete than duri ng
the ti mes of the great worl d champi ons,
who adhered to the cl assi cal styl e of pl ay,
wi th the possi bl e excepti on of Mi khai l Tal .
But these pl ans are based on the i nten-

sity level of the position and are solved
exclusively by concrete measures, not by
general reasoning.
The well-known trainer Arshak Petro
sian, observing Carlsen's play at the C
Tournament in Wijk aan Zee in 2004, was
surprised at how confidently the 13-year
old boy could 'serve with either hand', i.e.
play both 1. e4 and 1. d4 with equal suc
cess. At so young an age, such a thing was
typical only of Boris Spassky, the most uni
versal player of the Soviet Chess School,
who (stretching the point somewhat) can
be regarded as the forerunner of the mod
ern computer generation. Assessing Mag
nus's play, Arshak Petrosian quite seriously
warned his pupil, Peter Leko: ' Here is your
future rival, you should observe his play
very carefully. He is already quite a strong
positional player, and he places his pieces
correctly -a rare quality for such an age'.
A new stage in Carlsen's chess biogra
phy began quite recently-in the summer
of 2009, when he began working with Garry
Kasparov. Their first meeting occurred in
2004 at the festival in Reykjavik, when the
prodigy's play impressed Kasparov in their
rapid game, which the maestro saved only
with great difficulty. A year later Magnus
was invited by Kasparov to Moscow for
lessons with the famous trainers Yuri Ra
zuvaev and Alexander Nikitin. But this work
was not continued. Carlsen declined to
follow the program developed by the Rus
sian trainers, and decided to improve his
chess independently.
However, without highly-qualified help
it proved beyond Carlsen's powers to im
prove on the 'star' level achieved in 2008
(his official rating reached 2776), and the
assistance of Kasparov proved most op
portune. For Garry the field of activity was
very fruitful. Magnus possesses a natural
gift for correctly evaluating a position, a
very rare quality, one which at a young
age has been possessed by many world
champions. In Kasparov's opinion, in style
of play the Norwegian youngster is close
to Karpov, Smyslov and Capablanca. But
since Magnus's style of play is markedly
different from that of Kasparov, his contact
with the famous champion will undoubt
edly expand his chess views. Usually a
trainer works with his pupil, but it is unlikely
that this is what Kasparov does. His role
is rather that of a mentor; there are things
he can pass on to his protege. There is no
doubt that Carlsen's opening repertoire will
be strengthened -this is a strong compo
nent of Garry. Especially since as yet the
level of the youngster's opening repertoire
does not correspond to his strength of play.
At the same time it is important to learn a
more productive organisation of the work
ing process, in order to make maximum
use of his natural talent.
T Z
I n the opinion of Arshak Petrosian,
working with Kasparov should not so much
change the young Norwegian's opening
repertoire, so much as shift his motiva
tion to the maximum level. This is the ap
proach of real champions to the play in
every game, and the accompanying feeling
of one's own superiority can be instilled
only by a great champion. This approach
to the fight was displayed in October 2009
at the super-tournament in Nanjing. It was
there that it became apparent what Mag
nus has in common with the champions
-he began to be feared!
I saw Magnus at many Olympiads and
European Championships during his de
velopment period. And the first thing that
strikes you (incidentally, this is also the

opinion of the wel l -known manager Sil vio
Danai l ov) i s the feigned lack of energy, both
in external appearance, and in pl ay. Al l the
champi ons, apart from Karpov and Pet
rosian, l ooked very energeti c, someti mes
even frighteni ng. As for Karpov, he had
enormous i nternal energy, which he was
abl e to transfer to the chess board. The
dri ve of Kasparov and Fi scher was fel t as
soon as their opponent arrived at the chess
board. Carl sen conducts certai n parts of
a game as though i mpercepti bl y, i n the
styl e of Karpov or Adams, but, i n contrast
to them, he not only does not avoi d sharp
vari ati ons, but happil y goes i n for them.
An i ndi cati on of the youngster's thorough
self-confi dence i s that he ventures to pl ay
very sharp vari ations, wi thout worki ng out
al l thei r detai l s, whi ch Kasparov al ways
ai med to do. Yes, there are i nstances when
he pl ays superfi ci al ly, but this is typi cal of
young pl ayers, who do not al ways under
stand and sense the dangers associ ated
with the opponent' s counterpl ay. As for
Carl sen, he possesses such a feel i ng, and
thi s i s very i mportant i n hi gh-l evel pl ay. I t
i s another matter that hi s power begi ns
to di spl ay i tsel f onl y from a certain poi nt
i n the game, but here he can al ready be
i rresi sti bl e. Agai n, thi s i s a vi vi d charac
teri sti c, typi cal of Karpov and to a certai n
extent of Fi scher.
I n recent t i mes Magnus has greatl y
added to hi s depth of understanding of
chess, he has begun to di spl ay an abi l
i ty to fi nd mini mal and l atent chances i n
the posi ti on and he has cl earl y become
more forceful i n hi s pl ay. That i s, he has
mastered the transiti on to total chess, the
readi ness to fi ght to the end. We are seei ng
the devel opment of a fighter. I t shoul d be
sai d that, i n thei r youth, nei ther Fi scher nor
Kasparov was an uncompromising fighter.
They became thi s with the growth i n the
confi dence and power of thei r pl ay and,
l et' s make no secret of the fact, an aware
ness of thei r mi ssi on in the chess worl d. We
are al so observi ng thi s phenomenon wi th
the i ncrease i n the mastery of the young
Norwegi an, whi ch i s refl ected i n an abi l i ty
to fi nd the best deci si ons i n any posi ti on.
But Carl sen is i nseparabl e from hi s
era. He i s simul taneousl y al so a computer
pl ayer - i t i s al l the same to hi m what he
pl ays, as he l ooks for the best or opti mal
sol ution on the basi s of hi s own i ndi vi dual
al gori thm. Carl sen i s not a strategi st and
not a thinker - he i s a performer, l i ke an
engi neer findi ng the sol uti ons to speci fi c
probl ems. And hi s pl ay resembl es the
output graph of an atomic power station
- constant and hi gh. Al though hi s pl ay
l acks fantastic moves and di scoveries, i t
i s staggering in i ts l ogi c and composure. I t
i s as though he has no nerves - the typi cal
character of a northerner. But perhaps i t
i s not j ust a question of thi s? Not wi thout
reason, at the concl usi on of the Nanj i ng
tournament of 2009, the 2nd-pl aced To
pal ov decl ared: 'I was the wi nner among
peopl e, but Carl sen i s si mpl y from another
pl anet ! ' There you have an expl anati on,
whi ch does not make the Carl sen enigma
any more understandabl e.
T
Al l these best qual ities of the young
Norwegi an are what we have tri ed to pre
sent in hi s games. Through the chronol
ogy of the games we wanted to show the
devel opment of the most tal ented pl ayer
from the West, and to compare Magnus
at the formati on stage wi th the modern
Magnus. Of course, there are many as
pects to hi s pl ay and i n the framework of
one book it is i mpossibl e to encompass
Magnus Carlsen - Hero of the Computer Era
the unbounded. Therefore we wi l l restri ct
oursel ves to j ust one component of hi s
pl ay, a very i mportant i ndi cator of pl ay
i ng strength - the abi l i ty to pl ay the end
game, whi ch has i nvari abl y di sti ngui shed
the great champi ons of the past.
It is wel l known that, especi al l y wi th
the modern stri ct ti me control , the end
game can be di ffi cul t for young pl ayers,
and here they commi t far more mi stakes
than in the mi ddl egame. There are vari
ous reasons for thi s: a l ack of knowl edge
of standard posi ti ons, a poor mastery of
typi cal manoeuvres and, i t goes wi thout
sayi ng, i gnorance of cl assi c exampl es.
These gaps are not easy to el i mi nate, and
here the seri ous assi stance of a trai ner
i s needed. Therefore i t wi l l be i nterest
i ng for students of chess to see not onl y
Magnus' s mi stakes when he was a young
ster, but al so how he was abl e to correct
them, and on what he is sti l l conti nui ng to
work. At the present ti me hi s techni que of
converti ng an advantage in the endgame
resembl es that of Fi scher, and i t rarel y
mi sfi res - an i ndi cati on of the seri ous work
he has done. The defence of i nferi or posi
ti ons i s another matter - accordi ng to the
defi ni ti on of Botvi nni k, i t i s thi s qual i ty of
a pl ayer that i ndi cates hi s strength of pl ay
i n the endgame. And here, as was once
the case wi th Fi scher, Magnus has had
many probl ems. But, as the exampl es wi l l
show, he i s wel l aware of thi s defi ci ency
and is worki ng acti vel y to el i mi nate i t. I t
can now be sai d that, whereas i n the i ni ti al
stage of Carl sen' s career the endgame
was the weak aspect of hi s pl ay, now we
can tal k about hi s superi ori ty over other
grandmasters who have crossed the 2700
rati ng mark. Hi s l atest tournaments have
demonstrated thi s.
G. Kachei shvi li - M. Carlsen
Bad Wi essee 2001
a D O d e f Q h
8
7 7
b
b b
4
3 3
2 2
@
a D O d e f Q h
57 . .. a5+?
I f possi bl e, one shoul d normal l y begi n by
advanci ng a passed pawn - 57 . . . f2! , and
onl y then deci de what to do next. 58. lg8+
<
h5 59. lf8 la5+ 60.
<
d4 lxa6 61 . b7
lb6 woul d have led to a draw.
T
58. d4 xa6?
It was not yet too late for 58 . . . f2.
59. b7 b6 60. b8' xb8 61 . xb8
f4 62. f8+ g3 63. e3
Black resi gned.
M. Maki Uuro - M. Carlsen
Hel si nki 2002
a D O d e I Q h
8 8
7
7
b
A
b
b
4
4
3

3
2 2
a D O d e f Q h
56. f4 Ja1 57. Jb4 Jf1 + 58. g4
Je1 59. e4 f6 60. Jb6+ g7 61 . f4
f1 +?
Anythi ng, except rel ease the attack on the
passed pawn! 61 . . .
h6 or 61 . . .
f7 woul d
have enabl ed Bl ack to fi ght for a draw.
62. g5 f3 63. g4 e3 64. xg6+
f7 65. f6+ e7 66. f4 e6 67. g6
e5 68. f8 a3 69. g5 xe4 70. g7
e5 71 . g6 Jg3 72. h7 J h3+ 73. g8
e6 74. g7 Jg3 75. Jf1 e7 76. Je1 +
d7 77. Je4
And by constructi ng a ' bri dge', White won.
M. Carlsen - D. Kedi k
Norwegi an Under-1 8 Champi onshi p 2002
a D O d e f Q h
8 8
7
7
b
b b
4
/
4
3
3
2 2
a D O d e f Q h
48. g4?
Fi rst the way for the ki ng shoul d have been
secured - 48. fa4.
48 . . . Jb3+ 49. f4 Jb4+ 50. f5 JbS+
51 . e6 Jb4!
It i s i mportant not to al l ow the pawns to ad
vance! Subsequentl y Bl ack demonstrates
the same mechani sm.
52. Ja7+ h6 53. f5 lbS+ 54. f6
lb6+ 55. f7 f6+!
It is useful to make use of the ' desperado'
rook to dri ve the ki ng away from the pawns.
Wi th the ki ng cut off, i t i s easi er to bl ockade
the pawns.
56. e8 Jf4! 57. g5+ h5 58. J h7+
g6 59. J h6+ g7 60. h5 Je4+
61 . d7 Je5 62. Jg6+ h7 63. d6
Ja5 64. c7 Je5 65. d7 Ja5 66. e6
Ja6+ 67. f5 J xg6
Draw.
After the l esson in thi s game, al l Magnus
coul d do was to remember for ever the
method of ' hi tchi ng' the rook to the ki ng
and the passed pawns. A year l ater he
hi msel f saved a si mi l ar endi ng.
T C
F. Bi ndri ch - M. Carlsen
European Under-1 4 Champi onshi p
Budva 2003
a D O d e f Q h
76. Jf3 J h1 77. g4 Jg1 + 78. Jg3 Ja1
79. Jc3 Jg1 + 80. Jg3 Ja1 81 . d3
Jg1 + 82. f4 f1 + 83. g4 g1 +
84. f3 Jf1 + 85. g2 Jf5 86. Jg3 a5
87. h3 Ja1 88. b3 J h1 + 89. g4
g1 + 90. f4 f1 + 91 . f3 h1 92. f5
xh5 93. a3 h1 94. a7+ f8
95. g6 Jg1 96. a8+ e7 97. h6?!
There was a wi n by 97. g8!, intending
h7
and g5-g6, a manoeuvre whi ch is useful
to remember.
Bi ndri ch di d not in fact fi nd thi s ma
noeuvre (although the possi bi l ity presented
i tsel f several ti mes), and the game ended
i n a draw on the 1 1 5th move.
D. Pavasovi c M. Carlsen
Wi jk aan Zee C 2004
a D O d e f Q h
8 8
7 7
b b
b
s
2 2
a D O d e f Q h
44 ... g2?
Surely it was obvi ous that Black shoul d ai m
for the exchange of the ki ngsi de pawns.
The si mpl e 44 . . .
c6! 45.
b4 g5 woul d
have enabl ed hi m to draw.
58. d6 b6 59. f5
Bl ack resi gned.
E. Rozentali s M. Carlsen
Mal mo/Copenhagen 2004
8
b
b
a D O d
s
2
8
7
b
b
2
a D O d e f Q h
29 h6?
The offer to exchange rooks - 29 . . . f7!
30. xf7+
xf7 31 . fxg4 - woul d have

enabl ed Bl ack to hol d the posi ti on. Mag
nus di d not work out the el ementary pawn
endi ng: 31 . . .
e6! ? 32.
g3 fS 33. hS fxg4
34. hxg6
f6, si nce i n the event of 34. h6?
f7 35.
xg4
g8 i t i s Bl ack who wi ns.

30. fxg4 c4 31 . f3 cxd3 32. cxd3 c8
33. f4 g5+ 34. hxg5+ fxg5+ 35. e4
c1 36. xd4 g1 37. e4 a1
38. c5 xa3 39. d4 g6
The exchange of rooks leads to a l ost pawn
endi ng.
Thi ngs woul d not have been changed by
39 . . . as 40. dS c3+ 41 .
b6 d3 42.
c6
C3+ 43.
d7. 46 ... h2 47. xg6+ b5 48. g5+ b6

49. h5 g2 50. a4 f2 51 . h6+
b7 52. b4
The wi nni ng techni que is si mpl e and i n
structi ve.
52 B f5 53. h5 e5 54. b5 e1 55. f6
a1 + 56. b4 b1 + 57. c5 c1 +
T
40. d5 c3+ 41 . b5 f6 42. d6 d3
43. c6 aS 44. d7 c3+ 45. b7 b3+
46. c7 c3+ 47. d8 f7 48. e7+
f8 49. e5
Bl ack resi gned. He has no defence agai nst
the check on f5 and then
e7.
M. Carlsen L. Aroni an
FI DE Worl d Champi onshi p
Tri pol i 2004
a D O d e f Q h
8 8
a D O d e f Q h
Thi s posi ti on occurred in the fi rst game of
the tie-break. I t i s wel l known that rook end
i ngs wi th f- and h-pawns offer the weaker
side real savi ng chances. And the fact that
thi s was a rapi d-pl ay game is no excuse for
Carlsen bei ng unabl e to save the game. A
top-cl ass grandmaster is obl i ged to know
key endgame posi ti ons.
I n endi ngs of thi s type the best squares
for the king are consi dered to be f2 and
g2. Here 66.
g2 suggests itself, ai mi ng
to bl ock the h-pawn, and leavi ng the rook
the opti on of checki ng al ong the rank and
al ong the fi l e (the best square for i t i s a8).
But there fol l owed:
66. mg4?! ha
and i t transpi red that, si nce t he wi n of
the h3-pawn l eads to a l ost pawn end
i ng, i t has become more di ffi cul t to hol d
the posi ti on.
67. g5+?
gb3+ 71 .
h2 or i mmedi ately 69.
g3 gh8
70.
h2.
67 . . . mf7 68. h5 me6 69. h8 c3
10. mt4 mt7 (70 . . Jc2! ) 11 . m94 mg6
72. mf4 c2!
The conversi on techni que i s i nstructi ve.
Si nce 73. gxh3 gf4+ leads to the exchange
of rooks, the pawn conti nues i ts advance,
and the ki ng makes an outfl anki ng ma
noeuvre.
1a. mga h2 74. mta mt5 75. h5+
me6 76. h8 me5 77. e8+ md4
78. d8+ mc3 79. h8 d2
80. mg3 md3 81 . mf3 mc2 82. mg3
md1
White resi gned.
8
7
b
b
-
2
A. Oni schuk M. Carlsen
Ol ympi ad, Cal vi a 2004
a D O d e
8
7
@+
b
/
-
2
a D O d e f Q h
Bl ack shoul d be abl e to hol d such an end
i ng a pawn down, but Magnus has no cl ear
i mpressi on of how to defend.
f '
44 ... mt8 45. h4 g6 46. mt4 t6?
Thi s tri ck, based on stal emate- 67 . . . xgS .
- l eads to defeat. 67. ga2 fS+ 68.
f4 woul d Such a move i s si mpl y i nconcei vabl e for a

have hel d the posi t i on, i ntendi ng after grandmaster. An obvi ous gap in Magnus' s
68 . . ,gb8 to pl ay 69. ga6+
hS 70.
g3 ' school i ng'. 46 . . .
e7 47. gS hxg5+ 48. hxgS

f6! , reduci ng the number of pawns, was
correct.
47. h5!
Now hol es appear in Bl ack' s positi on.
47
m
f7 48. Eb7+
m
g8 49.
m
e4 gxh5
50. gxh5
m
f8 51 . Eh7 Ee1 + 52.
m
f5
m
9a 53. Ed7 Ef1 54. t4
m
ta 55. d6
m
ea 56. Eh7 Ed1 57.
m
ea
Bl ack resi gned.
8
7
b
-
-
3
2
C. Pedersen M. Carlsen
Gausdal 2005
a D O d e f Q h
a D O d e f Q h
8
7
b
-
3
2
Thi s is a theoreti cal l y drawn endgame, but
you have to know the defensi ve procedure.
91 . Ic2 Jb4 92. Ec4 Je7 93.
m
f4
m
h5
I t i s correct t o head for t he corner of the
opposite col our to the bi shop - 93 . . .
h3.
94. f5 AdS??
If chess notat i on al l owed i t, thi s move
woul d deserve a greater number of ques
ti on marks. The si mpl e 94 . . .
h6 woul d
have enabl ed Bl ack t o draw.
95.Ec8
Bl ack resi gned.
M. Carlsen G. Kamsky
Worl d Cup, Khanty-Mansi ysk 2005
a D O d e f Q h
8 8
7
b b
-
-
-
/
-
3
/ A
3
2
/ /
2
a D O d e f Q h
White is a pawn up wi th a wi nni ng positi on.
Al l that i s requi red i s a certai n accuracy.
41 . Ea6+
m
e5 42. Eh6 Ed4 43.1c4+
m
t5 44. h4 lt7 45. Eb6?!
45. xh7? was not possi bl e because of
the loss of the rook after 45 . . .
g6! , but by
pl ayi ng 45.
e3+
e4 (45 . . .
e5 46. xh7)
46. e6+
e5 47.
c4 White woul d have

won easi l y.
45 ... Exh4 46. Exb4
And here 46.
g3! h1 47.
xf3 woul d
have l ed t o t he wi n of t he f3-pawn.
T O
46 ... Eh3 47. a5/g5 48. a6??
Thi s el ementary oversi ght changes the
pi cture. Now Whi te i s l osi ng, al though
a si mpl e kni ght manoeuvre - 48.
e3+
and 49.
g4 - woul d have enabl ed hi m

t o queen hi s a-pawn i n comfort.
48 B le4+ 49.
m
e3 f2+ 50.
m
e2 Ec3?
50 . . . f3! woul d have won i mmedi ately.
51 . d2?
The comedy of errors conti nues. After
51 .
f1 ! Whi te woul d agai n have won:

51 . . J3 52.
d6+
xd6 53. a?.

51 . . . Jxc2 52. Jd4 xd2 53. Jd5+ e6
Whi te resi gned.
M. Carlsen - A. Adly
Reykj avi k 2006
a D O d e f Q h
8
y 8

b
b
-
-
4
4
3 3
2
2
a D O d e f Q h
Whi te's pai r of passed pawns i s obvi
ousl y more promi si ng than Bl ack' s. But
with whi ch pawn shoul d he begi n? It is not
hard to cal cul ate that in the event of 55. c7
A
xe? 56. bxc7+
d7 57. fa7
c6 58.
d3
c
b6 Whi te l oses hi s pawns, and i t wi l l be
a draw. Therefore Magnus begi ns wi th the
other pawn, but he reaches an i mpasse.
The truth i s revealed wi thi n three moves.
55. b7?!
Thi s advance shoul d have been prepared
by bri ngi ng up the ki ng - 55.
d3! . Now,
however, Bl ack succeeds i n neutral i si ng
the pawn pai r.
55 . . . .c7 56. Ja8 Jb8 57. d3
By attacki ng the pawn, Bl ack rel eases his
rook. White i s short of one move, whi ch
coul d have been provi ded by the far-si ght
ed 55.
d3.
58. Ja6?
White shoul d have exchanged rooks, after
whi ch hi s kni ght bl ockades the pawn pai r,
guaranteei ng a draw. Now the bl ack pawns
become dangerous .
58 B B Jf8 59. d2 e4+! 60. xe4 Jf3+
61 . c2 xe4 62. Ja8 Jc3+ 63. d1
Jb3 64. c2
After 64. fc8 Bl ack casts a mati ng net
around the enemy ki ng: 64 . . .
A
f4 65. c7
fxb7 66. fe8+
d3.
64 . . . Jb6 65. leS d3+ 66. d1 Jf4
67. Je8+ f3 68. b8W Jxb8
White resi gned.
M. Carlsen - A. Nai ditsch
Sarajevo 2006
a D O d e
8
b @
4
3
Z
2
a D O d e f Q h
8
b
-
4
3
2
After 57.
c5+
d5 58.
a6 White l oses Whi te' s posi t i on is cl ose to wi nni ng,

hi s passed pawns: 58 . . .
xc6! 59.
xb8+ but he sti l l has to make a few accurate

c
xb7 and the resul t i s a draw. moves.
57 . . . d5 29. Jcc7?!
T
Materi al woul d have been won by 29. gxa6
g5 30. Ac4
e4+ 31 .
f3
d2+ 32.
e2
gb2 (after the exchange of the mi nor pieces
White has a won rook endi ng) 33. Axe6+
h8 34. gb6.
29 . . . b2 30. h4?!
A poi ntl ess move. The ki ng shoul d have
been brought i nto pl ay: 30.
e1 gb1 +
31 .
d2 gb2+ 32. gc2, retai ni ng wi nni ng

chances. Now Bl ack succeeds i n begi n
ni ng counterpl ay.
30 ... g7!
Before the second rook i s acti vated, the
ki ng must be moved out of the danger
zone. I n the event of 30 . . . gda 31 . gxf7
gdd2 32. gfd7 a l i near mate i s threatened,
and Bl ack cannot pl ay 32 . . . gxe2+ 33.
f1
gf2+ 34.
e1 gfe2+ 35.
d1 .
31 . xa6 d8 32.aa7 dd2 33. xf7+
g634. h5+
The consequences of 34.
f3 gxe2
35.
f4 gb4+ 36.
e5 gxe3+ 37.
d6
gd4+ 38.
e7 gxh4 are uncl ear.

34 . . . g5 35. g7+ h4! 36. g1?!
I n rook endi ngs, ki ng acti vi ty i s of great
i mportance, but i t woul d appear that the
bl ack rooks are al ready ful l y operati onal .
If 36.
f3 there can fol l ow 36 . . . gxe2 (not

36 . . . e5? 37. g4! wi th advantage to Whi te)
37.
f4 gb5! and Bl ack hol ds the posi ti on.

The exchange of rooks 37 . . ,gxg2 38. gxg2
gxg2 39.
e5 woul d merel y compl i cate

hi s defence.
36 . .. xe2 37.ab7?
37 . . . xg2+ 38. xg2 xb7 39. a2
39. h6 ga7 40. gg7 gxa5 41 . gxh7
h5
al so leads to a draw.
39 . . . xh5 40. a6 a7 41 . f2 g4
42. a4+ g5 43. f3 e5 44. a5 f6
45. g3 e6 46. h4 f6
Draw.
L. Aroni an M. Carlsen
Tal Memori al Tournament
Moscow 2006
a D O d e f Q h
8 8
7 7
b b
b b
4 4
3 3
2 2
a D O d e f Q h
A theoreti cal l y drawn posi ti on. Magnus
knew - and had empl oyed earl i er i n si mi
l ar posi ti ons - the method of keepi ng the
pawn under fi re: 69 . . . ge2! . I nstead of thi s
he prefers another pl an of defence: attack
i ng wi th the rook from the l ong si de, whi ch
proves to be more compl i cated.
69 ... a1 70. e7 a5 71 . e6 a7+
12. d7 as 73. d6 a7+?
In the fl ank attack one must not gi ve up the
8th rank. 73 . . .
g6 was the onl y defence.

As a resul t, after bei ng a pawn up, White
74 eS
l oses two. But also after 37Jad7 ga2! he
cannot hope for anythi ng. Bl ack resi gned.
Z
It has to be sai d that Carlsen drew the con
cl usi ons from the defi ci encies of hi s pl ay i n
endi ngs, and the consequences of the work
he put it soon became apparent. Al ready
at the Ol ympi ad in Turi n (2006) he dem
onstrated endgame pl ay on a grand scal e
against Adams (No. 1 8), where he converted
the advantage of the two bi shops.
The year 2007 proved excepti onal l y pro
ducti ve. There was the i mpressi ve conver
sion of an extra pawn in an endgame wi th
rooks and opposi te-col our bi shops i n a
game wi th Morozevi ch (No. 21 ) . There was
an admi rabl e depth of i deas in the endi ngs
from the 3rd and 5th games of hi s Candi
dates match wi th Aroni an (Nos. 23 and 24),
in whi ch wi th subtl e manoeuvres Magnus
was abl e to confi ne the enemy ki ng i n a
'box'. The fi ni sh to hi s game wi th Oni schuk
(No. 26), where hi s kni ghts restri cted the
mobi l ity of a rook, al so i nvi tes i ncl usi on i n
the books. At t he Worl d Cup i n Khanty
Mansi ysk, in his game wi th Adams (No. 31)
Magnus agai n showed bri l l i ant techni que i n
Z1
converti ng the advantage of the two bi sh
ops i n a compl i cated mul ti -pi ece endgame.
Al so i nstructi ve i s the fi ni sh to the game
wi th Chepari nov (No. 32), where l i teral l y
by nuances Carl sen was abl e to outpl ay
an acti ve rook wi th hi s bi shop and kni ght.
Also i mpressive were some masterpiec
es by Carlsen early in 2008. In Wij k aan Zee
there was a ni ce fi ni sh to hi s game wi th El
janov ( No. 33), where he subtl y coordi nated
hi s rooks and kni ght. A speci al pl ace goes
to hi s wi n over the worl d champi on Kramni k
(No. 34) - Magnus was abl e to construct
another ' box' for the ki ng. At the end of the
year i n Bi l bao he added to the textbook
col lecti on of heavy-pi ece endi ngs: he was
abl e to convert an outsi de passed pawn
in a heavy pi ece endgame wi th Aroni an
(No. 43). Of the games from 2009 menti on
shoul d be made of hi s subtl e handl i ng of
the endgame agai nst Jakovenko (No. 52),
in whi ch Magnus was abl e to expl oi t some
i mpercepti bl e errors by the opponent i n an
equal posi ti on.
Chapter 1
IOH NBSI0I IO IBHOHBSI0I
Gi fted young pl ayers have al ways drawn the attenti on of both admi rers of the anci ent
game and of recogni sed experts. Duri ng the acti ve devel opment of chess over the l ast
century and a hal f, young tal ents who have gone on to achi eve an outstandi ng level of
pl ay can be counted l iteral l y in si ngl e fi gures. As for recent ti mes, the record bel ongs
to the Ukrai ne-born Sergey Karjaki n, who became a grandmaster at the age of 1 2.
Such i s the trend of the ti mes, the age of techni cal progress. Uni versal computeri sati on
has become a ki nd of accel erator i n the devel opment of the new chess generati on.
Chess databases and modern anal yti cal modules enabl e young tal ents to acqui re the
necessary knowl edge far more qui ckly, and l ack of experi ence i n the devel opment of
tacti cal and strategi c understandi ng is compensated by a computer-l i ke cal cul ati on
of vari ati ons. Whereas 30 years ago, accordi ng to the pi cturesque expressi on of Ti
gran Petrosi an, young pl ayers emergi ng i nto the chess arena were cal l ed ' chi l dren of
l nformator' , now they are cal l ed ' chi l dren of the computer'. Therefore rumours about
the young Norwegi an boy Magnus Carl sen, who di spl ayed outstandi ng chess tal ent
at an equal l y earl y age as Sergey Karjaki n, qui ckl y spread around the chess worl d.
But i n 2002 i t was t he Ukrai ni an youngster who rei gned supreme. The hei ght of
hi s fame came at a tournament of the Grand Pri x seri es, hel d in Moscow, where one
of the authors of thi s book parti ci pated i n the capaci ty of arbiter. The spectators who
arri ved at the Mezhdunarodnaya Hotel were abl e to observe a curi ous pi cture. On an
empty stage the l ast pai r were conti nui ng to battl e: l i teral l y i mpendi ng over a frai l l ad
wi th hi s touchi ng l i ttl e quiff was a bearded hunk of a man. The experi enced l l ya Smi ri n
needed 1 40 (! ) moves to overcome the resi stance of the 1 2-year-ol d Seryozha Karjaki n.
Thi s was thei r second game wi th t he cl assi cal ti me control ; i n t he fi rst t he grandmaster
had managed to save a hopel ess posi ti on a rook down by means of perpetual check.
At that ti me Seryozha's contemporary - Magnus - was sti l l at the start of hi s career,
al though at the age of el even he was abl e to share 1 st-2nd pl aces in the Norwegi an
Under-1 8 Champi onshi p. However, he di d not di sti ngui sh hi msel f at the European
Under-1 2 Champi onshi p i n Spai n, where he fi ni shed onl y si xth. But i n the worl d cham
pi onshi p among hi s contemporari es i n Greece, Carl sen di spl ayed hi s character and
shared 1 st-2nd pl aces wi th l an Nepomni achtchi , who on the ti e-break was procl ai med
worl d champi on. Juni or events at such a tender age do not usual l y cause much of
a sti r. Thi s makes the al most i mprobabl e epi sode wi th Nepomni achtchi al l the more
curi ous. The emergence of the 1 2-year-ol d worl d champi on made such an i mpres
si on on one of the maj or Russi an Newspapers lzvestiya, that i t deci ded to sponsor
hi m, overl ooki ng that he was merely the best pl ayer among hi s contemporaries. True,
ZZ
M. Carl sen - H. Harestad
soon the sponsorshi p came to nothi ng, si nce l an Nepomni achtchi di sappeared i nto
the general mass of Russi an pl ayers.
I t is possi bl e, therefore, that i n post-Sovi et chess they l earned about the Norwegi an
prodi gy onl y i n 2003, when the magazi ne 64-Shakhmatnoe obozrenie reported that i n
Scandi navi a there was a shi ni ng new 1 2-year-ol d master by the name of Carl sen. Fi rst
he shared 3rd-7th pl aces in the Norwegi an Champi onshi p, and then he di sti ngui shed
hi mself in the Pol i ti ken Cup tournament in Copenhagen. Thi s was the fi rst presti gi ous
tournament i n the worl d chess cal endar i n whi ch Carl sen took part. The i nfl uenti al
Dani sh Politiken newspaper has al ready staged i t 25 ti mes, tradi ti onal l y provi di ng a
sol i d pri ze fund. Thi s attracts strong pl ayers, and it is suffi ci ent to recal l that among
the wi nners have been such famous names as Smysl ov, Korchnoi and Vagani an. The
young Norwegi an al so di sti ngui shed hi msel f i n Copenhagen, scori ng 8 poi nts out of 1 1
games and fi ni shi ng onl y a poi nt behi nd the wi nner Kri shnan Sasi ki ran. Starti ng wi th
a rati ng of 2385, Carl sen demonstrated a strength of pl ay correspondi ng to a perfor
mance of 2500 (it shoul d be menti oned that Karj aki n al ready had thi s offi ci al rati ng).
I n that peri od the foundati on was l ai d of the mastery that Magnus demonstrated both
i n attack on the ki ng, and i n posi ti onal pl ay.
Carl sen' s ' vi si ti ng card' in Copenhagen was a spectacul ar mati ng attack in hi s
game wi th Harestad.
Game 1
M. Carlsen - H. Harestad
Copenhagen 2003
Ruy Lopez [ C98]
1 . e4 e5 2. f3 c6 3 .b5 a6 4 .a4
f6 5. 0-0 b5 6 .b3 .e7 7. Ee1 d6
8. c3 0-0 9. h3 a5 1 0 .c2 c5 1 1 . d4
Yc7
The cl assi cal Chi gori n Vari ati on of the Ruy
Lopez.
12. bd2 c6 13. d5 d8 14. a4 Ea7
Bl ack does not want to concede the a-fi l e.
However, the presence of the rook on a7
al l ows White to pl ay b2-b4 i n a more fa
vourabl e si tuati on. The mai n conti nuati on
here i s 1 4 . . . fb8.
15. f1 g6
b2-b4 is possi bl e.
a D O d e f Q h
8
$
Z
7
Z W $
b @
A
b
AAA
4

3
.
2

_
!
a D O d e f Q h
1 6 .h6
8
7
b
b
4
3
2
1
1 6. b4! ? cxb4 1 7. cxb4
A
d7 1 8.
A
e3 .b7
1 9. axb5
A
xb5 20.
Y
d2 is more in the spi ri t
of the posi ti on, wi th the better game for
White.
I f 1 5 . . . h6, then 1 6.
A
e3 with the idea of 1 6 ... Ee8 1 7. g3
Z
Chapter 1
e
From Master to Grandmaster
The preparatory 1 7. g4 shoul d have been
i ncl uded.
17 . .. td7 1 8. th2
And here 1 8. b4 Af8 1 9. Ae3 was more
l ogi cal , mai ntai ni ng the pawn tensi on.
1 8 ... f6 1 9. Ae3 tb6 20. axb5 axb5
21 . Ad3 Ad7 22. Yd2
a D O d e
8
7
b
b
4
3
2
a D O d e f Q h
8
b
b
4
At the young age of 1 2 i t is not easy to stay
pati ent and engage in strategi c manoeu
vri ng, tryi ng to fi nd a vul nerabl e poi nt i n
Bl ack' s sol i d defensi ve l i nes. But Magnus
pati entl y bi des hi s ti me.
22 . .. tf7 23. xa7 Wxa7 24. We2 Wa6
25. tg4 cg7
Bl ack i s not tempted by the provoca
t i ve 25 . . . h5? ! , after whi ch t here can
fol l ow 26.
t
xh5! gxh5 27.
t
h6+
t
xh6
28.
A
xh6
A
f8 29.
xh5
A
xh6 30.
xh6
hopes i nvol vi ng
t
h6 and transferri ng hi s
own kni ght to c5.
29. f1 tc5
a D O
8
7
b @
d e f Q h
&&A

b
&A
4
3
2
1
3
a D O
"
d e
.
.

f Q h
8
7
b
b
4
3
2
1
Somehow i mpercept i bl y Carl sen has
ai med hi s pi eces at the ki ngsi de, but Bl ack
does not sense the danger. He conti nues
to i gnore the move 29 . . . h5, al though after
i t the bl ack ki ng woul d have been more
safely pl aced than in the game. In the event
of 30.
t
h6
t
g5 31 . f4 exf4 32.
xf4
xh6
(not 32 . . .
A
xh3? because of 33.
t
xh5+!
gxh5 34. e5! f8 35.
t
f5+ Axf5 36.
xf5
and White wi ns) 33. h4 f8 Bl ack safel y
wi thdraws hi s ki ng.
30. th6! tg5
Bl ack shoul d have restri cted hi msel f to
the cool - headed exchange 30 . . .
t
xh6
31 .
xh6+
g8, wi t h the i ntent i on of

swi tchi ng hi s bi shop to g7.
e7 31 . e3 g7 32.
xf6, when White

31 . 141 exf4 32. Wxf4 Axh3?
has three pawns for the pi ece and a con
ti nui ng attack.
26. Ac1 ta4 27. Ac2 a8 28. We3 c4
Bl ack coul d have conti nued hi s wai t i ng
strategy - 28 . . .
t
b6 29. Ad3
a4, but
28 . . . Axg4! ? 29. hxg4 c4 al so came i nto
consi derati on, ni ppi ng in the bud White's
Z
Bl ack i s tempted by the wi n of a pawn,
underesti mati ng Whi te' s l atent attacki ng
resources. I t was better to si mpl i fy the
posi ti on: 32 . . .
xh6 33. h4 f8 34. hxg5+

f xg5 35.
h4+
g7 36. Axg5 xf 1 +
37.
t
xf1 Axg5 38.
xg5, al though here

too Whi te's chances are preferabl e. Now,
M. Carl sen - H. Harestad
however, Magnus succeeds i n demon

strati ng the l atent energy of hi s pi eces
i n al l i ts gl ory.
33. h4 Ad7
(see next diagram)
34. e5! dxe5 35. th5+! gxh5
Now White announces mate i n 3 moves.
But Bl ack woul d al so have l ost after
35 . .
r
h8 36. Axg5 fxg5 37.
'
g3! .
a D O d e f Q h
s @
a D O d e f Q h
36. xg5+! fxg5 37. lf7+ xh6
38. lxh7 mate
8
Carl sen's successful performance in the Pol i ti ken Cup tournament greatl y rai sed hi s
self-esteem, and he was al so noti ced by the organi sers of other tournaments. True,
hi s performances i n the ' compul sary program' among hi s contemporari es were not
so successful . Competi ti ve fati gue made itself fel t. Especi al l y vexi ng was the set-back
at the European Under-1 4 Champi onshi p i n Budva (Montenegro) . When Magnus won
agai nst hi s mai n ri val Sergey Zhi gal ko and took the l ead wi th 6Y2 poi nts after the 7th
round, it appeared that the questi on of the champi on was deci ded. But he contri ved
to l ose both hi s l ast two games, in whi ch he was wi nni ng, and fi ni shed onl y thi rd.
Magnus al so started confi dentl y at the worl d champi onshi p i n Hal ki di ki (Greece),
scori ng 3% poi nts in the fi rst 4 rounds. But unforeseen ci rcumstances prevented hi m
from becomi ng champi on. As Agdestei n, who was accompanyi ng hi m, descri bed i t , the
ai r was l i teral l y buzzi ng wi th bacteri a and Magnus became i l l (hi s temperature reached
40 degrees) . He neverthel ess kept in the leadi ng group unti l the 9th round, but on thi s
occasi on he l ost to Zhi gal ko and had to be sati sfied wi th a share of 9th-1 3th pl aces
(?Y2 out of 1 1 ). These set- backs were not acci dental : a chi l d' s organi sm is sti l l del i cate,
and si nce the ' compul sary program' for the year was over-generousl y combi ned wi th
the 'free' one, by the end of the twelve months Magnus was very ti red. Thi s i s not
surpri si ng - he had pl ayed about 1 50 games!
It i s wel l known that i n Norway si nce l ong ago they have l ong shown a great respect
for thei r heroes, and they try to create the best condi ti ons for the di scl osure of thei r tal
ent. Carl sen was no excepti on. At the age of ten he drew the attenti on of the Norwegi an
grandmaster Si men Agdestei n, who i n 2002 began worki ng wi th the prodi gy. Despi te
the comparative shortness of thei r l essons - twi ce a month spendi ng 2-3 hours on
the anal ysi s of games pl ayed - thei r col l aborati on produced resul ts. I n 2003 Carl sen
three ti mes achi eved the i nternati onal master norm (the l ast ti me at the Pol i ti ken Cup
tournament) and by the end of the year he had rai sed hi s rati ng to 2450.
ZC
Chapter 1
e

Game 2
M. Carlsen - S. Zhigalko
European Under-1 4 Champi onshi p
Budva 2003
Sicilian Defence [ 833]
1 . e4 c5 2. f3 c6 3. d4 cxd4
4. xd4 f6 5. c3 e5
Despi te i ts apparentl y anti -posi ti onal na
ture, the Chel yabi nsk Vari ati on i s sti l l al i ve
and has not been refuted. Among the el ite
pl ayers i t i s constantl y empl oyed, for ex
ampl e, by Radjabov and Shi rov.
6. db5 d6 7. Ag5 a6 8. a3 b5
9. Axf6
At the present ti me White more often turns
to the quieter l i ne 9.
t
d5 Ae7 1 0. Axf6
Axf6, and here 1 1 . c3 or 1 1 . c4.
9 . . . gxf6 1 0. d5 f5 1 1 . Ad3
The al ternati ve i s 1 1 . c3, to whi ch Bl ack
shoul d repl y 11 . . . Ag7, si nce the capture
on e4 is bad i n vi ew of 1 1 . . . fxe4 1 2. Axb5!
axb5 13.
t
xb5, and agai nst the threat of
1 4.
t
bc7+
'
d7 1 5.
g4+ there i s no sat

isfactory defence, whi l e 1 1 . . . Ae6? i s poi nt
l ess i n vi ew of 1 2. exf5 Axf5 1 3.
f3.
1 1 . . . Ae6 1 2. 0-0 Axd5 13. exd5 e7
1 4. c3
The capture 14.
t
xb5 Ag7 1 5.
t
c3 e4 gi ves
Bl ack good compensati on for the pawn.
14 B B Ag7
(see next diagram)
1 5. 'h5
Theory has gradual l y come to the concl u
si on that from the standpoi nt of fi ghti ng
for an advantage 1 5. fe1 0-0 1 6.
h5 e4
1 7.
A
f1 is more promi si ng.
Z
a D O d e f Q h
8 y
w
y 8
7
&
7
b @
b
-

-
a D O d e f Q h
1 5 . . . e4 1 6. Ac2 'c8 17. :ae1 0-0
18. Ab3
a D O d
8 y g
7
-
4
b
W
-
4
3
a D O d e f Q h
I n hi s commentary for ChessBase, Do
ri an Rogozenko ri ghtl y remarked that i t i s
hard to t hi nk of a more natural move - the
d5- pawn i s defended and the manoeu
vre
t
a3-c2 prepared. The di rect 1 8. f3
gi ves Bl ack the opportuni ty for rather easy
equal i ty: 1 8 . . . b4 1 9.
t
b1 bxc3 20.
t
xc3
Axc3 21 . bxc3
xc3 22. Ab1

t
g6
23.
xf5 exf3 24.
xf3
xf3 25 . .xf3
fae8 wi th a drawn endgame, as i n Karen
Asri an' s game wi th Wang Yue ( Khanty
Mansi ysk 2005). However, for qui te a l ong
ti me the mai n conti nuati on was consi d
ered to be 1 8.
c
h1 - unt i l at the tour
nament i n Dortmund (2002), i n hi s game
wi th Topal ov, Leko empl oyed the strong
M. Carl sen S. Zhi gal ko
novel ty 1 8 . . . .b8! , ai med at creati ng qui ck 20. f4 ( pl anni ng
e3 and g2-g4) or even

counterpl ay on the queensi de. It remai ns 1 9. f3! ? was more l ogi cal .
to add that after the i mmedi ate 1 8 . . . b4
Whi te has the unpl easant repl y 1 9. cxb4
1 9 ... 1g6 20. lc2 lf4 21 . Yh4
A
xb2 20 . .e3! .
I n general , the character of the posi ti on
i s such that i f both si des make the cri ti cal
moves (whi ch normal l y can be achi eved
onl y wi th the hel p of deep home prepa
rati on), the game most often concl udes
wi th the mutual el i mi nati on of the forces
and a draw.
18 u .. h8?!
Bl ack has confused somethi ng - here thi s
move i s poi ntl ess. Let us bri efl y exam
i ne t he other possi bi l i ti es. Tournament
practi ce has shown that after the qui et
18 . . .
g6 1 9.
c2 Whi te' s chances are

preferabl e ( i f 1 9 . . .
f4 there is a danger
ous exchange sacri fi ce: 20.
'
g5
d3
21 .
e3! ) . After 1 8 . . . .b8 Whi te has ti me

to consol i date hi s queensi de - 1 9.
c2 a5
20. a3! after whi ch he can cal ml y mount
an offensi ve on the opposi te si de of the
board.
The onl y way to equal i se is by the ener
getic 1 8 . . . a5! , whi ch occurred a few days
later i n the game Carlsen-McShane, whi ch
continued 1 9.
xb5 a4 20.
A
d1
'l
c5 21 .
d4
W
xd5 22 . .e3
'
e5 23 . .h3 h6 24. f4
'
f6
with dynami c equi l i bri um. If 1 9.
'l
g5 the best
i s apparentl y 1 9 . . .
'
d7! 20. f3
g6! 21 . fxe4
f4 wi th excel l ent pl ay for Bl ack (Fernandez
Romero-Eijanov, Andorra 2003).
1 9. h1?!
On the emergence from the openi ng, both
pl ayers have made deci si ons that are hard
to understand, whi ch, however, is easi l y
expl ai ned i n vi ew of thei r youth and the
compl exi ty of the posi ti on. 1 9.
c2
g6
a D O d e
a D O d e f Q h
21 ... Ae5?!
I t i s strange that Bl ack di d not in fact carry
out that for whi ch he was obvi ousl y ai mi ng:
21 . . .
d3, after whi ch White woul d prob

abl y have had to gi ve up a rook for the pow
erful kni ght. However, hi s compensati on
woul d have been suffi ci ent: 22 . .e3
'
d8!
23.
'
h3
W
g5 24 . .xd3 exd3 25.
'l
xd3 f4! ,
and the posi ti on i s uncl ear.
Z1
22. 1e3
Now, as i f by schedul e, the white pi eces
arri ve at the necessary posts.
22 ... 9g8 23. Ac2! b4 24. g3 1d3
The opponent' s i ni ti ati ve after 24 . . .
g6! ?
25.
'l
h5 bxc3 26. bxc3 (or 26. b3! ? f4
27.
f5) 26 . . .
Axc3 27 . .d1 seemed too
dangerous to Zhi gal ko, and so he deci ded
to gi ve up a pawn.
25. Axd3 exd3 26. Wxb4
(see next diagram)
Chapter 1
a
a D O d e
b
4
W
b
b
4
3
/ A /
3
/ / / /
_ _
a D O d e f Q h
Whi te is sti l l a l ong way from a troubl e
free conversi on of hi s advantage - i t i s
no easy matter to suppress the typi cal
' Chel yabi nsk' acti vi ty of the enemy pi eces.
However, from thi s moment Magnus begi ns
demonstrati ng mature techni que beyond
hi s years.
retai ned the advantage. Now, however,
Carl sen retai ns the d5-pawn wi th the hel p
of a ' l i ttl e combi nati on' .
34. c4! g7
I f 34 . . .
A
xb2 there fol l ows 35. !e8+.
35. b3
a D O d e f Q h
8
Z
7
|
.
b
b
/
4
/ /
3
/ A
/ /
8
7
b
b
4
3
a D O d e f Q h
26 1b8 27. Wc4!
White has set up a seemi ngl y i ndestructi bl e
27.
W
a3? woul d have l ost to 27 . . .f4 28.
t
g2 monol i th, but, strangel y enough, Black sti l l
fxg3 29. fxg3
A
xg3! . has some drawi ng chances.
27 f4!
It is not possi bl e to regai n the materi al :
27 . . . !xb2 28.
W
xd3, or 27 . . . d2 28. !b1 .
35 1a5
35 . . . a5 36. !4e3 d2 37. !1 e2 was hopel ess
for Bl ack.
28. Wxc8 Jgxc8 29. /d1 ! Jc5 30. gxf4 36. Jg1 + f8 37. Jg2 fa3!
30. !e4! was more accurate: 30 . . . !xd5 (or
30 . . . fxg3 31 . fxg3 wi th the same i dea of
soon surroundi ng the d3-pawn) 31 . gxf4.
30 Jxf4 31 . Je4 Je5 32. f4 Jg7!
Better than 32 . . .
A
f6.
33. Jfe1
Or 33. !f3 !xd5 34. !ee3
A
h6! .
33 At6
The two pl ayers are as though competi ng
i n i nventi veness. Zhi gal ko persi stentl y tri es
to break through the obstructi ve barri ers,
ski l ful l y erected by Carl sen i n the path of
the bl ack pi eces.
38. Je3 Je8
I f 38 . . . aS, then 39. !xd3 a4 40. !dg3
c
e7
41 . bxa4 !xa4 42. !b3! , and White shoul d
gradual l y convert hi s two extra pawns.
39. Jd2!
33 . . . h5 was possi bl e, al t hough after
34.
c
g2 !xd5 35.
c
f3 Whi te woul d have An accurate move, enabl i ng the kni ght to be
ZO
M. Carl sen - S. Zhi gal ko
activated wi th gai n of tempo. 39. !xe8+?! Jxh6 50. xh6+ mta 51 . f5 aS
xe8 40. !d2 aS 41 .

l
f2 a4 was weaker.
39 . .. Jxe3 40. xe3 .d4 41 . f5
After 41 . !xd3
A
xe3 42. !xe3 !xa2 the
wi n for White i s i n questi on, si nce hi s ki ng
is badl y pl aced.
41 . .. Ac5 42. Jxd3
42.
g2!
A
b4 43. !xd3 !xa2+ 44.
g3
was more methodi cal , bri ngi ng the ki ng
i nto pl ay.
42 . . . Jxa2 43. Jh3
a D O d e f Q h
8 8
7
7
b @ b
b
/
b
4
/
4
3
/
3
2
/
2
a D O d e f Q h
43 . . . mga?
Bl ack shoul d have pl ayed 43 . . . !f2!
44. !xh7 (44. !h6? !xf4 45.
t
xd6?
g7)
44 . . .
g8 45. !h3 !xf4 46.

t
e?+
g7
(46 . . .
f8 47.
C
c6) 47.
g2 (or 47.
C
c6),
and al though wi th best pl ay White shoul d
wi n, he woul d have to overcome techni cal
di ffi cul ti es.
44. Jh6!
With the fal l of the d6-pawn, Bl ack' s enti re
posi ti on col l apses. However, accurate cal
cul ati on i s sti l l requi red of Whi te.
44 . .. Ja1 + 45. mg2 Ja2+ 46. mf3 Ja3
47. xd6 Jxb3+ 48. me4 Jb6 49. f5
a D O d e f Q h
8 8
7
b b
b @
/ :
b
4
/
/
4
3 3
2
/
2
a D O d e f Q h
52. d6!
The ti mi d 52.
d3? a4 53.
c3
e8 woul d
have del ayed the wi n, al though probabl y
woul d not have thrown i t away.
52 ... a4 53. mds Ab4
I f 53 . . . a3, then 54.
xeS
e8 (54 . . . a2
55. d7) 55.
t
d4 a2 56.
t
b3.
54. c5 mea 55. c6 Aas 56. mc4
Of course, there was no poi nt i n pl ayi ng
56. c7?
A
xe? 57. dxc7
d7, si nce a kni ght

i s bad at combatti ng a passed rook's pawn.
Now Bl ack i s i n zugzwang.
Z
ss ... mda 57. e7 hs sa. ts h4 59. h3 ts
60. d5 a3 61 . mb3
Bl ack resi gned.
Thi s far from faul tl ess but entertai ni ng
game i s a good i l l ustrati on of Magnus' s
abi l i ty from hi s youngest years to create
posi ti ons in whi ch mi stakes are practi
cal l y i nevi tabl e. I n so doi ng, he normal l y
makes fewer mi stakes i n them than hi s
opponents.
Chapter 1 From Master t
_
o
_
G
_
ra
_
n
_
d
_
m
_
a
_
st
_
er
The l essons of 2003 were not wasted. Duri ng thi s ti me Carl sen changed l i ttl e in the
way he worked to i mprove hi s standard of pl ay. He sti l l preferred to do thi s i ndepen
dentl y, devoti ng to i t fi ve hours a day. Apart from worki ng at the board, he al so read
chess books wi th great pl easure. True, the range of them was very speci fi c, but here
i t is better to hand over to hi s father, Henri k Carl sen.
' Magnus has l ooked at many games compri si ng the cl assi cal heri tage of chess,
i ncl udi ng al l the games from Kasparov's books My Great Predecessors, whi ch he l iter
al l y devoured and of whi ch he remembers practi cal l y everythi ng. He reads a l ot: Fire on
Board by Shi rov, Kramni k' s best games, fundamental works on the endgame and, of
course, many books on the openi ngs. I shoul d al so add the New in Chess magazi nes
and Yearbooks and other i nteresti ng chess magazi nes. Wi thout any di ffi cul ty Magnus
combi nes readi ng of chess materi al and i ts si mul taneous anal ysi s. I n the fi rst years
of hi s chess career he spent a l ot of ti me movi ng the pi eces on the board, repeati ng
games and rememberi ng i deas he had seen. But i n the l ast two years he has mai nl y
been anal ysi ng i n hi s head. '
There are those who l i ke to tal k about Carl sen' s l ack of ' school i ng' , but I shoul d l i ke
to remi nd them of the possi bi l i ty of studyi ng by correspondence. As regards its effec
ti veness, everythi ng is deci ded by moti vati on. There are numerous examples of thi s.
Besi des, can one tal k about a l ack of ' school i ng' , when you have such a presti gi ous
trai ner as Si men Agdestei n?
Graduates of the Sovi et chess school and thei r fol l owers i mprove thei r mastery by
studyi ng the cl assi cal heri tage of the great worl d champi ons - Lasker, Capabl anca,
Al ekhi ne and Botvi nni k, and researchers such as Tarrasch, Ni mzowi tsch and Reti .
To them i t may seem amazi ng how, wi thout readi ng a si ngl e book by these cl assi cs,
Carl sen i ndependentl y achi eved such a hi gh level of chess understandi ng. At the ti me
such a thi ng seemed i mpossi bl e. For exampl e, Ti gran Petrosi an l i ked to remember hi s
youth, when he kept a copy of Ni mzowi tsch' s book My System under hi s pi l l ow. But,
as we l earned earl i er, Magnus absorbed the best of the cl assi cal heri tage from Kasp
arov's fi ve-vol ume My Great Predecessors. As for the speed of assi mi l ati ng materi al ,
present-day geni uses have thei r resources. I n the computer age it is hard to i magi ne a
1 3-year-ol d boy who does not spend hours on a computer. Carl sen was no di fferent,
usi ng the computer as hi s mai n hel per i n prepari ng for tournaments. As he matured
the effi ci ency i ncreased, hi s openi ng repertoi re expanded, and he perfected hi s abi l i ty
to make a deep study of hi s opponents' pl ay and fi nd thei r weak poi nts.
Magnus began the year 2004 wel l prepared. One of the pi l l ars of the worl d chess
cal endar i s the tradi ti onal festi val i n the smal l Dutch town of Wi j k aan Zee. I t i s famous
not onl y for i ts mai n A Tournament, whi ch year after year assembl es al most the enti re
chess el i te, but al so its less presti gi ous Band C al l -pl ay-al l tournaments, enabl i ng young
tal ents stage by stage to make thei r way i nto chess hi gh soci ety. And to begi n wi th the
C tournament, even a FI DE category 9 - modest by today' s standards - i s quite natural
for a young matador. Carl sen' s debut created a genui ne furore! He not onl y won wi th
a score of 1 01 from 13 games, but al so exceeded the i nternati onal grandmaster norm
M. Carl sen - S. Ernst

by 1% poi nts. The sharp and energeti c attacki ng styl e of the 1 3-year-ol d Norwegi an
testified to the appearance of a new star on the chess hori zon. Professi onal s began
tal ki ng about hi m. The hi ghl y experi enced grandmaster Lj ubomi r Kaval ek, who i n hi s
ti me had seen many tal ents, saw Carl sen as a ' Chess Mozart' . He was echoed by
Evgeny Bebchuk, who in the 1 990s was head of the Russi an Chess Federati on: 'As a
person cl osel y acquai nted wi th the pl ay of al l the great grandmasters, I can confi dentl y
say that i n the hi story of chess no one has pl ayed l i ke thi s at the age of 1 3. '
The game wi th i nternati onal master Si pke Ernst, pl ayed at a key moment of the fi ght
for the fi rst prize, not onl y capti vated those who val ue bri l l i ancy, but gave a sl i ght i nsi ght
i nto the secrets of Magnus' s home l aboratory i n work wi th a computer. To a questi on,
whether the attack on the ki ng was the resul t of preparati on or the frui t of i nspi rati on,
he repl i ed: ' I knew that 1 7.
'
e2 was the theoreti cal move, but I di dn' t remember the
variati ons, so I thought about i t for some 25 mi nutes, tryi ng to understand the posi ti on.
I saw the kni ght move 1 8.
t
g6 in the game Bol ogan -Anand (Dortmund 2003). You can
deci de for yourself whether i t was i magi nati on or home preparati on! ' .
It woul d not be out of pl ace to menti on: i deas in themsel ves do not hover i n the ai r.
The patent on the kni ght move to g6 in thi s vari ati on bel ongs to Al exander Bel i avsky,
who twi ce used i t to defeat the famous ' Dani sh pri nce' Bent Larsen in 1 981 and 1 984,
at the tournament i n Ti l burg and i n the USSR v. Rest of the Worl d match. (The i nqui si
tive reader i s referred to Bel i avsky' s book Uncompromising Chess) .
Game 3
Wij k aan Zee C 2004
Caro-Kann Defence [ 819]
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. <c3 dxe4 4. <xe4
.ts 5. <g3 A9s s. h4 h6 7. <f3 <d7
a. h5 Ah7 9. Ad3 Axd3 1 0. Wxd3 e6
a D O
s g
b
b
4
4
3
_
a D O d e f Q h
T
1 1 . Af4
At one ti me 1 1 .
A
d2 was al so pl ayed, si nce
Black's mai n reacti on was consi dered to be
the set-up wi th queensi de castl i ng. But i n
recent years he has often preferred ki ng
si de castl i ng, and i n thi s case the bi shop
i s more acti vel y pl aced at f4.
1 1 . . . <gf6
If he wants to carry out the plan with queen
si de cast l i ng, Bl ack can pl ay 1 1 . . .
'
a5+,
provoki ng 1 2. Ad2 (1 2. c3 makes i t easi er
for hi m to devel op counterpl ay wi th . . . c6-
c5), and then retreat 1 2 . . .
'
c7.
1 2. 0-0-0 Ae7 13. <e4
A popul ar move, whi ch has the ai m i n the
event of 13 . . . 0-0 of attacki ng the ki ng's
posi ti on wi th the g-pawn - 1 4.
t
xf6+
t
xf6
Chapter 1

1 S. g4, as in the game Shi rov-Dreev (Dos
Hermanas 2003) .
Before thi s 13.
t
eS used to be pl ayed.
The probl ems that Bl ack encountered are
wel l demonstrated by the game Bel i avs
ky-Tal ( Moscow 1 981) , whi ch conti nued
13 . . . 0-0 14.
e2
aS 1 S.
b1 ad8 1 6. c4
t
xeS 1 7. dxeS
t
d7 1 8. d2 AgS (with the
aim of weakeni ng the eS-pawn, but 1 8 . . .
bS! ? 1 9. hd1
t
b6 came i nto consi dera
ti on) 1 9. AxgS hxgS 20. h6 (20. hd1
t
xe5!)
20 . . .
t
xe5.
.tJ l
. . .
' '
.. .. !:
' 1 ..
!:
4
!: !: : !:
:
Analysis diagram
21 . d5! ! . Thi s is now the l ast romanti cs
pl ayed! The rook pl aces itself under a four
fol d attack, di srupt i ng the coordi nati on
of Bl ack' s queen and kni ght. I n the event
of 21 . . . cxd5? 22.
xeS gxh6 23. xh6

f 6 24.
xe6+ f7 25.
t
h5 Bl ack cannot
hol d out. Tal preferred a prosai c sol uti on:
21 . . . xdS! 22. cxdS
xdS 23. hxg7
xg7
Y2-Y. Most of the spectators (and in the
concert hal l of the I nternati onal Hotel there
were more than a thousand) were puzzl ed
by the peace agreement. Thi s i s not sur
pri si ng, si nce a pretty vari ati on remai ned
off-stage: 24.
t
hS+!
g6! 25.
t
f4+! gxf4
26.
h5+
f6 27.
h4+
fS 28.
hS+ and
Bl ack has to reconci l e hi msel f to perpetual
check, si nce 28 . . .
e4?! 29.
e2+
d4
30. d1 +
cS 31 . xd5+!
xdS 32.
d2+
is ri sky.
Z
The posi ti on reached i n thi s game af
ter Bl ack' s 1 5t h move occurred nearl y
a quarter of a century l ater i n the game
Bol ogan -Anand ( Dort mund 2003), but
Whi te pl ayed 1 6.
t
g6! and after 16 . . . fe8
1 7.
t
xe7+ xe7 1 8. d3 ee8 1 9. hd1
dS 20. g1 ! b5 21 .
d2 aS?! ( 21 . . . c5! )
22.
t
e2 b4 23. g4 hi s attack was more
real .
But the pi oneer of the ' i mpendi ng'
t
eS
g6 (whi ch i s the idea of pl aci ng the kni ght
on eS) was agai n Bel i avsky, who carri ed
i t out in a game wi th Bent Larsen (Ti l burg
1 981) . Bl ack refrai ned from castl i ng i n fa
vour of 1 3 . . . a5 1 4. he1 a4?, after whi ch
he ran i nto 1 5.
t
g6! . Nowadays thi s i s one
of the techni cal devi ces i n the sol vi ng of
such posi ti ons, whi ch Carl sen used i n the
present game. There fol l owed 15 . . .
t
dS?!
(1 S . . . a3! 1 6. b3
t
dS was correct, al though
here too 1 7.
t
f5! secures White an advan
tage) 1 6.
t
f5! Af8? (1 6 . . . exf5 real l y was
better) 1 7. Ad6 g8 1 8. c4
t
b4 1 9.
h3!
fxg6 20. xe6+
f7 21 . hxg6+
xe6
22. e1 +
t
eS 23.
A
xeS 1 -0.
13 . . . 'a5
I n t he game Bol ogan - Dreev ( Dago
mys 2006) Bl ack si mpl i fi ed the posi ti on:
13 . . .
t
xe4 14.
xe4
t
f6 1 S.
e2
dS
1 6.
b1
'
e4 and obtai ned a roughl y equal
endgame.
14. mb1 0-0 1 5. lxf6+
1 5. g4
t
xg4 1 6.
t
e5
t
dxe5 1 7. dxeS ad8
1 8.
W
h3 wi th sharp pl ay has al so occurred.
1 5 . . . lxf6 1 6. le5 adS 1 7. 'e2
The threat of . . . c6-c5 coul d al so have
been parried by 1 7.
'
b3, but after 17 . . .
W
b6
1 8.
W
xb6 axb6 a practi cal l y equal end
game i s reached.
17 . . . c5?!
Ernst proves to be unfami l i ar with the var
iati on, otherwi se he woul d have pl ayed
17 . . .
V
b6! (Anand - Bareev, team match
Russia v. Rest of the Worl d, Moscow 2002),
where the threat 1 8.
t
g6? i s parri ed by
18 . . .
A
a3.
-
a D O
d e
Z
f Q h
Z
3
s
A

-
W .
4
.-

3
2

_

-
s
-
4
3
2
_ _
a D O d e f Q h
18. g6! fxg6?
And thi s shows a l ack of elementary knowl
edge (Bol ogan -Anand, Dortmund 2003) .
18 . . . fe8 1 9.
t
xe7+ xe7 20. dxc5 ed7!
was essenti al , when i t i s not easy for White
to demonstrate hi s superi ori ty, si nce the
c5-pawn i s regai ned.
19. Wxe6+ h8 20. hxg6!
Creati ng a mat i ng net, si nce Bl ack has
no defence agai nst the sacri fi ce on h6,
destroyi ng hi s ki ng's protecti on.
20 B B g8
I f 20 . . . de8 or 20 . . . d7 there i s the deci
si ve 21 . xh6+! gxh6 22. Axh6 fol l owed
by g6-g7. But the rei nforcement of the
h6-pawn does not change thi ngs.
a D O d e f Q h
-
Z Z v
-
s
"
s
4
3
a D O d e
-
4
3

2
_
f Q h
21 . Jxh6! gxh6 22. xh6+! xh6
23. Wxe7 f7 24. gxf7 g7 25. d3
d6
Mate coul d have been avoi ded by pl ayi ng
25 . . .
'
b6 26. g3+
'
g6 27. xg6+
'
xg6,
but al l the same the endgame after 28. d5
i s hopel ess.
26. g3+ g6 27. We5+ xf7 28. Wf5+
f6 29. Wd7 mate
A spectacul ar epaul ette mate!
I nspi red by his bri l l i ant performance in Wijk aan Zee, Carlsen deci ded to test his powers
in Moscow at a far hi gher level in the Aeroflot Open, whi ch was then becomi ng i ncreas
i ngl y strong. By that ti me in Russi a the affecti onate ni ckname Mal ysh had become
fi rml y attached to hi s name, by anal ogy wi th the popul ar hero of the chi l dren' s stories
Karlson on the Roof by the wel l -known Swedi sh author Astri d Li ndgen. The attenti on
of the experts i n the press to the Norwegi an prodi gy was assured.
And so, the Rossiya Hotel , the A Tournament, where the consi stentl y strong fi el d
di d not afford any opportuni ties for a respi te. I ni ti al l y there was a set-back - i n the fi rst
Chapter 1
o
round Magnus l ost to Shul ski s, after overl ooki ng a si mpl e tacti c in ti me-troubl e. But
the youngster di d not l ose heart and he produced a series of three wi ns, gai ned i n
such dynami c styl e, that i t became cl ear: he di d not i ntend to yi el d to successors of
the cel ebrated Sovi et chess school .
' I wi l l never forget the venerati on' , remembers the wel l -known chess j ournal i st Evg
eny Atarov, ' wi th whi ch Kasparov's famous trai ner Al exander Ni ki ti n produced a copy
of the Carl sen -Dol matov score sheet: "Thi s is the pl ay of a geni us! "' I ndeed, we don' t
recal l anyone defeati ng the experi enced Sergey Dol matov i n 19 moves. The secret
l ay i n Magnus' s thorough preparati on for a speci fi c opponent. Hi s openi ng repertoi re
i ncorporated pl ay wi th White, so to speak, from ei ther hand - 1 . e4 and 1 . d4, but for
Dol matov he made an excepti on - 1 .
&
f3! . And thi s is why. I n hi s computer database he
di scovered 1 0 games wi th the repl y 1 . . . f5. It was here that the mi ne was l ai d - Magnus
prepared a new pl an i n what was a seemi ngl y harml ess vari ati on for Bl ack.
There was a past hi story to the events whi ch occurred i n thi s game. The posi ti on
ari si ng after White's 8th move occurred i n the game Lerner- Bareev from the 1 986
USSR Champi onshi p Premier League i n Ki ev, where Dol matov was al so pl ayi ng. Evgeny
Bareev recal l ed (in a conversati on with Maxi m Notki n, the notabl e chess commenta
tor) that when thi s posi ti on was reached he became i l l at ease, and, recogni si ng the
dangers faci ng Bl ack, he managed to fi nd a move order wi th whi ch he di d not l ose
(8 . . . c6! 9. Ad3 Axd3 1 0.
'
xd3
&
f6 1 1 . 0-0 Ae7 1 2.
&
e2 d5). The confi dent defence
found by Bareev, who di d not al l ow the bi shop to come out to c4, l ul led the vi gi l ance
of Dutch pl ayers, who permitted themsel ves a seemi ngl y i nsi gni fi cant transposi ti on of
moves, and thi s was noti ced by Carl sen.
Game 4
M. Carlsen - S. Dol matov
Moscow 2004
Ret Opening [ A04]
1 . tf3 f5 2. d3! ?
A ki nd of anti -Dutch vari ati on, whi ch mai nl y
has a psychol ogi cal effect.
2 . e d6 3. e4 e5 4. tc3
The posi ti on has acqui red contours typi cal
of the open games.
4 . . . tc6
Evgeny Bareev eval uates thi s posi ti on as
favourabl e for White, and thi nks that i n thi s
set-up Bl ack shoul d pl ay 4 . . .
&
f6.
a D O d e f Q h
8
A A A A A
b
&
b
b
A
b
4
4
3
: :
3
T _
_
_ _ 1
a D O d e f Q h
5. exf5! xf5 6. d4 txd4
Now i f 6 . . . e4 there i s the unpl easant 7. d5! .
7. txd4 exd4 8. 'xd4 tf6?
M. Carl sen E. Shaposhni kov
The capture on c2 is dangerous for Bl ack,

who is cl earl y behi nd in devel opment, but
8 . . . c6 i s stronger, hi nderi ng the devel op
ment of the bi shop at c4.
9. ic4!
Far more energeti c than 9.
A
d3
A
xd3
10.
W
xd3 c6 1 1 . 00
A
e7 1 2.
t
e4
t
xe4
13.
W
xe4 0-0 wi th equal i ty, Romani shi n
Mal ani uk (Tal l i nn 1 987).
9 . . c6 1 0. Ag5!
The posi ti on i s an open one, and, as i s
customary i n such a si tuati on, Carl sen
devel ops hi s pi eces i n thei r most acti ve
posi ti ons.
a D O d e f Q h
w w9 Z
-

b
&
b
b
$3
b
a D O d e f Q h
1 0 . . b5
This move does not change the assess
ment of the posi ti on as dangerous for
Black. I f 1 0 . . . d5 there fol l ows 1 1 . 0-0-0! ,
and it onl y remai ns to i ncl ude the second
rook i n the pl ay, after whi ch the ki ng wi l l
be doomed. Especi al l y si nc
e
the bi shop
on c4 i s i ndi rectl y defended: 1 1 . . . dxc4
12.
W
e5+ or 1 1 . . .
A
e7 1 2. he1 0-0 (1 2 . . .
dxc4 1 3.
A
xf6) 1 3.
W
e5. The ki ng can be
moved off the dangerous fi l e - 1 1 . . .
c
f7,
al though here too after 1 2. he1 Bl ack
i s l ost. The vari ati ons 12 . . . h6 13.
t
xdS!
cxd5 1 4.
A
xf6 gxf6 1 5.
W
f4 or 12 . . .
W
d6
13. e5
A
e6 1 4.
A
xf6 gxf6 1 5. xe6!
W
xe6
1 6.
t
xdS are convi nci ng enough.
1 1 . Jb3 Je7?
The deci sive mi stake. Black's posi ti on was
sti l l hangi ng by a thread: 1 1 . . .
W
e7+! 1 2.
f1
(or 1 2.
d2 0-0-0) 1 2 . . . 0-0-0 1 3. a4 b4!

1 4.
W
xb4 d5, and at the cost of a pawn
he woul d have avoi ded an i mmedi ate l oss.
12. 0-0-0 Wd7 13. !he1 d8
b
b
a D O d e
W$
f Q h
Z

33
a D O d e f Q h
-
b
b
Thi s posi ti on recal l s the ti mes of the ro
manti c 1 9th century. Si mi l ar posi ti ons can
be found in the games of Paul Morphy
and Adol f Anderssen. ' There fol l ows a
combi nati on, as natural as the smi l e of a
1 3-year-ol d youth' ( M. Notki n).
C
1 4. !xe7! Wxe7 1 5. Wf4 id7 16. te4
d5 1 7. txf6 h6 18 . .h4 g5 1 9. Wd4
Bl ack resi gned. An i mpressi ve rout!
Game S
Moscow 2004
Nimzo-/ndian Defence [ E38}
1 . d4 tf6 2. c4 e6 3. tc3 ib4 4. Wc2
Chapter 1

Thi s queen move, whi ch has the ai m of
keepi ng the queensi de pawn structure i n
tact, i s one of the most common reacti ons
to the Ni mzo- l ndi an Defence.
4 . . . c5
Other popul ar replies are 4 . . . 0-0 and 4 . . . dS.
5. dxc5 AxeS
S . . .
t
a6 6. a3 Axc3+ 7.
'
xc3
t
xcS i s
al so pl ayed, but most often Bl ack repl i es
S . . . 0-0 and captures on cS with hi s bi shop
onl y after 6. a3.
6. tf3
I t is curi ous that in the event of 6. Af4 the
pl ay may unexpectedl y transpose i nto
a l i ne of the cl assi cal Queen' s Gambi t:
6 . . . 0-0 7.
t
f3
t
c6 8. e3 dS 9. !d1
'
aS
1 0. a3 etc.
6 'b6
Bl ack provokes e2-e3, to prevent the
devel opment of the bi shop at gS or f4.
However, as the further course of the game
wi l l show, i t i s j ust as wel l pl aced on the
l ong di agonal .
7. e3 a6
a D O d e f Q h
Of course, Bl ack' s queen is obvi ousl y mi s-
pl aced, and so he prepares to retreat i t to
the more appropri ate square c7, by taki ng
control of bS.
8. b3 'c7 9. Ab2 b6 1 0. Ae2 Ab7
1 1 . g4!?
As usual , Carl sen resol utel y tri es to expl oi t
the opponent' s sl i ghtl y retarded devel op
ment, especi al l y as i n the previ ous round
he had gai ned a powerful charge of posi ti ve
emoti ons. The al ternati ve was the qui et
1 1 . 0-0, but in thi s case Bl ack can begi n
rather unpl easant ( by human standards)
' Paul sen-l i ke' counterpl ay wi th 1 1 . . .
t
g4!
(there i s al so another, more sol i d repl y -
1 1 . . .
A
e7! ? wi th the i ntenti on of setti ng up
a ' hedgehog' by . . . d7-d6 and . . .
t
bd7).
1 1 . !d1 ! ?, recommended by Vi tal i Gol od,
deserves consi derati on.
11 B B txg4
The sacri fi ce has to be accepted, as oth
erwi se White's pl ay i s too si mpl e: g4-gS,
t
e4, 0-0-0, !dg1 and so on.
12. lg1 txh2 1 3. tgS!

For what has Whi te gi ven up two pawns?
Al l hi s pi eces are in pl ay, apart from the
rook on a1 , whi ch needs onl y one move
to be i ncl uded. Bl ack, on the other hand,
has to sol ve the probl ems of both hi s un
castled ki ng, and, no l ess i mportant, the
kni ght on h2 whi ch i s cut off from i ts mai n
forces. The fearl ess Rybka assesses the
posi ti on as equal , but i n practi ce i t i s far
more pl easant pl ayi ng White.
13 . . . tc6! 14. 0-0-0
Thi ngs are uncl ear after the tempti ng
1 4.
t
xf7! ?
xf7 1 S. !xg7+
xg7 1 6.
t
dS+
W
eS! - Bl ack obtai ns too much materi al for
the queen. For exampl e, 1 7. AxeS+
t
xeS
18.
b2 Ad6 1 9.
t
xb6 Ab4+ 20.
d1
t
hf3 21 .
t
xa8 lxa8 wi th chances for both
si des.
a D O d e f Q h
6 @
@ 6
V
A

b
.
A A
b
b
.
b
4
/
4
3
/ : /
3
:"

a D O d e f Q h
14 e a e e5?
Thi s natural move, defendi ng the f7-pawn
and prepari ng queensi de castl i ng, is a
mi stake. I n our computer age, concrete
variati ons in chess i ncreasi ngl y take prec
edence over general consi derati ons. Very
many players (especi al l y of the ol der gener
ati on) fi nd i t hard to accept thi s, especi al l y
since the vari ati ons are often such that they
can hardl y been found at the board when
there i s restri cted ti me for thought.
Onl y 1 4 . . . d5! ! - a sol uti on whi ch at fi rst
si ght l ooks l i ke an attempt to exti ngui sh
a fi re wi th petrol , and therefore wi thout
analysi s wi l l be rejected by 80% of pl ay
ers -enabl es Black to mai ntai n a dynami c
bal ance. Here are these vari ati ons, whi ch
concl ude wi th the assessment ' uncl ear' :
a) 1 5. Ah5 g6 1 6.
t
xd5 exd5 1 7. Axh8
gxh5 1 8.
xh7 0-0-0;
b) 15.
t
xd5 exd5 1 6. Axg7 lg8 1 7.
xh7
0-0-0;
c) 1 5. cxd5
t
b4 1 6.
e4 0-0-0;
d) 1 5.
t
a4
t
b4! 1 6.
d2 0-0-0 1 7.
t
xc5
bxc5 1 8.
A
xg7 dxc4 1 9.
A
xh8 lxd2
20. lxd2
as.
1 5. ce4 0-0-0 1 6. xc5 bxc5
1 6 . . .
xc5 i s bad i n vi ew of 1 7.
t
e4! Axe4
(otherwi se 1 8.
t
d6+) 1 8.
xe4, and the

kni ght on h2 i s l ost.
17. f4
1 7.
t
e4!
b8 1 8. lxg7 was even better,

wi th a very strong i ni ti ati ve. After the move
in the game, strangel y enough, Whi te does
not have a forced wi n.
1
1 7 . . . ef3
a D O d e f Q h
6
|
6
A, AA
7
V
A
b
A A
b
b
l
A
b
4
/
4
3
/ /
3
/"
1

1
a D O d e f Q h
1 8. xf7?!
What coul d be more natural than thi s cap
ture? However, the most obvi ous conti nu
ati on agai n proves to be not the strongest.
It was preferabl e to pl ay 1 8.
t
xf3! ?
t
xf3
1 9. lxg7 Jdf8 20. Jf1 ! (the most accu
rate; there i s no cl ear wi n after 20. lxh7
Jhg8! , whi l e if 20. Jg3 Bl ack i s saved
by 20 . . .
t
d4! 21 . exd4?
xf4+) 20 . . .
t
h4
21 . Jg4
t
f5 22.
A
xh8 fxh8 23.
c3.
Whi te succeeds i n transformi ng hi s i ni
ti ati ve i nto somethi ng more tangi bl e, and
he shoul d gradual l y convert hi s exchange
advantage.
18 . . . xg1 1 9. !xg1 f3 20. !xg7?!
Chapter 1
e
The mi ddl egame is of a purel y cal cul ati ng
nature, and i s not easy to annotate. The
i mpetuous rook capture coul d have l ost
Whi te the greater part of hi s advantage,
whi ch woul d have been retai ned by 20. gf1
t
h4 21 .
t
xh8 gxh8 22. Axg7 gea 23. Ah5
(or 23.
xh7). After 20. gg3 Bl ack i s agai n

saved by 20 . . .
t
d4! .
20 . . J ihg8 21 . xd8
6
7
b
b
4
3
2
a D O d e f Q h
w
V
L
L L
L
/
E L
/
/
/ "
!-
a D O d e f Q h
21 . . . 'xd8?
6
7
b
b
4
3
2
Bl ack mi sses hi s chance: 21 . . , gxg7!
22. Axg7
xd8, and i f 23.
xh7 there i s
the unpl easant 23 . . .
aS! . Now Whi te' s

posi ti on i s agai n al most won.
22 . .f6! 'f8 23. Wxh7 !h8!
23 . . . gxg7 i s hopel ess: 24.
A
xg7
f7 (i f
24 . . .
e8 25.
A
c3, and the detached kni ght
is soon won) 25.
h8+
c7 26. Af6 Ac6

27.
dB+
b7 28. Axf3 Axf3 29. Ae7! or

29. Ae5.
24. 'g6
Whi te shoul d have consi dered 24. gf7! ?
gxh7 25. gxf8+
c7 26. gha gxh8

27. Axh8 Ae4, when he has qui te good
chances of converti ng hi s extra pawn i n
the endgame.
24 . . . 1h1+ 25. b2 !g1 26 . .g5
a D O d e f Q h
6
W
6
7
7
"
b
b
b
4
/
4
3

3
a D O d e f Q h
26 . . . !xg5?
Shaposhni kov apparentl y despai rs of
compet i ng wi th hi s young opponent i n
the cal cul ati on of vari ati ons and he does
not noti ce 26 . . .
t
h4! 27.
f6 (i f 27.
h7,
then 27 . . . Ae4! 28. gf7 Axh7 29. gxf8+
c7) 27 . . .
xf6+ 28. Axf6 ge1 ! 29. Ag4

t
g2 - thanks to hi s acti ve rook Bl ack sti l l
has savi ng chances.
27. fxg5 e5 28. 'f6 'd6 29. !g8+
c7 30. c3!
Bl ack resi gned.
Carl sen pl ayed the second hal f of the tournament wi th al ternati ng success, but never
thel ess, by scori ng 5% poi nts in 9 rounds, for the second ti me in successi on (after Wi j k
aan Zee) he achi eved the grandmaster norm. He was devel opi ng l i teral l y before one' s
eyes, and a di rect acquai ntance wi th the Norwegi an prodi gy al l owed certai n observa
ti ons to be made. In parti cul ar, pl easantl y surpri si ng was hi s modest behavi our and
O
M. Carl sen - G. Kasparov
the amazi ng composure wi th whi ch Magnus conducted hi s games wi th experi enced
grandmasters. I n hi s styl e of pl ay one senses a cl assi cal approach to the game. He
competentl y depl oys hi s pi eces, di spl ayi ng hi s readi ness to engage i n a l arge-scal e
strategi c battl e. At the same ti me, hi s age often tel l s. Magnus i s not averse to taki ng
tacti cal deci si ons, and ri sky sacri fi ces of materi al occur for the sake of mai ntai ni ng the
i ni ti ati ve. Al so, he constantl y keeps the enemy ki ng i n vi ew, and he di spl ays excepti onal
i magi nati on when attacki ng i t. And al l thi s i s supported by wonderful cal cul ati ng abi l i ty,
not onl y wi th speed of thi nki ng, but al so depth of penetrati on i nto the posi ti on.
A surpri si ng thi ng was Carl sen' s stri vi ng for compl ete i ndependence i n hi s work on
chess: ' I l i ke to prepare on my own, and I don' t understand how some outsi der can
i mpose on me hi s choi ce of openi ng or hi s vi si on of the fi ght. ' A uni que vi ew for such a
young age. At the same ti me he spoke wi th great respect about hi s fi rst trai ner Si men
Agdestei n, who responded i n si mi l ar terms (Agdestei n wrote about Magnus the book
Wonderboy, publ i shed i n 2004 by New i n Chess).
After hi s successful performance i n Moscow, Carl sen pl ayed l ess wel l at the tradi
ti onal tournament i n Reykj avi k, where he scored onl y 50%. But the mai n resul t of the
vi si t to Reykj avi k was Carl sen' s meeti ng wi th Garry Kasparov, who had been i nvi ted to
take part in a bl i tz and rapi d tournament. Garry easi l y beat Magnus at bl i tz, but in the
rapi d tournament, hel d on the knock-out system, an embarrassment al most occurred.
In the fi rst game, after pl ayi ng the openi ng superfi ci al l y, the strongest pl ayer i n the
world was thoroughl y outpl ayed by the youngster, and i t was onl y a l ack of experi ence
that prevented the l atter from wi nni ng the game. I n the second game Kasparov was
extremel y composed and he won the mi ni -match, but the i mpressi on remai ned and
it had i mportant consequences for Carl sen. When a year l ater Kasparov gave up top
l evel chess, he deci ded to share hi s experi ence wi th the one he consi dered the most
worthy. Hi s choi ce fel l on the strongest young pl ayer from the West .
M. Carl sen - G. Kasparov
1 . d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. f3 f6 4. c3 e6
5. Ag5 bd7 6. e3 'aS 7. d2 Ab4
8. 'c2 0-0 9. Ae2 e5 1 0. 0-0 exd4
1 1 . b3 'b6
11 . . .c7 was much better. Now somehow
i mpercepti bl y Garry sl i des i nto a posi ti onal
mi re.
1 2. exd4 dxc4 13. Axc4 a5 14. a4
Wc7 1 5. ae1 h6 1 6. Ah4 Ad6 1 7. h3
b6 1 8. Axf6 xc4 1 9. e4 Ah2+
20. h1 d6 (20 . . . b5 21 .
t
bc5 was
ri sky for Bl ack) 21 . xh2 xe4+

22. Ae5 d6
a D O d e
s g
9
7
W
b

-
4
/ /
3
/
2
/ W / /
! !
a D O d e f Q h
6
7
-
4
3
2
Chapter 1

23. 'c5
White acts as though in the Russi an say
i ng: ' You can' t have too much of a good
thi ng' , but here i t does not apply. Al though
Bl ack' s posi ti on i s sti l l unenvi abl e - i t i s not
easy for hi m to compl ete his devel opment
under fi re by the opponent - Kasparov i s
gi ven a respi te.
The i mmedi ate 23. d5! woul d have set
Garry seri ous probl ems.
23 . . . d8 24. d5
I t was al so possi bl e to transpose i nto a
favourabl e endgame: 24. Axd6
xd6+
25.
xd6 xd6 26. e8+
h7 27. fe1
b5 28. 1 e7 bxa4 29.
&
c5 xd4 30. xf7.
24 . . . 'd7 25. td4 tf5 26. dxc6 bxc6
27. txc6 e8 28. d1 'e6 29. fe1
.b7 30. td4 exd4 31 . 'xd4 'g6
a D
s @
7
b
-
A
-
/
3
2
/
1
a D
O d
e
Z
3
P
O d e
f Q h
6

7
W
b
-
4
/
3
/ /
2
T
f Q h
32. 'g4
As i t i s fashi onabl e to say nowadays, up to
here Magnus has pl ayed l i ke Fritz or Rybka.
But the probl em with computer programs
i s that they often eval uate endi ngs wi th
an extra pawn as though thei r ' brai ns' are
swi tched off. They fol l ow the pri nci pl e: I
have a pawn, so there is no need to thi nk!
And al though, compared wi th other drawn
posi ti ons, here there are opposi te-col our
bi shops, not a si ngl e computer gi ves a
drawn assessment.
Wi nni ng chances woul d have been re
tai ned by 32. f3, removi ng the threat from
the bi shop on b7, whereas Whi te's dark
square bi shop can attack both al ong the
l ong di agonal , and - especi al l y i mportant
- the a5-pawn.
32 . . . 'xg4 33. hxg4 .c6 34. b3 f6
35 .c3 xe1 36. xe1 .d5 37. b1
'f7 38. 'g3 b8 39. b4 axb4
40 . .xb4 .c4 41 . a5 .a6 42. f3 'g6
43. 'f4 h5 44. gxh5+ 'xh5 45. h1+
'g6 46 . .c5 b2 47. 'g3 a2
48. Ab6 't7 49. c1 g5 50. c7+ 'g6
51 . c6 .f1 52. Af2
Draw.
A month l ater, at the Open in Dubai , Magus achi eved the grandmaster norm for the
t hi rd ti me (61 poi nts from 9 rounds), and then he confi rmed hi s growi ng cl ass i n
Scandi navi a at the Si geman Tournament (FI DE category 1 3) . The tournament was
hel d in Mal mo and Copenhagen, but whereas in the Swedi sh part Magnus' s pl ay was
rather restrai ned (21 poi nts from 5 rounds) , in Denmark he defeated three grand
masters and fi ni shed i n 3rd pl ace wi th 51 poi nts out of 9, once agai n achi evi ng the
grandmaster norm.
M. Carl sen - E. Vl adi mi rov

The 1 3-year-ol d Norwegi an' s achi evements were recogni sed by hi s i ncl usi on i n the
Worl d Champi onshi p i n Li bya, hel d on the knock-out system i n May 2004. However,
Carl sen's appearance went practi cal l y unnoti ced, si nce in the very fi rst round he l ost
to the rapi dl y progressi ng Levon Aroni an. But i t shoul d be menti oned that the l atter
was able to overcome his young opponent onl y in the second rapi d ti e-break game, i n
whi ch Magnus l ost a theoreti cal l y drawn rook endi ng wi th f- and h-pawns.
After the set-back i n Li bya, Carl sen pl ayed wi thout i nterrupti on, one tournament after
another, and hi s rati ng al so i mproved. By the ti me of the Ol ympi ad in Cal vi a (Mal l orca)
the youngster had raised i t by another hundred poi nts and reached 2581 , fi nal l y catch
i ng hi s more successful contemporary Sergey Karjaki n. I n the Norwegi an team Magnus
i mmedi ately made hi s debut on board 1 , whi ch was conceded to hi m by the permanent
team leader, grandmaster Agdestei n. Despite hi s hi gher rati ng, Magnus's trai ner di d
not hesitate - the future bel onged to hi m. And Carl sen di d not l et hi m down. He scored
3% poi nts from 5 games, and the Norwegi an team fi ni shed in a respectabl e 31 st pl ace.
These successes marked an i mportant watershed. The ti me of Swi ss ' l otteri es'
was at an end. At the age of 1 4, wi th such a hi gh rati ng, Magnus coul d hope for more
favourabl e i nvi tati ons from tournament organi sers, and the opportuni ty presented i tsel f
to pl an a schedul e of performances. After the protracted seri es of offi ci al competi ti ons,
whi ch had taken much strength, now was the ti me from hi m to rest and assess hi s
capabi l i ti es. But si gned contracts have to be ful fi l l ed. And after the Ol ympi ad came a
consi derabl e sl ump: an i ndifferent performance at the four-pl ayer Hoogeveen Essent
Crown tournament i n Hol l and and a compl ete fai l ure i n the Spani sh Team Champi on
shi p (four l osses and fi ve draws). Such a di smal fi ni sh coul d hardl y have i mproved hi s
mood before the New Year. But how coul d he rej ect taki ng part i n a FI DE category 1 4
tournament i n hi s homel and?
Game 6
M. Carl sen E. Vl adi mi rov
Dubai 2004
1 . e4 c5 2. tlf3 tlc6 3. d4 cxd4
4. tlxd4 tlf6 5. tlc3 d6 6. g5 e6
. Wd2 a6 8. 0-0-0 .d7 9. f3
(see next diagram)
9 0 .c8
Apart from the move in the game, Bl ack
has a wi de choi ce of al ternati ves: 9 . . . Ae7,
9 . . b5 or 9 . . .
t
xd4. For exampl e, i n the l ast
case the fol l owi ng devel opment of events
T
a D O d e f Q h
6 g g
@ g 6
.
9
. . . 7 7
b
A &AA&
b
b
b
4 4
3 3
a D O d e f Q h
i s possi bl e: 9 . . .
t
xd4 1 0.
xd4 Ae7
1 1 . g4 Ac6 1 2. Ae3 0-0 1 3. g5
t
d7
1 4. h4 b5 1 5.
b1 b4 1 6.
t
e2 d5 1 7. exd5
A
xd5 1 8.
f4 .c8 wi th good counter-

Chapter 1
o
pl ay for Bl ack ( Tal - Bal ashov, Tal l i nn
1 973) .
1 0. Je3
1 0. g4 i s al so possi bl e: 1 0 . . .
A
e7 1 1 .
A
e3
t
e5 ( 1 1 . . . h6 1 2. h4 transposes i nto the
game) 1 2. g5
t
h5 wi th double-edged pl ay.
1 0 e5
Another devel opment of events i nvolves the
exchange of kni ghts: 10 . . .
t
xd4 1 1 .
A
xd4
b5 1 2. g4
A
c6 1 3. g5
t
d7 wi th pawn at
tacks on opposite wi ngs.
1 1 . g4 h6 12. h4 b5 1 3. Ad3 b4
14. ce2 d5 1 5. exd5 xd5 1 6. f4
a D O d e f Q h
8
W
3
8
7 @
. .
7
. .
b
b
&&
b
3
23
3
"
2
_ _ 1
a D O d e f Q h
1 6 'a5
Apparent l y, to the experi enced Evg
eny Vl adi mi rov, Bl ack' s achi evements i n
Gazi k - Popovi c (Stary Smokovec 1 991 )
seemed i nadequate. That game conti nued
1 6 . . .
t
xd3+ 1 7.
'
xd3
t
xe3 1 8.
'
xe3
A
c5
1 9.
t
h5 0-0 20. g5
W
e? 21 . d2 (21 .
t
f6+
gxf6 22. gxf6
h7 23.
'
e4+
h8 24.
'
e3
leads to a curi ous draw) 21 . . .
A
a4 22. gxh6
A
xc2? ( 22 . . . g6!? 23.
b1 fd8 was cor

rect) 23. hxg7
A
g6 24. gxf8
'
+ (24.
d1 !
A
xd4 25. gxf8
'
+
xf8 26.
'
xd4 woul d
have won materi al ) 24 . . .
A
xf8+ 25.
t
c2
Z
A
xc2 26.
t
f6+
h8 27.
t
e8
'
c6 28.
'
e5+
g8 29. d6?? (29.

t
f6+
h8 30.
t
e8+
woul d have forced a draw) 29 . . .
A
h6+ 0-1 .
1 7. b1 xf3?!
How shoul d t hi s move be assessed? I t
l ooks very attracti ve, si nce the kni ght
capt ure 1 8.
t
xf3? may lead to mate:
1 8 . . .
t
c3+! 1 9. bxc3 bxc3 20.
'
c1
A
a3,
but Bl ack' s i l l usi ons are soon di spel l ed. It
woul d have been more l ogi cal to settl e on
1 7 . . .
t
xd3 1 8.
'
xd3
t
xe3 1 9.
W
xe3
A
e7,
wi th an i nferi or but defensi bl e posi ti on.
1 8. 'f2 xe3 1 9. 'xe3 xd4
I f 19 . . .
A
c5 there fol l ows 20.
'
xf3
A
xd4
21 .
t
g6! , and the attempt to pl ay for mate
- 21 . . . e5!? 22.
t
xh8
A
e6 - is parri ed by
23. b3
'
a3 24.
A
b5+ axb5 25. xd4 exd4
26. e1
'
a7 27.
t
g6 .
20. 'xd4 Wc5
8
7
21 . 'e4
a D O d e f Q h
Bl ack is behi nd i n devel opment and White
bui l ds up the threats (if 21 . . .
A
e7 there fol
l ows 22.
t
h5), compl etely rul i ng out the
possi bi l i ty of the bl ack ki ng castl i ng. At fi rst
si ght the queen move seems i mpossi bl e
due to 21 . . .
A
c6 22.
'
e2
A
xh1 , but i t i s
D. Pal o - M. Carl sen
here that a ' mi ne' has been l ai d: 23. Cxe6!
We7 (23 . . . fxe6 24.
xe6+ l eads to mate:

24 . . .<dB 25. Ae4+) 24. Af5! ! and there is no
defence agai nst the mate by 25. !dB+ !:xdB
26. te?#. A pretty mate al so awai ts Bl ack
after 21 . . . Ae7 22. Ch5 Ac6 23. Cxg7+
fB
24. /xe6+ fxe6 25. !:hf1 +
eB 26.
xc6+
Wxc6 27. Ag6#!
21 . . . 'c6 22. 'e2 aS
a D O d e f Q h
6
6
7 7
s
s
b
-
/ /
-
/ / / "
_ _
a D O d e f Q h
Bl ack has an extra pawn and t he two
bi shops: what el se, i t woul d seem, can
he want? But the mai n thi ng i s the i nsecure
positi on of hi s ki ng. If 22 . . .
A
d6 there fol
lows 23. Ch5 0-0 24. g5 wi th a dangerous
attack.
23. h5 a4 24. hf1 ! c7
Bl ack is obl i ged to forget about coun
terpl ay: 24 . . . b3 25. cxb3 axb3 26.
f2
bxa2+ 27.
a1 and he has to run wi th hi s

ki ng - 27 . . .
d8 (27 . . . f6? 2B. Cxf6+! ), al

l owi ng 2B.
xf7. Therefore he defends the

f7- pawn wi th hi s rook, but Whi te stri kes a
bl ow at its nei ghbour. I n the event of the
defence by the queen 24 . . .
c5 25.
f3
We7 there fol l ows a bl ow from the l eft -
26.
b7.
25. 'f2 .ea
a D O d e f Q h
6

6
7

7
s
W

s
b
b
/ /
-
/ / / "
_ _
a D O d e f Q h
26. 'd4!
The doubl e attack (27. Ab5 with mate at
dB i s threatened, as wel l as the capture on
g7) i s i rresi sti bl e.
26 . . . d7 27. xg7+ .xg7 28. 'xg7
f8 29. 'xh6
White i s now a pawn up wi th a conti nui ng
attack on the ki ng. The game is deci ded.
29 . . . b3
I f 29 . . . a3, then 30.
g5 wi th the threat of
31 . Ab5 is deci si ve, si nce after 30 . . . Aa6
31 . Axa6
xa6 there fol l ows 32.
f4, as
occurred in the game.
30. axb3 axb3 31 . cxb3 .a6 32 . .xa6
'xa6 33. 'f4! a7
I f 33 . . .
b5, then 34.
c4 i s an adequate
repl y.
34. 'b8+ e7 35. 'b4+
Bl ack resi gned.
Game ?
D. Pal o M. Carl sen
Gausdal 2004
Nimzo-lndian Defence [E32]
Chapter 1

1 . d4 f6 2. c4 e6 3. c3 Ab4 4. Vc2
0-0 5. a3 .xc3+ 6. 'xc3 b6 7 . .g5
Another pl an i nvol ves the devel opment
of the bi shop at b2: 7.
!
f3
A
b7 8. e3 d6
9.
A
e2
!
bd7 1 0. O-O
!
e4 1 1 .
c2 f5 1 2. b4
etc.
7 Jb7
a D O d e f Q h
8 @
8
@
$

b
8. f3
a D O d e f Q h
4
J
At the present ti me fashi on gi ves prefer
ence to 8. e3 d6 9.
!
e2
!
bd7 1 0.
c2.
For exampl e: 10 . . . h6 1 1 .
A
h4 c5 1 2. d1
c7 1 3.
!
c3 a6 1 4.
d2 adS 1 5. f3 d5
1 6. cxd5 exd5 1 7.
A
d3 fe8 1 8. 0-0
c6
1 9.
A
c2, and one can speak of some ad
vantage for Whi te ( Dreev-Korotylev, Mos
cow 2009) .
8 B B d6 9. d2
The si mpl e 9. e3
!
bd7 1 0.
A
d3! i s al so
possi bl e, si nce the exchange on f3 can onl y
favour White, who gai ns the advantage of
the two bi shops agai nst two kni ghts and the
hal f-open g-fi l e for an attack. 1 0.
A
e2 c8
1 1 . 0-0?! i s less good because of 1 1 . . .
!
e4! .
9 B bd7 1 0. f3 c5 1 1 . e4 Ie8 12. Jd3
1 2.
A
e2 deserves consi derati on.
12 cxd4 13. Vxd4 c5 14. Ac2 e5
1 5. 'f2
a D O d e f Q h
8 8
w X

& 3 A A A
b
4
A A
A
/
b
4
/ /
J J
/ W/ /
2 2

a D O d e f Q h
1 5 . . . g4!
Thi s tacti cal tri ck enabl es Bl ack to sol ve
hi s openi ng probl ems. 1 5 . . .
!
fxe4? di d not
work because of 1 6.
!
xe4
!
xe4 1 7.
A
xe4.
1 6. Axd8?!
1 6.
h4! f6! 1 7.
xg4 fxg5 1 8. 0-0-0 was

stronger, with an unclear game. The Dani sh
pl ayer probabl y underesti mated the dan
gers awai ti ng hi m i n the endgame, whi ch
i s by no means so harmless for Whi te as
it may seem.
1 6 B B xf2 1 7. xf2 Iexd8
A cl ose exami nati on of the posi ti on reveals
that the weak d6-pawn i s easi l y defend
ed, and the possessi on of the d5- poi nt
does not pl ay any great rol e. At the same
ti me, White's l i ght-square bi shop i s bad,
and the dark squares in hi s posi ti on are
weakened.
1 8. b4
In the event of 1 8. hd1
!
e6 the bl ack
kni ght woul d have reached d4, whi ch,
however, woul d hardl y be fatal for Whi te.
D. Pal o - M. Carl sen
The move i n the game i s more acti ve, but
also more commi tti ng - the c4-pawn i s
weakened.
18 . . . le6 1 9. Ehc1 f8 20. lb3 e7
21 . Ad3 Ac6
a D O d e f Q h
8 @
8
A
s
1
s
s
s
-
/ /
-
3
_
_
-
3
/ /
T
_
a D O d e f Q h
22. a4?
This merel y aggravates White's di ffi cul ti es.
The accurate 22.
t
d2 was better.
22 . . . a5! 23. bxa5 teS!
Apparentl y Pal o was onl y reckoni ng on
23 bxa5 24. c5! , when the posi ti on be
comes equal . Now another whi te pawn i s
fixed on a l i ght square.
24. Ac2
After 24.
t
xc5 both captures woul d have
led to a big advantage for Bl ack.
24 . . . bxa5 25. Ecb1 d7 26. txc5+
dxc5
The posi ti on can be assessed as ' between
a wi n for Bl ack and a draw' . I t i s i mportant
onl y for Bl ack to retai n at l east one pai r of
rooks, to avoi d the creati on of a fortress. I n
practi ce the stronger si de i s often success
ful in such cases, si nce i t i s very di ffi cul t
to defend passi vel y.
27. Ed1 + c7 28. Exd8 Exd8 29. e3
Ed4 30. Ad3 Ad7 31 . Eb1
I f 31 . a2! ? Carl sen woul d probabl y have
pl ayed 31 . . . g6 32. b2 f5. The di fference
compared wi th the game conti nuati on was
that the 6th rank woul d remai n cl osed,
and Bl ack woul d be deni ed the possi bi l i ty
of . . . d6-g6-h6, whi ch coul d have gi ven
Whi te addi ti onal chances.
6
7
s
a D
s
A
-
/
3
O d e
1

/ /
f
/
Q h
/ /
a D O d e f Q h
31 . . .f5! 32. Ec1
6
s
s
-
3
It was not possi bl e to capture on f5 be

cause of 32. exf5 xd3+! 33. 'xd3 Axf5+,
but 32. g3 g5 (32 . . . d6 33. Ac2) 33. g1
was i nteresti ng.
C
32 . . . f4+ 33. e2 Ed6 34. Eb1 Eh6!
I t i s useful to provoke h2-h3, after whi ch
White's pawns are on squares of the col our
of hi s bi shop.
35. h3 Eg6!
Carl sen demonstrates excel l ent techni que
- i t i s al so not out of pl ace to draw the ki ng
away from the centre.
36. f2 Ed6 37. e2 g5 38. Ac2 h5
39. Ed1 Ed4
I t woul d have been a bl under to pl ay
Chapter 1
e

39 . . J !xd1 ? 40.
xd1 g4 41 . h4, when there

is nowhere for Bl ack to break through.
40 . .d3
40. lxd4 cxd4 fol l owed by the ki ng march
to c5 was al so hopel ess.
40 . . Jd6 41 . .c2 9d4 42 . .d3 .c6
The openi ng of a second front comes i nto
Bl ack' s pl ans, but for the moment 42 . . . g4
is premature because of 43. hxg4 hxg4
44. lh1 wi th the acti vati on of the rook
(44 . . . Axa4 45. la1 ).
43. 9g1 9d8 44. g3! ?
I f 44. lb1 , then 44 . . . Axa4! (44 . . . lh8 i s
l ess good: 45.
A
c2 g4 46. h4! and Whi te
has excel l ent chances of setti ng up a
fortress) 45. la1 Ac6 46. lxa5
b6!
( but not 46 . . . la8 47. lxa8 (47. lxc5
d6) 47 . . . Axa8 48.
d2
b6 49.
c3
a5 50.
b3=) 47. la1 la8. The poi nt

of Bl ack' s pl an is to break through wi th
hi s ki ng vi a the queensi de: 48. lxa8 (af
ter 48. lb1 +
c7 Whi te is probabl y l ost)

48 . . . Axa8 49.
d2
a5 50.
c3
a4
51 . Ac2+
a3 52. Ab1 Ac6 53.

A
c2
Aa4
54. Ad3
a2! and wi ns.

44 . . . 9g8 45. gxf4 exf4 46. e5!
Whi te depri ves hi msel f of hi s onl y trump
the protected passed pawn, but thi s deci
si on i s forced, si nce Bl ack was threateni ng
. . .
d6-e5 wi th a total bi nd.

46 . . . .d7
(see next diagram)
47 . .h7?!
47. Ae4! was more resi l i ent: 47 . . . A
xh3
6
7
b
a D
b
3
2
O d
e f Q h
Z

a D O d e f Q h
6
7
b
b
4
3
2
and, despi te hi s two extra pawns, Bl ack
sti l l has to overcome some techni cal di f
fi cul ti es.
47 . . . 9g7 48 . .e4 .xh3
As usual l y happens when converti ng an
advantage, at the cri ti cal moment one has
to swi tch from the systemati c strengthen
i ng of the posi ti on to the cal cul ati on of
speci fi c vari ati ons.
49. ah1 g4 so. ab1 a9s s1 . ab7+ cda
52. e6 aes
The e-pawn has been stopped, and White
is unabl e to cope wi th the connected
passed pawns.
53. 9f7 g3 54. 9xf4 9g5 55 . .d5
.xe6! 56. mt1 .xd5 57. cxd5 9xd5
58. cg2 9d4 59. 9f5 h4 60. mh3 c4
White resi gned .
Game 8
M. Carlsen - N. Short
Hoogeveen 2004
Queen's Gambit {037]
48. Ad5 lg7 49. lb1 le7! 50. lb7+
d8 1. d4 f6 2. c4 e6 3. f3 d5 4. c3
51 . lb8+ Ac8 52. la8 lxe5+ 53.
f2 Ae7 5. Af4 0-0 6. e3 c5 7. dxc5 AxeS
M. Carl sen - N. Short

a D O d e f Q h
6 gg 6

. .
. 7
: J jl
.
l :
4
3
4
3

T
,
_ _
T
a D O d e f Q h
8. cxd5
A few years l ater, when he had grown up
10 . . . c6 11 . .d3 .b6 12. 0-0
a D O d e
4

1 2 . . . d4
a D
3
3
W
O d e

_
f Q h
4
a l i ttl e, at the 2008 Bi l bao tournament Magnus has al so had occasi on to pl ay thi s
Carl sen chose a more aggressi ve vari a- posi ti on wi th Bl ack. At the Amber Tourna
ti on agai nst l vanchuk: 8. "c2
t
c6 9. a3 ment (Ni ce 2009) in his bl i ndfol d game wi th
a5 1 0. 0-0-0 .e7 1 1 . h4 l:d8 1 2.
t
d2 lvanchuk he set White more compl i cated
a6!? 1 3. Ae2 b5! 1 4. cxd5 exd5 1 5. g4?! . probl ems: 1 2 . . . Ag4 1 3. h3 Ah5 1 4. b4 e8
Thi s attack is too l at e, and Whi te 1 5. c1 a6 1 6. Axa6 xa6 1 7. b5 xa3
shoul d have restri cted hi msel f to central 1 8. bxc6 bxc6 1 9. xc6 a? and Whi te
strategy: 1 5.
t
b3 "b6 1 6.
t
d4
t
xd4 coul d fi nd nothi ng better t han t o go i nto
1 7. xd4, restrai ni ng Bl ack' s i ni t i ati ve. If a posi ti on with opposi te-col our bi shops -
1 7 . . Ac5 there can fol l ow 1 8. Ae5 Axd4 20. 'b3 Axf3 21 . xb6 Ae2 22. b1 Ac4.
1 9. Axd4 when the central i sed bi shop,
whi ch has no opponent, i s no weaker
than a rook.
The game conti nued 1 5 . . . Ae6 1 6.
t
b3
b6 1 7. g5
t
e4 1 8.
t
xe4 dxe4 1 9. xd8+
xd8! ? (1 9 . . . "xd8 20.
b1
W
d5 21 .
t
c1
c8 22.
W
d1 "c5 23.
t
b3
'
f5 i s al so
possi bl e, retai ni ng a dangerous i ni ti ati ve)
20. 'b1 l:c8 21 . "d1
t
c6 22. h5 a5! and
Bl ack's attack proved more real .
8 . . . Cxd5 9. xd5 exd5 1 0. a3
The game i s l evel .
1 3. e4 .g4 14. h3 .h5 1 5. g4 .g6
1 6. d2 f6
I f 1 6 . . . e8, then 1 7. Ag3 fol l owed by f2-f4
is possi bl e.
1 7. lc1
(see next diagram)
I n t hi s vari ati on 1 7.
t
c4
A
c7 1 8. Axe?
'xc7 1 9. f4 is more often pl ayed. The
game Pel l eti er -Ubi l ava (Spai n 2000) con
Sharper pl ay resul ts from 1 0. Ad3 Ab4+ ti nued: 19 . . . Af7! 20. c1
h8 21 . b4
A
xc4
1 1 . 'e2
t
c6 1 2. "c2 h6 1 3. l:hd1 wi th 22. l:xc4, and here i nstead of 22 . . .
W
d6
strong pressure i n the centre, al though Bl ack coul d have pl ayed 22 . . . "b6! wi th
Whi te' s unshel tered ki ng nevert hel ess strong counterpl ay i n connecti on wi th . . .
gi ves hi m some probl ems. a7-a5 (Dautov) .
Chapter 1

a D O d e f Q h
b b
a D O d e f Q h
1 7 . . . h8 1 8. c4 /c7 1 9. /xc7 Yxc7
20. f4 ae8
20 . . . Af7! was stronger.
21 . Yf3 Ye7 22. ce1 lf7 23. d2!
A subtl e move, maki ng way for the bi shop.
6
a D O d e f
Z Z
Q h
7
A A w $A A
b
&
b
4 l
2
T
23 . . . g5!
a D O
A

3 W

d e f Q h
6
7
b
b
4
2
T
Sensi bl e prophyl axi s. Bl ack sets up a
barri er on the di stant approaches to hi s
ki ng. Wi th passi ve pl ay the pawn offensi ve
coul d have become very dangerous: 23 . . .
a6 24. h4! h6 25. g5! fxg5? 26. hxg5 hxg5
27. 'h3+
<
g8 28. e5 g6 29. e6! and White
wi ns the bi shop (29 . . . Axe6 30. fxe6).
24. /bS a6?
I n vi ew of the weakeni ng of the ki ngsi de,
i t was essenti al to cover the f6-square -
24 . . . Ag6! , preventi ng Whi te's manoeuvre
whi ch he carri ed out i n the game. Then
25. Axc6 bxc6 i s poi ntl ess, si nce the pawn
breakthrough 26. f5 Af7 27. e5?
A
dS i s to
Bl ack' s advantage. He al so has a sound
posi ti on after 25. 'g3 'c5 or 25. 'd3 fd8.
25. /xc6 bxc6 26. fxg5 fxg5 27. Yf6+!
At that ti me Carl sen was al ready noted
for hi s practi cal approach. I f he sees real
chances in an endgame, he i s prepared to
be sati sfi ed with a smal l advantage.
6
7
b
4
a D O
2
d e f Q h
a D O d e f Q h
27 . . . g8?
b
b
4
Short was cl earl y rattl ed. Otherwi se how
can i t be expl ai ned that he gave up the d4-
pawn, and then ' asked' to go i nto an end
game. After 27 . . . 'xf6 28. fxf6 c5 29. e5!
(29. fef1
<
g7 30. fxa6 fb8 31 . fa7
<
g8
32. e5! fxb2 33.
t
e4 Ag6 i s not so cl ear)
29 . . . fe7 (wi th the i dea of 30. fxa6 ffe8,
si nce otherwi se Whi te wi l l pi ck up the
a6-pawn for free) 30.
t
f3 feB 31 . d6!
a5 32. fc1 White fi xes al l the opponent's
weaknesses.
28. Yxd4 c5 29. Yf6 Yxf6 30. xf6
White is a pawn up wi th the better posi -
O
M. Carl sen - N. Short
ti on. Magnus conducts the techni cal phase 36. Ec1 Eb3 37. f2 c3
i mpeccabl y.
30 J !b8 31 .
f3 fxb2 32.
xg5 Aa2 The pawn capture 37 . . . fxa3 38. fa1 c3

33. xf8+
xf8 34.
xh7+ <e7 35.
g5 c4 39. <e3 l eads to a mortal pi n.

a D O d e f Q h
38. e5 Exa3 39. e4 c2 40. Exc2 Exh3
U 6
7
7
s @ 6
b
:
b
4
/ /
4
2
a D O d e f Q h
Bl ack's l ast hope is hi s passed pawn. But
Magnus i s vi gi l ant.
41 . Ec7+ d8 42. Ea7 Ac4 43. g5 Eh4
44. d6 Ae6 45. g6
Here the curtai n coul d have been l owered.
45 . . . Eg4 46. g7 a5 47. f3 Eg1
48. b7+ e8 49. c5 Af7 50. e4
Exg7 51 . d6+ f8 52. Ea8+ e7
53. f5+ d7 54. Ea7+
Bl ack resi gned.
Chapter 2
DO WBg O DO OQ
The chess festi val in the town of Drammen, not far from Osl o, was a notabl e event i n
Norway. Just thi nk, 500 pl ayers, di vi ded i nto 1 0 tournaments, the mai n of whi ch was
the Dram men Smartfi sh Masters (FI DE category 1 4), were i nvi ted to greet the New Year
2005 i n a fri endl y atmosphere. How coul d thei r i dol refuse such an i nvi tati on? Of course,
Magnus pl ayed, but somehow superfi ci al ly. In the very fi rst round, agai nst the Dani sh
grandmaster Peter Hei ne Ni el sen, wel l -known for hi s hi gh-qual i ty openi ng knowl edge
(he had worked wi th none other than Anand), he pl ayed, so to speak, ' at si ght' .
P. H. Ni elsen M. Carlsen
Drammen 2004/2005
1 . f3 f6 2. c4 c6 3. d4 d5 4. c3
dxc4 5. a4 .f5 6. e5 bd7 7. xc4
'c7 8. g3 e5 9. dxe5 xe5 1 0 . .f4
6
5
b C
4
/ :
3
:
2
_
d U f
Q h
8
AAA
7
4
/
3

2
1 0 B fg4?! 1 1 . f3 g5! ?
But thi s i s al ready hi s own home prepa
rati on, si nce Morozevi ch's cont i nuati on
11 . . .'e7 12. fxg4 td3+ 13. 'xd3 Axd3
14. td6+ d7 1 5. 0-0-0 l ed to seri ous
probl ems. However, the attempt to rehabi l i
tate the i dea of the pi ece sacri fi ce proves
unsound .
12. fxg4 gxf4 1 3. xe5 'xe5 14. gxf5
.c5 1 5. 'c2
By pl ayi ng 1 5. 'd3! Ni el sen coul d have
pl aced Bl ack i n a cri ti cal positi on. Now,
however, he gai ns defi ni te counterpl ay.
1 5 B 0-0-0 16. 'e4 fxg3 17 . .g2 'd6
In thi s tabiya of the Sl av Defence, where 1 8. 'd3 'f4?
b C d U f Q h
si nce the 1 930s 1 0 . . Jd8 1 1 . 'b3 tfd7
has been pl ayed, Magnus surpri sed the 18 . . . 'f6 was correct.
openi ng encycl opaedi st wi th an eccentri c
i dea, whi ch shortl y before he had seen i n 1 9. 'xg3 'd2+ 20. f1 'xb2 21 . J:b1
an I nternet game of Al exander Morozevi ch. 'xb1 + 22. xb1 J:d1+ 23. 'e1 J:hd8
Bl ack i s ready to sacri fi ce a kni ght wi th the 24 .e4, and White converted hi s extra
aim of keepi ng the white ki ng in the centre. pi ece.
O
M. Ca|| sen - A. Sh| |Ov
However, every cl oud has a si l ver l i ni ng! Ni el sen began taki ng a cl oser l ook at Magnus
(they had al ready pl ayed si x months earl i er i n the Si geman tournament) and he soon
become hi s mentor. Tal ki ng about Ni el sen, i t shoul d be menti oned that the Dane had
absorbed many of the methods of the Sovi et chess school . I t was no acci dent that
Garry Kasparov named hi m as one of the trai ners who woul d hel p in the devel opment
of Carl sen's openi ng repertoi re.
As regards Magnus' s further pl ay i n the Drammen tournament, the casual start di d
not bri ng any benefi t. I n the 3rd round he was ' puni shed' for hi s superfi ci al pl ay i n the
openi ng by the 73-year-ol d veteran Vi ctor Korchnoi . Then came openi ng di sasters
agai nst Johannessen and Maci ej a, whi ch demonstrated the i nadequacy of hi s ' bl ack'
repertoi re. The resul t was a share of l ast pl ace wi th the l ady worl d champi on Antoan
eta Stefanova. Some consol ati on was provi ded by hi s onl y wi n, over Al exey Shi rov.
True, thi s was not wi thout the hel p of the el ite grandmaster, who fai l ed to wi thstand
Magnus's 'caval i er' attack. Thi s wi n al l owed Peter Hei ne Ni el sen to catch Shi rov and
share 1 st-2nd pl aces wi th hi m. The two Scandi navi ans then travel l ed together to the
tournament i n Wij k aan Zee.
Game 9
M. Carlsen
AB Shi rov
Drammen 2004/2005
Ruy Lopez [ C95}
1. e4 e5 2. f3 c6 3. Ab5 a6 4. Aa4
lf6 5. 0-0 Ae7 6. ie1 b5 7. Ab3 0-0
8. c3 d6 9. h3 b8
b C d U f Q h
W X
-
7
3
&
s
s
5
4
4
:
2 -
:
z
-:`
b C d U f Q h
The ul tra-sol i d Breyer Vari ati on.
10. d4 bd7 1 1 . bd2 Ab7 12. Ac2
e8 13. f1 Af8 14. g3 g6 1 5. b3 c6
OT
Bl ack prevents the d4-d5 advance, whi ch
i s possi bl e after the automati c fi anchetto
of the bi shop - 1 5 . . . Ag7 1 6. d5 'e? 1 7. c4,
when White gai ns a spati al advantage.
16. Ag5 Ag7
The preparatory 1 6 . . . h6 came i nto consi d
erati on, to drive the bi shop from i ts acti ve
positi on.
1 7. 'd2 'c7
The tradi ti onal ' Spani sh' post for t he
queen, but i n recent years Bl ack has al so
pl ayed 17 . . . 'e?, a keen advocate of whi ch
i s Kri shnan Sasi ki ran. For exampl e, one
of hi s recent games, agai nst Bauer i n the
2008 French Team Champi onshi p, con
ti nued 1 8. a4 'f8 1 9. Ad3 d5! ? 20. dxe5
txe5 21 . txe5 xe5 22. Af4 ee8 23. e5
td7 with doubl e-edged pl ay.
18. a4
(see next diagram)
Chapte|2 The WaytO the TOp
b C d U f Q h
-

-
7
@
W
@ @
7
-

&
-
s

.
s
-
/ //
-
3
/ .'!
3
2
.\ / /
2
1 _

b C d U f Q h
a b C
-
7
@
- @
-
/
3
/ /
d U f Q h
&
@
W .

/
2
5 / /
1 _ _
b C d U f Q h
-
7
-
s
4
3
2
1 8 . dS
and by expl oi ti ng the pi n, Whi te wi ns
Thi s l eads to the openi ng of the posi ti on, pi ece: 27. f4 tc4 28. fxe6 txd2 29. fxe8
whi ch al l ows Whi te, thanks to the acti ve fxe8 30. fxb7.
pl aci ng of hi s pi eces, to devel op an at-
24 f4 Ye7 2s. Eea
tack on the ki ngsi de. 1 8 . . . fad8 fol l owed
by . . . tf8 or the i mmedi ate 1 8 . . . tf8 was Wi th the threat of 26. tf5 gxf5 27. fg3+.
more sol i d, after whi ch Carl sen was i n-
2S . . . f8
tendi ng 1 9. b4 and then b3, trai ni ng hi s
bi shop on f7.
b C d U f Q h
-
1 9. dxeS xeS
After the compl ete openi ng of the centre -
1 9 . . . txe4 20. Axe4 dxe4 21 . txe4 txe5
22. txe5 Axe5 - Bl ack has to reckon wi th
23. tf6+ Axf6 24. Axf6, when it is not easy
for hi m to defend on the ki ngsi de.
20. xeS YxeS 21 . Af4
I n the event of 21 . f4 Vc7 22. e5 td7 the
bi shop at g5 proves to be out of pl ay.
21 . B . Ye6 22. eS d7 23. Ah6
(see next diagram)
23 . . . Ah8
The attempt to wi n a pawn - 23 . . . bxa4
(23 . . . txe5? 24. Axg7 rxg7 25. f4 1 oses the
kni ght) 24. bxa4 txe5 25. Axg7 rxg7 i s
parried by the i nterposi ti on 26. fab1 ! fab8,
OZ
@
@-
=
A
7
@ -
26. Ef1 ?!
A natural move, and an i ndi cati on of the
defi ci enci es i n the young grandmaster's
' school i ng' . The attack shoul d be com
bi ned wi th prophyl axi s agai nst possi bl e
counterpl ay by the opponent. I t was correct
fi rst to restri ct Bl ack' s pl ay on the queen
si de by 26. b4! ? wi th the possi bl e conti nu
ati on 26 . . . c5 27. fae1 bxa4?! 28. Axa4
A. Sh| |ON

fec8 29. Ag5! ? (thi s is stronger than 29. f5
cxb4 30. cxb4 fc4) 29 . . . e6 30. bxc5.
But for the moment doubts are somethi ng
unfami l i ar to Magnus, and he l aunches an
attack on the ki ng, i ndi cati ng hi s readi ness
to sacri fi ce a whol e rook.
26 . . . cs 27. f5?!
Thi s di rect attack i s parri ed by counterpl ay
i n the centre, a fact admitted by Carl sen
hi mself, who consi ders the correct move
to be the prophyl acti c 27. ffe1 ! ?.
27 . . . d4
Without the sl i ghtest doubts! The e5-pawn
is 'poisoned' because of the pin on the bi sh
op-27 . . . Axe5?! 28. Axf8 c7 (28 . . . fxf8?
l oses to the i nterposi ti on 29. f6, casti ng
a mati ng net around the ki ng: 29 . . . d6
30. gxe5 xe5 31 . h6) . But now Whi te
forces the transi ti on i nto a cl earl y favour
abl e endgame: 29. fxe5 xe5 30. h6
e3+ 31 . h2 xh6 32. Axh6 (vari ati on
by Carl sen) .
28. cxd4 cxd4 29. fxg6?!
A conti nuati on of the previ ousl y cal cul ated
l i ne. It was not yet too l ate to ' cal l a hal t' -
29. xd4 Axe5.
29 . . . hxg6?!
The energeti c acti ons of hi s young oppo
nent so i mpressed the experi enced fi ghter
Shi rov, who hi msel f had gai ned numerous
wi ns wi th a di rect attack on the ki ng, that
he fl i nched and coul d not bri ng hi msel f to
go in for the cri ti cal conti nuati on 29 . . . dxe3!
30. gxh7+ txh7 31 . e2.
. . .
1 '. "
A
8
[:
[: ljl:
A V [:
1
Analysis diagram
However, the threat of 32. g4+ can be
parri ed, and White does not have compen
sati on for the sacri fi ced rook, si nce he has
to reckon wi th the advance of the e3-pawn.
Carl sen gi ves the fol l owi ng vari ati ons:
a) 31 . . . xe5 32. g4+ Ag7 (the pi n al
l ows White to regai n one of the pi eces)
O
33. Axh7+ h8 (if 33 . . . xh7? there
is 34. fxf7, when 34 . . . xh6? fai l s to
35. tf5+), and Whi te's attack suffi ces
onl y to save the game: 34. tf5 Axh6
35. txh6 fe7 (or 35 . . . Ad5 36. h4 g7
37. txf7+ Axf7 38. Ag6+ g8 39. Axf7+
xf7 40. fxf7 xf7 41 . f4+, forci ng a
draw by perpetual check) 36. h4 e2
37. txf7+ fxf7 38. Ag6+ g8 39. Axf7+
f8 40. h6+ e7 41 . h4+ f8
42. h6+ wi th perpetual check;
b) 31 . . . Axe5! ? (vacati ng a square for the
ki ng) 32. Axh7+ (32. g4+ h8 33. tf5
fg8) 32 . . . xh7 33. h5 e2 34. txe2
g8 and Whi te' s attack comes to a
standsti l l .
30. f5?
Carl sen cannot stop hi msel f, but thi s reck
l ess kni ght sacri fi ce shoul d have l ed to de
feat. Therefore he shoul d have retreated hi s
rook - 30. fe2 (weaker i s 30. xd4 Axe5),
i ntendi ng after 30 . . . Axe5 the exchangi ng
operati on 31 . Axf8 xf8 32. fxe5 fxe5
33. Axg6 Ad5 34. th5.
30 . . . gxf5 31 . g3+ g6 32. Axf5
Chapte|2 The WaytOtheTOp
b C d U f Q h
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32 . . . Wxe5?!
After 32 . . . AxeS! 33. gg4 d6 34. d3
Ac8! 35. gxg6+ fxg6 36. Axg6 Ad? Whi te's
hopes woul d have been dashed. But even
after the text move it i s not easy for hi m to
save the game.
33. Eg4 Ag7 34. Axg6 fxg6 35. xg6
Ee7 36. Ef4
b C d U f Q h
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36 Ae4??
In the ti me scrambl e Shi rov overl ooks an
i nterposi ti on, l eadi ng to hi s defeat. The
bi shop manoeuvre was good onl y after
the i ncl usi on of 36 . . . gf8, whi ch woul d
have forced the exchange on g7, si nce if
37. gxd4 Ae4! 38. ggs Bl ack has 38 . . . gfs.
37. Eg5! We6 38. Axg7
Bl ack resi gned.
In 2005 the compositi on of the B Tournament at the famous festival in Wij k aan Zee was
sel ected especi al l y careful l y by the organi sers, who were abl e to ensure a sol i d FI DE
category 1 3. More than hal f of the parti ci pants comprised the most promi si ng young
pl ayers of that ti me. There were the recent prodi gi es Sergey Karjaki n and Magnus
Carl sen, who were meeti ng for the fi rst ti me, and some sl i ghtl y ol der pl ayers: Shakhri
yar Mamedyarov, I van Chepari nov, Dani el Stel lwagen, Jan Smeets, Al ejandro Rami rez
and Al exandra Kosteni uk - al l grandmasters. I n short, in such a youth parade a good
performance was a matter of presti ge! Magnus arrived at the tournament not onl y ful l y
prepared in the openi ngs, but al so wi th a more pragmati c approach. Even hi s entourage
had changed. Al exandra Kosteni uk made this curi ous observati on: 'The numerous snacks
and dri nks had di sappeared from hi s tabl e, and in Wij k aan Zee I never saw hi m weari ng
hi s favourite trai ners. ' What tol d was the favourabl e i nfl uence of Peter Hei ne Ni el sen,
who was pl ayi ng al ongsi de. Everyone saw how much he chatted wi th Carl sen duri ng
wal ks together. Outwardly, because of the difference i n thei r wei ght categori es, thi s pai r
l ooked very eccentric and provoked smi l es on the faces of passers-by.
But l et' s return to the chess i tsel f. Magnus' s pl ay was rather restrai ned: after wi nni ng
i n the 2nd round agai nst Kosteni uk, he proceeded cauti ousl y, as though awaiti ng hi s
O
|. Chepa|| nON M. Ca|| sen
opportunity. And after a seri es of seven draws the Norwegi an as though gai ned hi s
second wi nd and powerful l y attacked the ki ngs of Chepari nov and Ni kol i c. Moreover,
the attack agai nst the experi enced Bosni an grandmaster was awarded the spectators'
dai l y pri ze. Unfortunatel y, after j oi ni ng the l eadi ng group, Magnus ran out of steam and
l ost hi s two remai ni ng games. The resul t was onl y a modest 7th pl ace. Fi rst pri ze and
an i nvi tati on to the A Tournament the fol l owi ng year was won by Sergey Karjaki n, who
achi eved an excel l ent resul t - 9% out of 1 3.
There was reason for hi m to be di stressed - progress t o hi gher soci ety had to be
deferred for another year.
Game 1 0
I. Chepari nov - M. Carl sen
Wij k aan Zee B 2005
1. e4 c5 2. f3 c6 3. d4 cxd4
4. txd4 f6 5. c3 e5
The Chel yabi nsk Vari ati on assumed an
honourabl e pl ace in Magnus' s openi ng
arsenal , and he soon became famed as
one of its mai n experts.
6. tdb5 d6 7. Ag5 a6 8. a3 b5 9. Axf6
gxf6 10. d5 Ag7 1 1 . Ad3 e7 12. xe7
'xe7 13. c4 f5 14. 0-0 0-0
b C d U f
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15. cxb5?!
A poor move, al l owi ng Bl ack a pawn centre,
whi ch in such a dynami c posi ti on i s more
i mportant than the sacri fi ced pawn.
The mai n conti nuati ons are 1 5. Yf3 and
1 5. 'h5, forci ng Bl ack to rel i eve the pawn
tensi on, whi ch i s i mportant in the fi ght for
the d5-square.
1 5 . . . d5 1 6. exd5 e4 1 7. 'e2 Eb8
17 . . . 'b4 1 8. Ac4 'xb2 1 9. tc2 axb5
20. fab1 'f6 21 . fxb5 f4 (Rogozenko) al so
came i nto consi derati on. The acti ve pawn
pai r gi ves Bl ack compensati on for the sac
ri fi ced materi al (for exampl e, if 22. 'xe4?!
there is 22 . . . Af5 23. 'e2 f3).
OO
18. Eab1
b C d U f Q h
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1 8 . . . Eb6!
A typi cal trait of the young Carl sen was that
he al ways had hi s eye on the opponent's
ki ng. Wi th the vi gorous rook manoeuvre to of hi s pi eces is i l l ustrated by the fol l owi ng
the ki ngsi de he, as they say, takes the bul l vari ati on: 21 . bxa6? Axa6 22. fd1 Ah6
by the horns - the ki ng wi l l have no peace. 23. We1 xg2+! (now thi s sacri fi ce i s ap
1 9. 'e3 Jg6 20. Jc2
White pi ns hi s hopes on the b-pawn, si nce
after 20. bxa6 it i s not possi bl e to expl oit
the passed a-pawn. I n vi ew of the fact that
the g2-pawn is i nadequatel y defended, i n
many vari ati ons Bl ack i s practi cal l y guar
anteed perpetual check by a rook sacri
fi ce: 20 . . . Wh4 21 . a? Ad4 (wi th the i dea
of 22. Wxd4 xg2+) 22. a8W (22. Wg3
Wxg3 23. hxg3 Axa7 24. Ac2 e3 is ri sky
for White) 22 . . . Axe3 23. fxe3 exd3 24. f2
(if 24. Wa7 there is 24 . . . xg2+ 25. 'xg2
Wg4+) 24 . . . We? - Bl ack retai ns the i niti ative
and i s threateni ng not onl y the e3-pawn,
but al so the move . . . Ab7.
The passive 20. fd1 We5 21 . Af1 al l ows
Bl ack to bui l d up a dangerous attack: 21 . . .
f4 22. Wc3 Wh5.
20 'h4
8
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21 . b6
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f g h
Thi s l one pawn hardl y has any future, but
it i s not easy for White to choose a sound
pl an, whereas Bl ack i s ready to add fuel to
hi s attack. For exampl e, the l atent acti vi ty
propri ate) 24. 'xg2 Wg4+ 25. 'h1 Wf3+
26. 'g1 Ae2! and Bl ack has set up a mati ng
constructi on. If 21 . fd1 White has to reckon
with the advance of the f-pawn - 21 . . . e8
22. d6 f4. He is al so unabl e to set up a
bl ockade by 21 . f4 on account of 21 . . . exf3
22. Wxf3 Ae5 23. h3 g3 24. We2 Wxh3 etc.
21 . . . h8!?
By i ncl udi ng his second rook in the attack
al ong the g-fi l e, Magnus demonstrates that
he is not thi nki ng about a draw, whi ch he
coul d have forced by 21 . . . Ad4 22. Wxd4
xg2+ 23. 'xg2 Wg4+.
22. c4 JgS
The murderous . . . Ad4 i s threatened.
O
23. g3 'h3 24. Jfd1
A useful move, at the same ti me vacati ng
a square for the ki ng. I f 24. Wd2 there fol
l ows 24 . . . f4! wi th the threat of 25 . . . h6 (the
i mmedi ate 24 . . . h6 i s parri ed by 25. f4) .
24. f4?! i mmedi atel y is not good because
of 24 . . . Af8! wi th the threats of . . . Ac5 and
. . . xg3.
24 Jh6 25. 'f4
b C d U f g h
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b C d U f g h
M. Ca|| sen P. N| kO| | O
25 At6? 33. g1 . Now, however, White is doomed.
26 B Axe5 27. 'xe5+ f6 28. 'f4 Eg4
A carel ess move, whi ch coul d have cost
Bl ack the frui ts of hi s efforts. He shoul d There was a qui cker wi n by 28 . . . aS! 29. b4
have i ncl uded the other bi shop i n the at- axb4 30. xb4 Aa6 wi th the threat of pl ay
tack by pl ayi ng 25 . . . aS! , when it i s doubtful i ng the bi shop to f3.
whether Whi te can prevent the devel op-
29 Wc7 EgS 30 Ee1
ment of the bi shop at a6. For exampl e:
26. b4 Ac3 27. bxaS (27. bS? h4) 27 . . . Aa6 There i s no way of savi ng the game. 30. b7
28. Ab3 h4 (i n the event of 28 . . . 'xh2+ does not work because of 30 . . . Axb7
29. f1 c8 30. e2 xc4 31 . Axc4 Axc4+ 31 . 'xb7 e3! wi th unavoi dabl e mate. I f
32. e3 'hS 33. e1 d6 34. bc1 ! Bl ack's 30. 'f4, then 30 . . . aS! is deci si ve.
attack comes to a standsti l l ) 29. 'xh4
(29. e3? xh2+ l eads to mate) 29 . . . xh4,
wi nni ng the queen.
Whi te i s obl i ged to throw cauti on to
the wi nds: 26. d6 Aa6 27. b3 e3! 28. d3
(evi dentl y the onl y move, si nce 28. Ad3?
i s bad: 28 . . . e2 29. d7 'xh2+ 30. f1 e2+!
31. xe2 e6+ 32. <d3 'g2 33. 'xfS
ff6, and Bl ack wi ns the queen) 28 . . . 'xh2+
29. f1 wi th sharp pl ay, where Whi te i s
apparentl y abl e to defend. Here are some
sampl e vari ati ons:
a) 29 . . . e8 30. xe3 'h1 + 31 . e2 'c6
32. d2 Axd3 33. Axd3 xd6 34. 'xfS
g8 3S. e2, and the white pi eces are
excel l entl y coordi nated;
b) 29 . . . exf2 30. 'xf2 (30. d7?! 'g1 +
31 . e2 e6+ i s dangerous for Whi te,
whi l e i f 32. e3 or 32. e3 there fol l ows
32 . . . Ah6) 30 . . . 'xf2+ 31 . xf2 h2+
32. g1 xc2 33. d7 Af6 34. e1 , and
Whi te's passed pawns compensate for
the l ost pi ece.
26. e5?
After 26. b7! Axb7 27. d6 'xh2+ 28. f1
Bl ack's attack woul d have come to a stand
sti l l , for exampl e: 28 . . . g7 29. xf5 (or
29. xfS Ae7! 30. xb7?! f6) 29 . . . 'h1 +
30. e2 'h5+ 31 . g4 xg4 32. 'xh6 WxfS
O1
30 . . . 'xh2+ 31 . <t1 'h1 + 32. <e2
'f3+ 33. <d2 'xf2+ 34. <d1 f4
35. 'c3 fxg3 36. Axe4 Ag4+ 37. <c1
leS
White resi gned.
Game 1 1
M. Carlsen P. Nikolic
Wi jk aan Zee B 2005
French Defence [COB]
1 . e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. d2 c5 4. exd5
exd5 5. gf3
a b C d U I Q h
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a b C d U f Q h
5 c4!?
The experi enced Ni kol i c ai ms to neutral i se
the frui ts of hi s young opponent's home
Chapte|2 TheWaytOtheTOp
preparati on and he avoi ds posi ti ons with an
i sol ated d5-pawn. Another versi on of thi s
i dea - 5 . . . tc6 6. Ab5 c4 - has i ts speci al
features, si nce White has determi ned the
posi ti on of hi s l i ght-square bi shop.
6. b3 cxb3 7. axb3
A pragmati c approach to the choi ce of
move, t ypi cal of pl ayers of the com
put er generat i on. Magnus prefers a
sound move, and decl i nes to enter a
di scussi on i nvol vi ng t he i ntermedi ate
exchange of the l i ght- square bi shops
after 7. Ab5+ Ad7 8. We2+ We7 9. Axd7+
txd7 1 0. axb3, whi ch had occurred i n
several of Ni kol i c' s games. For exam
pl e, t he game Adams - Ni kol i c ( Neum
2002) conti nued 1 0 . . . f 6 1 1 . tf1 Wxe2+
1 2. xe2 Ad6 1 3. Ce3 Ce7 1 4. Aa3
Axa3 1 5. Zxa3 f7 1 6. te1 tf8 1 7. td3
te6 1 8. c3 Zhd8 1 9. d2 tc6 20. Zd1
Zac8 %-%.
Apart from t he exchange of t he l i ght
square bi shops, al so of i nterest i s t he
pract i cal l y unexpl ored 7 . . . tc6! ?, not
feari ng the swi ft attack suggested hal f
a cent ury ago by I gor Bondarevsky:
8. We2+ Ae7 9. te5! (not hi ng i s gi ven
by 9. axb3 tf6 1 0. Aa3 0-0 1 1 . Axc6
Axa3 1 2 . Zxa3 Wd6 1 3 . Za5 Wxc6=) .
The best here i s 9 . . . We?! ( i t i s i mpor
tant to defend the kni ght, not forgetti ng
about the defence of the bi shop on e7)
1 0. axb3 (thi s is stronger than 1 0. c4 tf6
1 1 . Axc6+ bxc6 1 2. axb3 0-0 1 3. 0-0
c5= or 1 0. tdf3 f6! ? 1 1 . Axc6+ bxc6
1 2. Cd3 bxc2=) 1 0 . . . tf6 1 1 . Axc6+! ? (or
1 1 . Aa3 0-0 1 2. Axc6 Axa3 1 3. Zxa3
bxc6 1 4. 0-0 c5=) 1 1 . . . bxc6 1 2. 0-0 0-0
1 3. Ze1 Ze8, and Bl ack, al ternati ng the
i deas . . . Ae7-b4 and . . . c6-c5, obtai ns
good pl ay.
a b C d U f Q h

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a b C d U f Q h
7 . . . .b4
Thi s bi shop manoeuvre was acti vel y em
pl oyed by Davi d Bronstei n. 7 . . . Ad6 8. Ad3
te7 9. 0-0 0-0 1 0. Ze1 tbc6 1 ooks more
natural . For exampl e, the game Lebedev
Bronstei n (Moscow Champi onshi p 1 953)
conti nued 1 1 . c4 Ab4! (here thi s bi shop
manoeuvre effecti vel y counters the rook
move to e1 ) 1 2. \c2 tg6 1 3. Ab2 Ae6
1 4. Zad1 Wf6 1 5. Ze3 Ad6! 1 6. Wc3 tf4
wi th the i niti ati ve for Bl ack.
OC
After the modest move 1 1 . c3 Bl ack
compl etes hi s devel opment: 1 1 . . . Af5
1 2. tf1 Ze8, retai ni ng a sound posi ti on,
for exampl e: 13. Aa3 Axa3 14. Zxa3 Wd6
1 5. Za1 Wf6 1 6. te3 Axd3 1 7. Wxd3 a6
1 8. b4 ea? 1 9. te5 tb5 wi th the i dea of
. . . Zac8.
8. e5
I t i s hard to catch Carl sen unawares, even
in such a rare vari ati on. He i s fol l owi ng the
game Svi dl er-Korchnoi (Groni ngen 1 996).
Bl ack i s not caused any parti cul ar prob
l ems by 8. Ad3 te7 9. 0-0 tbc6 1 0. Aa3
0-0 or 8. Ab5+ Ad7 9. We2+ te7 1 0. 0-0
0-0 1 1 . Aa3 Axa3 1 2. Zxa3 tbc6.
8 . . . e7
M. Ca|| sen - P. N| kO| | O
Korchnoi pl ayed 8 . . . tf6 and after 9. Ad3 a) 1 3 . . . tg6 1 4. fh5 0-0 1 5. tb1 Ab4
0-0 1 0. 0-0 Ac3 1 1 . fa4 Ad? 1 2. txd7 1 6. c3 Ae7 1 7. f4 Wc8 1 8. f5! wi th an
tbxd7 1 3. tb1 Aa5 he mai ntained the bal
ance. But 1 0. Ab2! ? was possi bl y stronger.
9. Ad3 bc6 1 0. 0-0
One gai ns the i mpressi on that Magnus had
analysed thi s posi ti on at home, si nce he
i gnores the threat of . . . Ab4-c3 wi th the
wi n of a pawn (otherwi se he woul d have
pl ayed 1 0. Ab2) .
10 . . . Ac3
Bl ack accepts the chal l enge, al though hi s
retarded devel opment undoubtedl y puts
hi s ki ng i n a dangerous posi ti on. I t was not
yet too l ate to castl e - 1 0 . . . 0-0 1 1 . Ab2
wi th somewhat the better game for Whi te.
11. !:a4!
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11 . . . Axd4
I t l ooks provocati ve to pl ay 1 1 . . . Cxe5
12. dxe5 Ad? (or 12 . . . Axe5 1 3. fe1 Af6
14. Wh5 f8 1 5. tf3 g6 1 6. Wh6+ g8
17. Wf4 wi th the better chances for White)
13. lh4 (after the passive 1 3. fa2 tc6 Bl ack
has an easy game i n vi ew of the threat of
. . . tc6-b4), si nce the bl ack ki ng has not yet
castled. Here are a few variati ons:
i rresi sti bl e attack i n vi ew of 1 8 . . . Cxe5
1 9. f6. The tri ck 1 8 . . . Wc6, wi th the i dea
after 1 9. fxg6 fxg6 of trappi ng the rook,
al so does not save Bl ack i n vi ew of the
si mpl e 1 9. e6;
b) 13 . . . tc6 14. tf3 h6 1 5. Ad2 Axd2 (weak
er is 1 5 . . . Axe5 1 6. lh5 Af6 1 7. fxd5
Wc8 1 8. We2+ Ae6 1 9. We4 g6 20. Ac4
wi th advantage to White) 1 6. Wxd2 0-0
1 7. fe1 fe8 1 8. Wf4 (1 8. fxh6 txe5)
1 8 . . . Wa5 1 9. b4 Wb6 20. fxh6! gxh6
21 . Wxh6 td8 22. Wh7+ ( i t was not for
the sake of perpetual check - 22. Ah7+
h8 23. Ag6+ - that White sacri fi ced a
rook) 22 . . . f8 23. Wh8+ e7 24. Wh4+
f8 25. tg5 wi th a strong attack for
Whi te.
12. xc6 xc6 1 3. Aa3 Ae6 14. f3
Ab6?!
I t was essenti al to neutral i se the threats
on the a3-f8 di agonal , whi ch woul d have
been achi eved by 1 4 . . . Af6 1 5. le1 Ae7 .
O
1 5. 'a1 !
A subtl e manoeuvre, di spel l i ng Bl ack' s i l l u
si ons of hi di ng hi s ki ng on i ts own wi ng: if
1 5 . . .f6 there can fol l ow 1 6. fe1 f7 1 7. lf4
wi th the threat of tf3-g5+.
15 . . . Wc7 16. b4!
The attack on the ki ng was the 1 4-year-ol d
Carl sen' s natural el ement. He di d not pl ay
1 5. Wa1 in order to l i mit hi msel f to 1 6. Wxg7,
al though thi s al so gi ves a consi derabl e
advantage. Wi th the pawn thrust Magnus
warns hi s opponent about the danger of
castl i ng queensi de .
(see next diagram)
ap
The
tO
he
a b C d U f Q h
6
5
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a b
1 6 . . . f6
C d U f Q h
6
5
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Bl ack opts for artifi ci al castl i ng, real i si ng
that after 16 . . . 0-0 1 7. b5 le7 1 8. fe1 ! he
wi l l be unabl e to wi thstand White's dan
gerous i ni ti ati ve. For exampl e, 1 8 . . . Ac5
1 9. Ab2 'b6 20. fe2 f6 21 . Ad4 or
18 . . . ffe8 1 9. Ab2 lf5 20. g4 'c5 21 . fe2
lh6 22. Axg7 lxg4 23. Ad4 'd6 24. lxe6
wi th an obvi ous advantage to White i n both
vari ati ons.
Let us exami ne the dangers awaiti ng
Bl ack after 16 . . . 0-0-0 1 7. b5:
a) 17 . . . la5 1 8 . Ab2 f6 1 9. Ac3 lc4
20. Ad4 b8 ( i f 20 . . . 1a5 there fol l ows
21 . 'a2 and then 22. fa1 ) 21 . fe1 lhe8
22. fxa7! wi th a strong attack;
b) 17 . . . 1e7 1 8. Ac1 (or 1 8. fc1 b8 1 9. c4
dxc4 20. Axc4 'd7 21 . le5 'eB
22. Axe6 fxe6 23. lc4 Ad4 24. Ad6+
and White wi ns the exchange) 18 . . . lf5
(1 8 . . . 1g6 1 9. Ae3 Axe3 20. fxe3
'c5 21 . fxa7 'xe3+ 22. h1 'b6
23. lg5 wi th t he threats of 24. lxe6
and 24. lxf7) 1 9. Axf5 Axf5 20. Af4
Wc5 21 . Ae3 wi th an obvi ous advantage
to Whi te.
1 7. e1 'f7
I t woul d be wrong to cri ti ci se Ni kol i c for
thi s natural move. Bl ack' s posi ti on is so
compromised that it is al ready hard to offer
any good advi ce. Lev Psakhi s consi ders it
best to return the pawn - 1 7 . . . le5, but even
here Whi te's attack i s very strong: 1 8. lxe5
fxe5 1 9. b5! . An i mportant i nterposi ti on,
preventi ng cast l i ng, whi ch i s possi bl e, for
exampl e, in the event of 1 9. fxe5? 0-0! ,
and i f 20. lxe6 there i s 20 . . . Axf2+ 21 . h1
'd7, forki ng the rooks.
I I
AA' AA
j j
8 AA
J
J J
8 8 88
J
Analysis diagram
1 9 . . . Wf7 20. lxe5 (if 20. fe2 there can
fol l ow 20 . . . e4! ? 21 . Axe4 dxe4 22. faxe4
0-0-0 23. fxe6 Axf2+ 24. h1 Ad4, and
Bl ack somehow hol ds on) 20 . . . Axf2+
21 . h1 0-0-0 22. Ab2 wi th a dangerous
i niti ati ve for Whi te. We wi l l trust the two
ti mes USSR champi on Lev Psakhi s, an
expert on thi s openi ng, but al so enqui re
what Rybka t hi nks about i t. Its verdi ct i s
pessi mi sti c: 20 . . . Axf2+ 21 . h1 0-0-0
22. Ac1 ! lhf8 23. ff4 'd7 24. Wc3+ b8
25. Wb4! ff7 26. fxf7 Wxf7 27. Wf4! ?
(27. lxe6 Wxe6 28. Wf4+ a8 29. Wxf2
is al so good) 27 . . . Wxf4 28. Axf4 and Bl ack
cannot avoi d l oss of materi al .
19 . . . 0-0-0 20. lxe5 'f7 21 . We1 fhe8

22. Ac1 ! i s al so dangerous for Bl ack - on
the queensi de too hi s ki ng cannot fi nd
peace: 22 . . . b8 23. Af4 a8 24. 'a1 wi th
the threat of 25. lxa7+.
Fl eei ng wi th the ki ng to the queensi de
M. Ca||sen - P. N| kO|| O

is real i sti c after the si mpl i fi cati on rec
ommended by Andrey Devyat ki n: 1 9 . . .
e4! ? 20. Axe4 dxe4 21 . !axe4 0-0-0
22. xe6 !d2 23. !e8+ !xe8 24. !xe8+
d8 25. !xd8+ 'xd8, but after 26. 'c3+
b8 27. 'f3 he has to pl ay a di ffi cul t end
game a pawn down.
18. b5 as
Putti ng the kni ght out of pl ay l eads to a
rapi d defeat . But al so after the l ogi cal
18 . . . td8! ? White retai ns a dangerous at
tack. Here is a sampl e vari ati on: 1 9. 'd1
d7 20. !h4 g8 21 . td4 Axd4 22. !xd4.
19. 'd1 !
The queen has done excel l ent work on the
a1 -h8 di agonal and i t returns home i n order
to attack the ki ng on the l i ght squares. I n
the fi rst i nstance tg5+ i s threatened.
1 9 B!ae8
There i s no way of savi ng the game: 19 . . .
g 6 (1 9 . . . tc4 20. Af5! ) 20. tg5+! fxg5
21 . 'f3+ g7 22. Ab2+ d4 23. !xd4 Axd4
24. Axd4+ h6 25. h4 and Whi te wi ns.
a b C d U f g h
20. g5+! fxg5 21 . Wf3+ g8 22. lxe6
Bl ack resi gned.
The modest performance i n Wi j k aan Zee showed that the youngster needed ti me to
i mprove hi s pl ay. Carl sen took a ti me-out, probabl y the fi rst in hi s career. However, the
more than two months rest from tournaments was a weari some peri od for Magnus.
Strangel y enough, the break di d not benefit hi m, and a warm-up, pl anned on home
territory at the Gausdal Cl assi c Tournament (FI DE category 1 0), was frankl y a fai l ure.
Magnus started extremel y badl y - hal f a poi nt i n the fi rst four rounds, and he fi ni shed
in a share of 6th-8th pl aces. In a cl ass of hi s own was Sergey Ti vi akov, who scored 8%
poi nts out of 9. Magnus' s mood was i mproved by hi s parti ci pati on in a seri es of rapi d
pl ay tournaments wi th a 25-mi nute ti me control . The most presti gi ous of these was
the four-pl ayer Cui dad de Leon tournament in Spai n with the parti ci pati on of Anand,
Kasi mdzhanov and Shi rov. True, he di d not pl ay the l atter two, si nce i n the semi -fi nal
Carlsen l ost 1 -3 to Anand, but the fi rst meeti ng wi th one of the strongest pl ayers i n
t he worl d was undoubtedl y benefi ci al .
At the European Champi onshi p i n Warsaw, Magnus j usti fi ed the expectati ons of
hi s supporters, scori ng 8 poi nts from 1 3 games (+5 -2 =6) . In such a uni forml y strong
'Swi ss' , thi s coul d be consi dered a successful resul t for a 1 4-year-ol d grandmaster.
His performance in the doubl e-round tournament in Bi el wi th si x grandmasters (FI DE
category 1 6) was more modest. Magnus propped up the tournament tabl e wi th 4 poi nts
from 10 games, i n whi ch he di d not score a si ngl e wi n and suffered two defeats. Before
the next category 1 6 tournament, the Samba Cup in Denmark, Carl sen warmed up at
T
home in the Gausdal Bygger' n Masters (1 st pl ace - 8 poi nts out of 9) - and ' burned
hi msel f out' . There was no ti me to regai n hi s strength, si nce the Samba Cup started
the very next day. The tournament in Skanderborg fol l owed the same pattern as i n
Drammen: 8th pl ace out of 1 0 contestants was undoubtedl y a fai l ure for Carl sen. The
onl y fai nt consol ati on was a wi n over the fi rst pri ze-wi nner, Baadur Jobava.
These set-backs can hardl y have been conducive to a good mood before the mai n
tournament of the year - the Worl d Cup i n Khanty- Mansi ysk. I f one sums up the seri es
of fai l ures, begi nni ng wi th the Spani sh team champi onshi p on the eve of 2005, where
Magnus suffered four defeats, the pi cture was depressi ng, and the fai l ures in hi s nati ve
Scandi navi a were especi al l y unpl easant: the Drammen, Gausdal Cl assi c and Samba
Cup tournaments. Less than a month remai ned to prepare for the Worl d Cup.
I n youth, whi ch i s typi fi ed by opti mi sm, i t i s easi er to heal one' s wounds.
Game 1 2
M. Carl sen - K. Lie
Gausdal 2005
King's Indian Defence [E62]
Thi s game is i nteresti ng for Carl sen' s ap
proach to the sol vi ng of openi ng probl ems
i n a non-standard si tuati on, and al so the
conversi on of a mi ni mal advantage i n an
endgame wi th opposi te-col our bi shops
wi th rooks.
1 . d4 f6 2. f3 g6 3. g3 .g7 4 . .g2
0-0 5. 0-0 d6 6. c4 c6
A rare branch of the Ki ng's I ndi an Defence,
where Bl ack attacks not the d4-pawn, but
the c4-pawn.
7. c3 'b6 8. h3 Wa6 9. b3 b5
jseenextd|ag|am)
1 0 . .g5!?
On encounteri ng a comparati vel y rare vari
ati on, Carl sen deci des to fi ght for the i ni ti a
ti ve from the very fi rst moves. He sacri fi ces
a pawn, hopi ng to expl oi t the retarded de
vel opment of the bl ack pi eces. Especi al l y
si nce experi ence of pl ayi ng thi s posi ti on i n
Z
a b C d U f g h
Z A
& &
6
W |&,&
5
&
|
4
/ /
3
/( /
/ /!
1
a b C d U f g h
6
5
4
3
2
1
a routi ne manner i ndi cates that Bl ack has
qui te good counterpl ay. For exampl e, the
attempt to attack the b5-pawn - 1 0. cxb5
cxb5 1 1 . Wd3 - achi eves i ts ai m onl y after
the awkward 1 1 . . . Ad7 1 2. Ag5! , when the
bi shop on d7 merel y hi nders Bl ack i n com
pl eti ng the devel opment of hi s queensi de,
whi l e at the same ti me the exchange on f6
fol l owed by td5 i s threatened. But 1 1 . . .
b4 i s far stronger, and the attempt to get
at the rook on a8 - 1 2. te1 - i s parri ed by
1 2 . . . Axh3! 1 3. Axh3 (the mass el i mi na
ti on 1 3. Axa8 Axf1 l eads to the l oss of
a pawn) 13 . . . bxc3 14. Ag2 d5 wi th good
pl ay for Bl ack.
M. Ca|| sen - K. L| e
The mai n conti nuati on i s consi dered
to be 1 0. td2 bxc4 1 1 . txc4 Ae6, where
Bl ack has qui te good counterpl ay. I n hi s
ti me Magnus' s trai ner Agdestei n became
aware of thi s i n a game wi th Kl aus Bi schoff
(Dortmund 1 987), whi ch conti nued 1 2. te3
tbd7 1 3. Ab2 .fc8 1 4 . .c1 .ab8 1 5. d2
Cb6 1 6. f4 c5 1 7. d5 Ad7 1 8 . .a1 as wi th
active pl ay for Bl ack.
10 B . B bxc4 1 1 . bxc4 Wxc4 12. !c1 .a6
White's pl ans i ncl ude e2-e4 fol l owed by
tc3-d5. Therefore i t i s useful to cl ari fy the
i ntenti ons of the acti ve bi shop on g5 - 1 2 . . .
h6! ?, whi ch i s usual l y practi sed i n Ki ng's
I ndi an set-ups. Now it is i l l ogi cal to pl ay
1 3. Axf6 Axf6 1 4. te4 xa2 1 5. txf6+
exf6, si nce the posi ti on i s si mpl i fied, and i t i s
not easy for White to breach the bl ack pawn
barri cade. I gor Stohl consi ders 1 3. Ad2
'e6 1 4 . .e1 tbd7 (1 4 . . . Aa6 1 5. e4 .c8 i s
al so possi bl e, but not 15 . . . Ac4?! because
of 1 6. e5! th7 1 7. exd6 xd6 1 8. te4 d5
1 9. te5) 1 5. e4 tb6 1 6. e5 tfd5 1 7. txd5
cxd5, and here 18 . .c7 retai ns the i ni ti a
ti ve for Whi te.
13. !e1
The onl y known game at t hat t i me,
Berkes-Stokke (Stockhol m 2003), con
ti nued 13. e4 h6 1 4. Ad2 e5 1 5. dxe5 dxe5
16. td5 cxd5?! (an i nsuffi ci entl y j usti fi ed
queen sacri fi ce; Bl ack shoul d have deci ded
on 1 6 . . . xa2, when al l Whi te can do i s
force a draw - 1 7 . .a1 b2 1 8 . .b1 a2)
17 . .xc4 Axc4 1 8. txe5! Axf1 1 9. xf1
Cxe4? (1 9 . . . dxe4) 20. Ab4 .d8 21 . txf7!
Cc6 22. txd8 .xd8 23. Aa5 1 -0.
13 . . . Wb4 1 4. e4
jseenextd|ag|am)
a b C d U f g h
14 . . . e5?
Understandabl y, Bl ack is ti red of bei ng un
der pressure, but i f he di d not l i ke 14 . . . .:d8
1 5. d2 wi th the threat of 1 6. td5, then
14 . . . h6 1 5. Ad2 b6 woul d have enabl ed
hi m to defend. I n returni ng hi s extra pawn,
Bl ack ends up i n a strategi cal l y i nferi or
posi ti on i n vi ew of hi s weak pawn on c6.
15. dxe5 dxe5 1 6. xe5 Wa5
If 16 . . . .e8? White has the deci si ve 1 7. txf7!
xf7 1 8. e5 th5 1 9. td5! b2 20. tc7.
1 7. xf7
Here thi s sacri fi ce i s not so effecti ve. Pl ay
ing for bri l l i ancy mi ght merel y have brought
Carl sen unnecessary probl ems. The si mpl e
1 7. Axf6 Axf6 1 8. txc6 txc6 1 9. td5 Ae5
20 . .xc6 woul d have enabl ed Whi te to wi n
a pawn wi thout any bri l l i ancy.
17 . . . !xf7 18. e5
jseenextd|ag|am)
1 8 bd7?
Bl ack i s rattl ed, and he does not even make
an attempt to pl ay on wi th an extra kni ght.
Apparentl y, after 18 . . . te8 he was afrai d of
the attack 1 9. te4! (1 9. AdS b4 20. e6
a b
8
X
O
A
6
@
s@
4
C d U
f Q h
A3A
O
A
.
a b C d U f Q h
8
6
5
4
i s parri ed by 20 . . . .:fS 21 . te4 Ac4
22. a3 'b3) 19 . . . h6 (the pawn i s taboo:
19 . . . AxeS? 20. tcS .fS 21 . 'b3+) 20. e6!
.fS 21 . td6 hxgS 22. e7! and Bl ack has
no defence. However, the threat of the e
pawn' s advance coul d have been averted
by the bi shop retreat 1 9 . . . Ac8, al though
here too Whi te's i ni ti ati ve i s very danger
ous: 20. tcS .:fS 21 . 'b3+
h8 22. g4!
.xgS 23. 'f7 /c7 24 . .ed1 /d7 2S. /xd7
Axd7 26 . .xd7 'xeS 27 . .xc7.
1 9. exf6
2S . .e6! . If 21 . . . 'xa2? t here al so fol
l ows 22. /xf6+ .xf6 23. 'd4! and Bl ack
has no defence: 23 . . . .:f7 24 . .xc6 'aS
2S . .ce6.
22. :xc6 Ab7
The bl ack pi eces coordi nate more harmo
ni ousl y after 22 . . . ld8 23. 'a1 AbS 24. le6
Ac4 2S . .eS 'b6.
23. :e6 :d8
I f 23 . . . Wxa2? White wi ns by 24 . .xe7! .xe7
2S. /f6+
f7 26 . .xe7+
xe7 27. /dS+!
f8 28. 'f3+ .
24. 1e2 Axe4
Bl ack strai g htforward l y (24 . . . WfS?!
2S . .xe7! .xe7 26. /f6+) goes i n for oppo
site-col our bi shops. But i n the presence of
other pi eces, especi al l y the queens, hopes
based on thi s factor are i l l usory: a bi shop
whi ch has no opponent i s dangerous i n an
attack on the ki ng.
But here pl ayi ng for bri l l i ancy by 1 9. Axc6!
25. 'xe4 Ac5 26. :e2 :df8 27. Wd5!
lc8 20. /dS /xdS 21 . e6 was qui te ap-
propri ate. However, the move i n the game A dangerous pi n wi th an X-ray al ong the
al so ensures White an advantage. a2-g8 di agonal .
1 9 . xf6 20. Axf6 Axf6
I f 20 . . . lxf6 there woul d have fol l owed
21 . /dS! .f7 22. /e7+
h8 23. txc6.
21 . e4 Ae7
I t is i mportant to retai n t hi s bi shop - oth
erwi se there i s not hi ng wi t h whi ch t o de
fend t he dark squares. I f 21 . . . AbS, then
22. /xf6+ .xf6 23. leS! wi th the threats
27 . . 1b4
Bl ack does not sense the danger. I t was
essenti al to ' unpi n' the ki ng - 27 . . .
g7 and
i f 28.
h2 to offer the exchange of queens

by 28 . . . Ab6. I t shoul d be menti oned that
28 . . . lxf2? is not possi bl e because of
29 . .xf2 .xf2 30. le7+! , when the mati ng
attack costs Bl ack hi s queen: 30 . . .
h6
31 . g4 Wd2 32. gS+! 'xgS 33 . .xh7+.
Axc6 and Wb3+ is good enough to wi n,
28 h2 g7
but there is al so a spectacul ar computer
sol uti on: 23. AdS+! ?
f8 24. Wd4! Wd8 Not 28 . . . Axf2? 29 . .xf2 .xf2 30 . .xg6+.
M. Ca||sen K. L| e
a b C d U f Q h
8
$
8
7
A
7
6
L
6
5
3
5
4
W
4
:
:
2
L
2
a b C d U f Q h
29. Ye5+?!
There was a qui ck wi n by 29. f2e4! a3
30. eS+ g8 31 . fh4 d3 (if 31 . . . fg7
there is 32. fxg6! hxg6 33. AdS+ wi th a
mati ng attack) 32. xeS, wi th an extra
bi shop for Whi te.
29 . . g8 30. a3
Thi s move al l ows Bl ack to exchange the
queens, whi ch eases the probl em of de
fendi ng hi s ki ng. The threat of 30 . . . d4
coul d have been parri ed by 30. f4! , havi ng
i n mi nd the vari ati on 30 . . . d4? 31 . xd4
Axd4 32. AdS! g7 33. f6e4, but by pl ay
ing 30 . . . ffS Bl ack woul d have forced the
queen to retreat to a l ess i mposi ng posi
ti on: 31 . a1 Ad4 32. d1 fd8 etc. Al so
possi bl e i s 30. fe4 ffS 31 . fxg6+ hxg6
32. 'e6+, wi nni ng the queen, but how to
convert the advantage i s not cl ear.
Pl ayi ng to surround the bi shop al so
does not achi eve i ts ai m: 30. fc6 Ad4
31. 'dS Ab2! (from the l ong di agonal the
bi shop guarantees i ts ki ng a shel ter at g7)
32. fcS Af6 33. fc7 g7.
30 Yd4! 31 . 'xd4 Axd4 32. f4 g7
The game has gone i nto an endi ng whi ch
i s not easy to wi n.
33. Ads Af6 34. h4 Ed7 35. Ae4 Efd8
36. qh3 Ed6 37. Exd6 Exd6 38. Ec2
a b C d U f Q h
8 8
7
6
$
3
#
6
5 5
4

4
:

:
2
L
2
a b C d U f Q h
Endi ngs wi th opposi te-col our bi shops are
Carl sen' s forte. On many subsequent oc
casi ons he was abl e to demonstrate the su
peri ori ty of hi s bi shop. I n the gi ven speci fi c
posi ti on i t i s worth nothi ng that Whi te's ex
tra pawn is on the ki ngsi de, where Bl ack' s
resources are concentrated. Therefore
Carl sen keeps both wi ngs in vi ew.
38 . . . Ed7?!
Passi ve defence makes t hi ngs easi er
for Whi te. 38 . . . fa6! ? was more cri ti cal :
39. fc7+ (after 39. fa2 fe6! 40. AdS fe3
Bl ack attacks the g3- pawn, practi cal l y
forci ng the exchange of rooks: 41 . a4 Ac3
42. fa3 Ad4) 39 . . . h6 40. h5 fxa3 41 . fc6
fe3, pursui ng the bi shop. After the transi
ti on i nto a rook endi ng by 42. Axg6 hxg6
43. fxf6 xhS 44. ff7 h6 4S. fxa7 Bl ack
has real chances of a draw.
39. qg4 Ae7 40. a4 Ed4 41 . Ac6 h5+?!
O
Thi s i mpul si ve move merel y creates a
weakness on g6. 41 . . . f6 was more l ogi
cal .
42. qh3 Ad6 43. qg2 Ab4 44. qh3
Ad6 45. Aea ld3 46. qg2 le3

47. lc6!
a b C d U f
9
h
8
6
3
6
5
5

4
3
X
3
2
2
a b C d U f
9
h
47 . . . le6?
The rook endi ng after 47 . . J !xe8 48. gxd6
ge7 49.
c
f3 or 47 . . . Axf4 48. gxg6+
c
f8
49. gxf4 gxe8 50. ga6 is cl earl y better for
Whi te, who has an acti ve rook. But movi ng
i nto a pi n l eads to the l oss of the a7-pawn.
More was promi sed by a symmetri c at
tack on the g3-pawn - 47 . . . Ab4! 48. Axg6
Ae1 49. Axh5 gxg3+ 50.
c
f1 (weaker i s
50.
c
h2?! ga3 51 . ga6 Axh4) 50 . . . ge3
51 . gg6+
c
f8 52. gg4 Ad2 53.
c
f2 ge4
54. f5 gxg4 55. Axg4 wi th real drawi ng
chances.
48. !a6 qf8 49. Ab5 if6 50. Ad3!
I t i s useful to gai n a tempo. The rest does
not requi re any commentary.
50 . . . qg7 51 . lxa7+ qf8 52. a5 Ab4
53. a6 ld6 54. lc7 lxd3 55. lc8+
qg7 56. a7 ld2+ 57. qf3 ld3+
58. qe4 la3 59. a8'
Bl ack resi gned.
Game 1 3
B. Jobava M. Carl sen
Skanderborg 2005
Queen's Indian Defence [E12]
1 . c4 f6 2. d4 e6 3. f3 b6 4. Ag5
I t was not hard for Magnus to prepare for
thi s game - at that ti me thi s vari ati on was
Jobava's main weapon agai nst the Queen' s
I ndi an Defence.
4 . . . h6 5. Ah4 Ae7 6. c3 c5
Carl sen fol l ows the path of l vanchuk in hi s
recent game wi th Jobava at the Capabl an
ca Memori al (Havana 2005), i n whi ch White
suffered a crushi ng defeat. The cl assi cal
6 . . . Ab7 7. e3 te4 seemed rather tedi ous
to hi m.
7. e4
The fol l owi ng conti nuati on is practi cal l y
unexpl ored: 7. d5 txd5 8. txd5 (the ex
changi ng operati on 8. cxd5 Axh4 9. dxe6
fxe6 1 0. Vc2 with the threat of Ve4+ i s
parri ed by the si mpl e 10 . . . Af6 1 1 . Vg6+
c
f8 wi th an acceptabl e game for Bl ack,
who i s abl e to stabi l i se the posi ti on of hi s
ki ng thanks to the threat of the exchange
1 2 . . . Axc3+ 1 3. bxc3 Vf6) 8 . . . Axh4
9. txh4 Ab7 (weaker i s 9 . . . exd5 1 0. Vxd5
tc6 1 1 . tf5) 1 0. g3 (after 1 0. tf3 exd5
1 1 . cxd5 0-0 1 2. e3 'f6 1 3. 'b3 ta6 Bl ack
successful l y compl etes hi s devel opment,
retai ni ng some i ni ti ati ve) 10 . . . exd5 1 1 . Ag2
0-0 1 2. 0-0 'f6 1 3. Axd5 (or 1 3. b3 gea
1 4. e3 Ve5 wi th the i dea of 1 5. cxd5 g5! )
1 3 . . . Axd5 1 4. Vxd5 tc6 1 5. b3 gad8
1 6. gad1 gfe8 1 7. e3 ge5 1 8. 'd6 ge6,
and Bl ack mai ntai ns the bal ance.
7 . . . cxd4 8. xd4 d6
B. JOOava - M. Ca|| sen
a b C d U f g h
8
Z
Z
8

6
5 5
4
.
4
3
3
.

.
a b
9. ldb5!
C d U f g h
Wi th the i dea of breaki ng up Bl ack' s ki ng
si de pawns by exchangi ng on f6. However,
as was shown by the Jobava- l vanchuk
game, i t proves to be i l l usory.
9 . a6 1 0. e5!?
Thi s move, gi vi ng the pl ay an al most forc
ing character, was undoubtedl y prepared
at home. Thereby Jobava i ndi rectl y ad
mi ts the effecti veness of the pawn sac
ri fi ce made by l vanchuk: 1 0. Axf6 Axf6
1 1 . txd6+ e7 1 2. txc8+ yxc8.
!' !
&&
^
& & &

! !
r

!!
M M
Analys|sd|ag|am
13. ta4?! (1 3. yf3 fol l owed by Ae2 and
0-0 was stronger) 13 . . . d8 14. yb3 td7
15. ya3+, and after 1 5 . . . tc5 1 6. Ae2
(not 1 6. txb6? yc6 1 7. txa8 because of
17 . . . Axb2! 1 8. 'xb2 yxe4+ 1 9. ye2 td3+
20. d2 tf4+ and Bl ack wi ns the queen)
16 . . _yc6 1 7. txc5 yxc5! . l vanchuk offers
to go i nto an endgame: 1 8. yxc5+ bxc5
1 9. b1 ab8 20. b3 Ac3+ 21 . f1 d2,
whi ch, despi te the pawn defi ci t, i s advan
tageous to Bl ack. The game conti nued
1 8. b4 ygs 19. d1 yxg2 20. b5+ e8
21 . xd8+ xd8 22. Af3 yg5 23. bxa6
yd2+ 24. f1 Ad4! 25. Ae2 Ac5 26. yg3
yxa2 27. yxg7? d1 +, and Bl ack soon
won.
J
1 0 . . . dxe5
Real i si ng that 1 0 . . . axb5 1 1 . exf6 gxf6
(1 1 . . . Axf6?! 1 2. Axf6 yxf6 1 3. yxd6
i s dangerous for Bl ack) 1 2. txb5 Cc6
1 3. Ag3 l eaves Whi te wi th an enduri ng
i ni ti ati ve wi thout any r i sk, Carl sen goes
i n for an exchange sacri fi ce. Hi s central
pawn mass promi ses hi m suffi ci ent com
pensati on.
1 1 . Axf6
Weaker is 1 1 . yf3? e4! 1 2. Cxe4 axb5
1 3. txf6+ gxf6 1 4. Wxa8 Ab4+ 1 5. e2
yd2+ 1 6. f3 e5 with a very dangerous
attack for Bl ack. For exampl e: 1 7. yds
(White l oses qui ckl y after 1 7. yxb8 yf4+
1 8. e2 0-0) 1 7. . . yf4+ (as a reserve vari
ati on there i s a draw: 1 7 . . . Ab7 1 8. yxb7
yf4+) 1 8. e2 0-0! 1 9. Ag3 yf5 20. yd3
(i f 20. d1 there i s the deci si ve 20 . . . Ab7!
21 . yxb7 d8+) 20 . . . yg5 (wi th the threat
of . . . tc6 and . . . d8) 21 . ye3 yg6 22. c1
bxc4 etc.
1 1 Axf6
If Bl ack i nt er poses t he exchange
1 1 . . . yxd1 + 1 2. xd1 axb5 1 3. Axg7 (af
ter 1 3. AxeS ld7! 1 4. Axg7 g8 1 5. lxb5
xa2 1 6. Axh6 xb2 Bl ack has quite good
counterpl ay) 13 . . . g8 1 4. Axh6 White wi ns
a pawn wi thout suffi ci ent compensati on
for the opponent.
12. Wf3!
Whi te wi ns the exchange, but Magnus
manages t o fi nd defensive resources.
12 B axb5 1 3. Wxa8 b4!
a b C d U f
9
h
Q
W

7
A
7
-
A
Q
A
-
5
5
4
A/
3
F
a b
C d
4
3
/ / /
U f
9
h
strong i ni ti ati ve; 1 6. txb4 Yd4! 1 7. txc6
Ye4+ 1 8. 'd1 Axc6 i s al so advantageous
to Bl ack) 15 . . . Ad7 1 6. 'd6 bxc3 1 7. bxc3
e4 1 8. 0-0-0 Ae7 (1 8 . . . Axc3 1 9. Ae2 Yc8
wi th the i dea of .. . Aa4 is al so possi bl e)
1 9. Wd4 Aa4 (1 9 . . . Af6 20. Wxe4 We?
21 . Ya8+ Ac8 is al so good) 20. Wxd8+
Axd8 21 . gd4 Ac6 22. Ae2 Ac7 fol l owed
by . . . 'e7. Carl sen assesses thi s posi ti on
as favourabl e for Bl ack.
14 BB Jd7 1 5. xf6+
White hurri es to deform Bl ack' s ki ngsi de
pawns, whereas he al so had other pos
si bi l i ti es. True, 1 5. td6+ i s unconvi nc
i ng: 1 5 ... 'e7 1 6. tb5 (or 1 6. gd1 tc6
1 7. 'xd8+ gxd8 1 8. te4 td4) 16 .. . tc6
1 7. Wxd8+ gxd8 1 8. 0-0-0 td4 wi th suf-
The moment of truth for the assessment fi ci ent compensati on for the exchange.
of the openi ng i dea devi sed by Jobava, But 1 5. gd1 , keepi ng the exchange on f6
who apparentl y underesti mated thi s pos- i n reserve, deserved seri ous consi derati on:
si bi l ity, expecti ng onl y 1 3 . .. td7 1 4. txb5 1 5 . .. tc6 (1 5 . . . Ae7 1 6. c5 0-0 1 7. Wa7 fa-
0-0 1 5. 0-0-0 wi th advantage to Whi te. vours Whi te) 1 6. Yxd8+ 'xd8 1 7. c5 bxc5
However, Carl sen has pl anned a more 1 8. txc5 td4 1 9. txd7 'xd7 20. Ad3 ,
acti ve rol e for the kni ght, by prepari ng a and White's posi ti on i s preferabl e (Carlsen).
route for i t to d4, from where i t control s 1 7. txf6 gxf6 1 8. g3 'c7 1 9. Ag2 td4
both wi ngs. 20. f4 Ac6 21 . 0-0 al so l ooks quite good,
14. e4
After 1 4. Yxb8 bxc3 1 5. gd1 Ad?
1 6. Yxd8+ 'xd8 1 7. bxc3 e4 t he pai r of
strong bi shops ful l y compensates for the
sacri fi ced exchange.
di verti ng the kni ght to f5 for the defence
of the f-pawns.
1 5 Bgxf6 1 6. c5
White i s ai mi ng for a cl ear pawn structure
on the queensi de, but 1 6. 0-0-0 was more
l ogi cal , after whi ch Carl sen was i ntendi ng
to pl ay 16 . .. tc6 1 7. Ya4 (of course, the
queen exchange 1 7. \xd8+ 'xd8 fol l owed
by . . . td4 woul d sati sfy Bl ack) 1 7 . . . 'e7,
and wi th a subsequent . . . Wa8 Bl ack acti
vates hi s forces.
1 4. \a4+ l ooks stronger: 1 4 ... tc6
(i n the event of 1 4 . . . Ad? 1 5. Yxb4 tc6
1 6. Yd6 Ae7 1 7. Wd1 td4 Bl ack has
some compensati on for the exchange, but
White's chances are neverthel ess prefer
abl e) 1 5. Yxc6+ (acti vi ty wi th 1 5. td5 is
dubi ous: 1 5 . . . Ab7 1 6. Wb5 0-0 1 7. Yxb6
exd5 1 8. Wxb7 td4, and the powerful
1 6 BBbxc5 17. Wa7 c6 1 8. Wxc5 d4!
kni ght on d4 enabl es Bl ack to devel op a After carryi ng out thi s key defensive ma-
C
B. JOOava - M. Car| sen
noeuvre, Bl ack can consi der that he has 1 9 . . . 'e7!

solved hi s openi ng probl ems.
b C d U f 9 h
8
8
7 7
6
6
5 5
4 4
3
b C d U f 9 h
19. 0-0-0?
Jobava chooses a bad post for hi s ki ng,
where i t may came under attack by the
acti ve bl ack pi eces. But i t was not an easy
choi ce. For exampl e, i f 1 9. Ad3 Bl ack
can fi ght for the i ni ti ati ve: 19 . . . 'a8! (after
19 . . . 'e? 20. 'b6 0-0 21 . 0-0 Ac6 22. lfc1
Bl ack woul d have probl ems wi th the de
fence of hi s b4-pawn) 20. 'xb4 lg8! 21 . a3
(if 21 . 0-0-0, then 21 . . . 'xa2 is possi bl e,
not feari ng 22. 'b8+ <e? 23. 'xg8, si nce
Bl ack is guaranteed a draw by perpetual
check: 23 . . . tb3+ 24. rc2 td4+ 25. rc1
tb3+, as after 25. rc3? 'b3+ 26. rd2
'xb2+ 27. re1 e4! Whi te i s i n danger of
l osi ng) 21 . . . lg4! . An i mportant i ntermedi
ate move, t he vi rtues of whi ch are reveal ed
i n an assessment of the di rect capt ure
21 . . . lxg2 22. 0-0-0 lxf2 23. lhg1 , with an
unclear game. Now, after the queen moves,
the rook i nvasi on fol l ows in a more favour
abl e si tuati on: 22. 'd6 lxg2 23. 0-0-0
xf2 24. lhg1 'c6+! , or 22. 'c3 lxg2
23 0-0-0 lxf2 24. lhg1 'c6! . Evi dentl y
White shoul d have restri cted hi msel f to
the modest 1 9. f3, when Bl ack coul d agai n
offer the exchange of queens by 19 . . . 'e7.
Magnus demonstrates a deep understand
i ng of the posi ti on. The endgame wi th the
powerful kni ght on d4 i s advantageous
to Bl ack .
20. 'xe7+
After 20. 'b6 0-0 21 . Ad3 Ac6 the si tu
ati on favours Bl ack, si nce he can devel op
an attack on the whi te ki ng by pl ayi ng hi s
rook to a8 and hi s queen to d5.
20 . . mxe7 21 . mb1 Jc6 22. f3
I f 22. lg1 agai n 22 . . . lg8 is possi bl e, wi th
the i dea of . . . tf3.
22 . . J g8 23. Ec1 f5 24. Ec4 Eb8!
Subtl e conduct of the endgame - now i t
i s not easy for Whi te to compl ete hi s de
vel opment. I n a superi or posi ti on i t i s i m
portant t o mai ntai n t he tensi on, by forci ng
the defendi ng si de to sol ve the most dif
fi cul t probl ems. The tempti ng conti nuati on
24 . . . AdS 25. lxb4 txf3! 26. a4 woul d have
gi ven Whi te some chances, associ ated
wi th hi s pai r of connected passed pawns.
25. b3
25. Ad3 i s not possi bl e because of
25 . . . Ab5. The attempt to devel op the h1 -
rook does not work, si nce i f 25. h4 there
is 25 . . . f4 (25 . . . h5 26. lh3 f4 27. g3 lg8 is
also good) 26. h5 rd6 27. lh4 tfS, and
the rook has to return home.
2s . . . t4 2s. mb2 ts
The pawn mass di spl ays its character! The
pai r of central pawns i s i rresi sti bl e.
(see next diagram)
Chapte|2 The a tO the TOp

a b C d U f
g
h
8
8
7 7
6
3
5 5
4 4
3 3
a b C d U f
g
h
27. h4
I f 27. Ad3 t here woul d have fol l owed
31 . . J8 32. gg4 gfs was al so good, tyi ng
the rook to the h5-pawn, fol l owed by . . .
e6-e5 and . . . ggs.
32. Eg4 e3 33. Eg6
The posi ti on al so cannot be hel d after
33. ge1 tf5 34. Ae2 gd8 35. gg6 Ae4,
whi l e i f 33. Ad3 there is the deci si ve 33 . . .
e2! 34. ge1 (34. gg6 gc8!) 34 . . . gc8 35. gg6
gc3.
33 . . . Ae4 34. Exh6 Eg8
Magnus appears to be enjoyi ng the posi -
ti on, avoi di ng the wi n of a pi ece by 34 . . . e2.
27 . . . AdS 28. gc7+ d6 29. gg7 e4 wi th
35. Ec5+ d6 36. Ec4 dS 37. c1
advantage to Bl ack.
e2 38. Exd4+ xd4 39 . .xe2 Exg2
27 . . . d6 28. h5 AdS 29. Ec1 e4
40. Ad1
30. fxe4
After 40. d1 Bl ack casts a mati ng net
wi th 40 . . . e3! .
I f 30. Ac4, then 30 . . , gg8 31 . gh2 e3 was
possi bl e. 40 . . . Exa2
30 . . . fxe4 31 . Eh4 eS White resi gned.
The Worl d Cup in Khanty- Mansi ysk - anal ogous to the worl d champi onshi p on the
knock-out system - was another reform of the worl d champi onshi p, wi th a sl i ght low
eri ng of i ts status. The top ten in the tournament gai ned the ri ght to take part in the
Candi dates tournament of the next i ndi vi dual world champi onshi p cycl e in 2007. The
knock-out event of 1 28 grandmasters, hel d in a remote part of Russi a, proved to be a
turni ng poi nt in Carl sen' s career on the eve of hi s 1 5th bi rthday. For Magnus thi s was
a second test in matches wi th the strongest pl ayers in the worl d. True, the fi rst one -
in 2004 - had ended in the very fi rst round, but the maturi ng Carl sen, who had j oi ned
the group of ' twenty-si x hundreds' on the worl d rati ng l i st, now had the ri ght to hope
for a more successful performance.
Thi s was how hi s performance was assessed by the experi enced grandmaster Vi orel
Bol ogan: 'The revel ati on of the tournament was Carl sen. He i s di sti ngui shed by hi s
cl assi cal method of pl ayi ng - he pl ays competentl y and cal cul ates wel l . For the mo
ment he sti l l di spl ays a tendency to pl ay for l i ttl e traps, but i n pri nci pl e thi s i s mi ni mal .
Over the l ast two years he has been merci l essl y beaten i n vari ous tournaments, and
unexpectedl y thi s path to success has proved the shortest. Now he hi msel f wi l l do the
J
M. Ca|| sen - | AmOnatOv
beati ng. ' I n hi s preparati ons for the tournament Magnus had greatl y i mproved hi s open
i ng groundwork. ' I t i s apparent that he i s doi ng such work on hi s openi ng repertoi re',
Mi khai l Gurevi ch sai d i n admi rati on, ' that experi enced grandmasters don' t know what
to pl ay agai nst hi m! ' The youngster had al so greatl y i mproved hi s endgame techni que.
I n contrast to Li bya, i n Russi a Carl sen pl ayed seven stages: four i n the mai n tourna
ment and three i n the addi ti onal fi ght for qual i fi cati on to the Candi dates tournament.
Hi s resul t coul d have been even better, si nce he mi ssed a real chance to go through
to the quarter-fi nal of the mai n tournament, when i n hi s match wi th Evgeny Bareev he
lost a rapi d game whi ch was practi cal l y deci ded. But even wi thout t hi s hi s l i st of wi ns
was i mpressive: among those defeated were Zurab Azmai parashvi l i , Farrykh Amonatov,
Ivan Chepari nov, Joel Lauti er, Vl adi mi r Mal akhov and Gata Kamsky.
Game 1 4
M. Carlsen - F. Amonatov
Worl d Cup, Khanty- Mansi ysk 2005
Sicilan Defence [ 890]
1. e4 c5 2. tf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. txd4
f6 5. tc3 a6 6 .e3 e5 7. tf3
The mai n conti nuati on is 7. tb3 Ae6 8. f3
wi th the devel opment of an attack on the
ki ngsi de. The move i n the game i s al so
very popul ar and i ndi cates that Carl sen i s
ai mi ng for posi ti onal pl ay.
7 . :Wc7 8. a4 b6
Bl ack radi cal l y prevents a4-a5, but t hi s
move has drawbacks, whi ch Carl sen i s
abl e t o di scl ose. 8 . . . Ae7 9. a5 0-0 i s more
often pl ayed. For exampl e, the game Jang
Jong-Sakaev, (Chi na-Russi a match 2004)
conti n ued 1 0. Ae2 tc6 1 1 . Ab6 d7
1 2. td2 tb4 1 3. tc4 d5! 14. exd5 tfxd5
1 5. txd5 txd5 1 6. Af3 Ab4+ 1 7. <f1 !
txb6 1 8. txb6 xd1 + 1 9. !xd1 !b8
20. !d5! !e8? (20 . . . Ae6! ? 21 . !xe5 !fd8
came i nto consi derati on, wi th suffi ci ent
compensati on for the pawn) 21 . c3 Af8
22. txc8! !bxc8 23. Ae4! wi th advantage
to White i n vi ew of the weakness of the a6/
b7 pawn pai r.
1T
9. td5
9. Ag5 i s regarded as the mai n conti nu
ati on.
9 . B . txd5 1 0. 'xd5 tc6
After 10 . . . Ab7 i t i s not easy for Bl ack to
compl ete hi s devel opment: 1 1 . b3 Axe4
1 2. Ac4 b7 1 3. 0-0-0 Axf3 (i f 13 . . . Ag6
there fol l ows 1 4. th4 Ah5 1 5. f3! tc6
1 6. Axb6 or 1 6. xb6 wi th advantage
to White) 1 4. gxf3 tc6 1 5. <b1 ! (1 5. Ad5
b5 1 6. f4 i s al so good) 15 . . . !b8 (1 5 . . . ta5
1 6. Ad5) 1 6. Ad5 wi th an obvi ous posi ti onal
advantage for Whi te.
6
5 5
4
/
4
3 3
2
a b C d U f g h
1 1 . tg5
The l ess ambi ti ous 1 1 . \d2 Ae7 1 2. Ac4 14 . . . Ea8
0-0 al l ows Bl ack to compl ete hi s devel op
ment. The game Ki r. Georgi ev- l strates
cu (Ohri d 2001) conti nued 1 3. Ad5 Ae6
1 4. 0-0 Eac8 1 5. Eac1 tb8! 1 6. Efd1 td7
wi th equal chances.
11 . . . Eb8
It is not possi bl e for Bl ack to compl ete
hi s queensi de devel opment normal l y -
1 1 . . . Ab7? 1 2. Axb6! \xb6 1 3. \xf7+ d8
1 4. a5! and i f 14 . . . txa5 1 5. te6+ Whi te
gi ves mate i n three moves.
12. Ac4
Carl sen' s favouri te procedure from hi s
youth: i f i t i s possi bl e t o put t he ki ng under
fi re, he does thi s.
12 . . . d8 1 3. Wd3 h6
Bl ack i s i mpati ent to dri ve away the an
noyi ng kni ght. To be fai r, i t shoul d be men
ti oned that the theory of thi s vari ati on was
l argel y unexpl ored. 1 3 . . . Ae7 is stronger,
when the fol l owi ng l i ne is not dangerous:
14. Axa6 Axa6 1 5. "xa6 "xc2 1 6. Wb5+
Wc6 1 7. 0-0 "xb5 1 8. axb5 Axg5 1 9. Axg5
te6 20. Ae3 tc7 21 . Efc1 txb5 22. Axb6
d7 wi th a reasonabl e endgame for Bl ack
(Kul aots- Leyva, Ol ympi ad, Turi n 2006) .
14. f3
5 5
4
/ = /
4
3
_
3
/ / /
a b C d U f
9
h
1 4 . . . Ae7 is no l onger possi bl e, si nce after
1 5. Axa6 Axa6 1 6. "xa6 Bl ack' s strategi c
defi ci enci es are obvi ous. Let us conti nue:
16 . . . Wxc2 1 7. "b5+ "c6 (1 7 . . . f8? 1 8. a5)
1 8. e2! 0-0 1 9. "xc6 txc6 20. Ehc1 Efc8
21 . Ec3 tb4 22. Axb6, and Whi te wi ns a
pawn. Therefore the a6- pawn has to be
defended, but the return of the rook to a8
is an admi ssi on that Bl ack has probl ems
wi th hi s queensi de devel opment and i t i s
not easy for hi m to coordi nate hi s pi eces.
I f 14 . . . "b7 there can fol l ow 1 5. 0-0 Ae7
1 6. Ad5! ? wi th enduri ng pressure on the
1Z
queensi de: 1 6 . . . "c7 1 7. td2 0-0 1 8. Wc4
"d7 (not 1 8 . . . Wxc4? 1 9. txc4 b5? be-
cause of 20. Aa7) 1 9. "b3 te6 20. tc4.
1 5. d2 e6
After 15 . . . Ae7 1 6. Ad5 Ab7 1 7. 0-0 0-0
1 8. tc4 Axd5 1 9. Wxd5 Eb8 20. Efd1
Whi te has an obvi ous spati al advantage.
1 6. AdS lbS
1 6 . . . Ab7 1 7. 0-0 Axd5 1 8. exd5 tc5
1 9. "c4 al so favours Whi te - he i s threat
eni ng 20. b4.
1 7. Wc4!
a b C d U f
9
h
X 3 3 X
7
W
7
'
A
#
&
@
'
5
5
4
/ " '
4
3
2
3
_

_
a b C d U f
9
h
M. Ca|| sen . Kamsky
The move of a mature master! Si nce the
majori ty of the bl ack pi eces are undevel
oped, Carl sen exchanges t he onl y active
one -the queen, with the hope of convert
ing hi s spati al advantage in the endgame.
17 . . . e5?!
Thi s attempt to avoi d the exchange of
queens l eads by force to the l oss of the ex
change. But in the endgame too Bl ack can
not hol d out: 17 . . . xc4 1 8. Cxc4 Cf4 (not
18 . e . b5? 1 9. axb5 axb5 20. Aa7) 1 9. 0-0-0!
Ad? (1 9 . . . Cxd5 20. xd5 1 eads to the l oss
of a pawn) 20. Axf4 (20. Cxb6 Ag4 21 . d2
txg2 22. a5 Cxe3 23. fxe3 i s al so good)
20 . e . exf4 21 . e5! b5 (i f 21 . . . dxe5 there fol
lows 22. Cxe5 or 22. Axf7+) 22. Cxd6+
Axd6 23. exd6, and Bl ack cannot avoi d
loss of materi al .
1S. b4! b5 1 9. axb5 axb5 20. We3
te6 21 . Wxe7 xe7 22. Aa7 xd5
23. AxbS xb4 24. 0-0!
I ncl udi ng the second rook i n the attack on
the queensi de.
24 B . . e6 25. ifb1 Ae7
At l ast Bl ack has managed to devel op thi s
bi shop. I n the event of 25 . . . Cxb8 26. aS
tc6 27. xc8+ 'd7 28. aS i ts rel ease
mi ght l ead to further l osses.
26. Jxb5 0-0
8
a b C
3
d U f 9
h
Xw
7
s
5
4
3
3
#
&
#
l
l
#
a b C d U
8
7
5
4
3
27. e4!
Deep cal cul ati on! Al l Bl ack' s tri ckery l eads
merel y to a reducti on i n the materi al .
27 . . . Ae6 2S. Axd6 Axe4 29. leS! leS
After 29 . . . Axd6 30. xc6 the el egant fork
proves deci si ve.
30. lxe4 Axd6 31 . ia6 JbS
The al ternati ve 31 . . . Ce7 32. xc8+ Cxc8
33. a8 i s equal l y hopel ess.
32. g3 d4 33. lxd6 ib1 + 34. 'g2
ib2 35. e3 e2 36. 't1
JO
Bl ack resi gned.
Game 1 5
M. Carlsen - G. Kamsky
Worl d Cup, Khanty-Mansi ysk 2005
1 . e4 e5 2. f3 e6 3. d4 exd4 4. xd4
a6 5. e3 We7 6. Ad3 b5 7. 0-0 Ab7
S. We2 e7 9. ie1
a b C d U f
9
h
8
X$ w
Q
#
@
#
s
# #
s
5 5
4
/
4
3
:
3
/ / / W /

a b C d U f
9
h
Thi s novel ty, apparentl y saved up for such
an i mportant game, best characteri ses
Carl sen' s understandi ng of t he game,
based on a knowl edge of the cl assi cs.
Taki ng account of Bl ack' s retarded de- The Worl d Cup formul a wi th a mi ni -match
vel opment, he prepares the kni ght thrust of two cl assi cal games rai sed the val ue of
to d5. For thi s he needs to rei nforce the each of them. Therefore i t i s hard to con-
pi n on the e-fi l e.
9 . . . bc6
The nat ural way of devel opi ng. I f 9 . . . tg6
al l the same there fol l ows 1 0. td5! 'd6
(1 0 . . . exd5? 1 1 . exd5+ te7 1 2. tf5) 1 1 . c4
(the aggressi ve 1 1 . 'h5 i s j usti fi ed af
ter 1 1 . . . exd5 1 2. exd5+ d8 1 3. Ag5+
c7 1 4. c4 wi th an attack on the ki ng,
but Bl ack can cont i nue hi s devel opment
wi th 1 1 . . . tc6! ?) 1 1 . . . bxc4 1 2. Axc4 f6
( here too 1 2 . . . exd5? 1 3 . exd5+ d8
1 4. 'e8+ c7 1 5. 'xf7 'f6 1 6. te6+
b6 1 7. Ae3+ i s dangerous for Bl ack; i f
12 . . . tc6 there i s the unpl easant 1 3. tf5)
1 3. Ad2 tc6 wi th the i dea of 1 4. txc6
Axc6 1 5. Jad1 Ab5.
I f 9 . . . g6 Bl ack has to reckon wi t h
1 0.tdxb5! ? axb5 1 1 . txb5 'e5 1 2. Ae3
tbc6 1 3. f4.
1 0. xc6 xc6
10 . . . dxc6 was more ci rcumspect. To j udge
by the game, Kamsky ei ther underesti mat
ed Whi te's i ni ti ati ve after the kni ght thrust
to d5, or he al together di d not consi der i t.
a b C d U f
9
h

@ @ @ @
@ -
5 @ 5
4
/
4
3
/ / /
-
a b C d U f
9
h
1 1 . d5! exd5
1
demn Kamsky for taki ng a ri sk. Otherwi se
he woul d have retreated wi th 1 1 . . .'d8.
12. exd5+ e7 13. c4!
An i mportant move for the understandi ng
of thi s posi ti on. Si nce it is unreal for the
bl ack ki ng to move to i ts own wi ng, White
must prepare to meet i t on the queensi de.
13 . . . b4
Openi ng the posi ti on by 1 3 . . . bxc4 14. Axc4
al l ows the whi te rook to j oi n the attack
al ong the c-fi l e, and i f 14 . . . 'd6 Bl ack has
to reckon with 1 5. g3 fol l owed by Af4.
14 . .g5 f6
The al ternati ve 1 4 . . . 'c5 i s parri ed by
the seemi ngl y modest offer to exchange
the queens - 1 5. 'e3 'xe3 1 6. lxe3 f6
(1 6 . . . d6 1 7. Axe? Axe? 1 8. Jae1 ) 1 7. d6
f7 (1 7 . . . fxg5 1 8. dxe7 f7 1 9. Jae1 Je8
20. exf8'+ lhxf8 21 . lxe8 lxe8 22. lxe8
xe8 23. Axh7 1 eads to the l oss of a pawn)
1 8. dxe7 Axe? 1 9. Af4 wi th the better end
game for Whi te.
1 5. 'h5+ g6 1 6. Wf3 fxg5 1 7. 'f6
0-0-0
a b C d U f
9
h
3 Z

- @ @ -
5
/
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l
a b
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L
U f
9
h
M. Ca|| sen - . Kamsky
18. 'xh8
After the tempti ng 1 8. d6 there i s 18 . . . g8!
1 9. Wxh8 Axd6 and the i ni ti ati ve passes
to Bl ack. From the materi al poi nt of vi ew,
the outcome of the openi ng operati on i s
not wonderful for Whi te. But as regards the
assessment of the posi ti on, i t has been an
undoubted success: hi s pi eces are domi
nant, whereas for the moment the bl ack
bi shops are shut i n.
18 . . . 'd6
I f 1 8 . . . h6 there fol l ows 1 9. Wf6.
19. Ae4
Wi th the threat of c4-c5.
19 .. /b8 20. Iac1 'f4 21 . g3 'f7
22. 'd4
22. We5+ fol l owed by Wxg5 is al so good
enough, but Carl sen i s hopi ng for more.
22 . . . d6 23. 'b6 Id7 24. 'xb4 tf5
a b C d U f Q h
8
7
$
6 @
5
4
\/
a b C
25. Axf5
$
X W

/ &
d U f Q h
8
7
6
5
4
An amazi ngl y pragmati c approach to the
sol uti on of the posi ti on. White exchanges
the acti ve kni ght i n order to i nvade wi th hi s
rook at e6, not payi ng any great i mportance
to the undoubl i ng of the bl ack pawns.
25 . . . gxf5
25 . . . Wxf5 l oses to 26. l:e8+ a7 27. Wa3!
l:c7 28. We3+.
26. Ie6 f4 27. Ice1 Id8 28. 'b6 Ic8
29. b4!
Whi te's mai n threat i nvol ves the i nvasi on
of hi s rook at e8.
29 BB fxg3
I f 29 . . . l:xc4 there fol l ows 30. b5 axb5
31 . l:e8+ l:c8 32. Wxb5 Wxd5 33. l:xc8+
xc8 34. l:e8+ c7 35. Wxd5 Axd5
36. l:xf8, obtai ni ng a techni cal l y won
endi ng.
30. hxg3 h5 31 . b5 'c7
Si nce Bl ack cannot be sati sfi ed wi th 31 . . .
axb5 32. Wxb5 when there i s no defence
agai nst 33. l:e8, he i s forced to agree to
an endgame, where hi s bi shops are sti l l
out of pl ay.
1O
32. 'xc7+ xc7 33. a4 axb5 34. axb5
b6 35. Ie8
35. l:f6! i s more forceful , when Bl ack i s
practi cal l y i n zugzwang.
35 . . . g7 36. I8e6
a b C d U f Q h
8
X
8
7
$ $
7
6
H
6
5
/ /
4
/
4
3 3
2 2
a b C d U f Q h
Chapte|2 The WaytO the TO

36 B J ad8?
Bl ack shoul d have deci ded on 36 . . J xc4
37. xd6+ c5 38. g6 Ac3 39. d1 Axd5
40. xg5 Ad4 41 . xh5. I t i s not easy for
hi m to escape from the pi n, but the ad
vance of the f- and g-pawn pai r requi res
ti me, whi ch gi ves hi m some practi cal sav
i ng chances.
37. c5+!
40. xc3 Axd5 41 . d1 Aa8 42. a3 d5
(after 42 . . . xb5 White wi ns by 43. da1
Ac6 44. a5+, whi l e if 42 . . . Ab7 there fol
l ows 43. e3 and 44. e6) 43. da1 Ab7
44. e3 d7 45. e5 g7 46. b1 , al though
here too White shoul d be abl e to convert
hi s exchange advantage.
39. xb7 f8 40. Jc7+ cxd5 41 . d1 !
The fi nal subtl ety. 42. b6 is threatened.
An unexpected thrust, l eadi ng to the wi n
41 B Jb8 42. g7 94 43. JgS+ cc4
of one of the bi shops.
44. Jxh5 Ac5 45. JgS Jxb5 46. Jxg4+
37 B .ixc5 38. e7 Ad4
cc3 47. cg2 Aa3 48. Jgd4
38 . . . Ac3 was more resi l i ent: 39. c7+ b6 Bl ack resi gned.
Qual i fyi ng for the Candi dates seri es i mpl i es contacts wi th the worl d el ite and the reach
i ng of a new level of mastery. The chess worl d was expecti ng a great deal of Carl sen,
but i f you rai se your potenti al in sl ow steps, you shoul d remember that ti me does not
work l ong for the young, and you can easi l y di ssol ve i nto the overal l mass, as occurred
with a number of hi s tal ented contemporari es. But to gai n in cl ass, i t is i mportant to
make the next step. The step i nto chess hi gh soci ety. For the 1 5-year-ol d grandmaster
a rati ng of 2570 on the results of 2005 gave every j usti fi cati on for thi s.
At that ti me the chess cal endar offered two opportuni ti es to progress. The fi rst
was to qual ify for the mai n Wi jk aan Zee tournament. Here there was no probl em, as
Magnus was a desi red guest at the most famous festi val of the year. Another way of
breaki ng i nto el ite soci ety was offered by the wel l -known Dutch chess patron Joop
van Oosterom, who sponsored not onl y hi s trademark ' Mel ody Amber' tournament,
but al so the ' Ri si ng Stars' competiti on, where veterans tested tal ented young pl ayers,
the best of whom woul d qual ify for the mai n tournament. Carlsen made use of both
opportuni ti es.
I n January 2006 he agai n, for the thi rd year i n a row, pl ayed i n Wi j k aan lee. On thi s
occasi on the organi sers had i nvi ted a stronger fi el d for the B tournament compared
with the previ ous year, rai si ng i t to FI DE category 1 5, where the bri ghtest young tal ents
were guaranteed pl aces. But such ri val ry was to the advantage of Magnus, who had
rested and was eager for a fi ght. The battl e for qual i fi cati on to the A tournament was
uncommonl y dramati c. I t appeared that on thi s occasi on Magnus woul d more than
hol d hi s own: after 7 rounds he was confi dentl y l eadi ng wi th 6 poi nts, after gai ni ng
a number of wi ns i n spl endi d attacki ng styl e. But he then sl owed down wi th a seri es
of draws, and i n the 1 1 th round he was caught by Alexander Motyl ev, who won thei r
J
M. Car| sen - A. Be| | avsky
i ndi vi dual encounter. I t was these two who were vi ctori ous in the tournament, after
overcomi ng the hurdl e of the l ast round, where they had to defeat the lady pl ayers
Kateryna Lahno and Humpy Koneru. True, even with a share of 1 st-2nd pl aces (9 poi nts
out of 1 3) there were sti l l grounds for di sappoi ntment, si nce on the ti e-break fi rst prize
went to Motyl ev. But the festi val organi sers reassured Carl sen, sayi ng that they had
deci ded to al l ow both pl ayers i nto the A tournament in 2007.
Game 1 6
M. Carl sen - A. Bel i avsky
Wi jk aan Zee B 2006
Ruy Lopez {C91]
1 . e4 e5 2. f3 c6 3 . .b5 a6 4. Aa4
f6 s. o-o b5 6. Ab3 .b7 7. d3
a b C d U f g h
8 g @
@ g 8
@

-

-
5
5
4
4
5
-5W !
a b C d U f g h
Thi s modest pawn move is a ki nd of anti
Arkhangel sk vari ati on, di rected agai nst the
active devel opment of the bi shop at c5,
whi ch i s Bl ack' s mai n response to one of
the basi c conti nuati ons 7. e1 . Another
such conti nuati on i s 7. c3, whi ch was espe
ci al l y popul ar at the end of the 20th century.
The greatest sti r at that ti me was created
by the game Nunn - Bel i avsky (Amster
dam 1 990), whi ch conti nued 7 . . . t:xe4 8. d4
t:a5 9. Ac2 exd4 1 0. b4 t:c4 1 1 . Axe4
Axe4 1 2. e1 d5 1 3. t:xd4 c5! 1 4. bxc5
Axc5 1 5. f3 0-0 1 6. fxe4 dxe4 1 7. *h1 e8
18. Ae3 t:xe3 1 9. xe3 b4, and Bel i avsky
won after a very sharp fi ght.
7 . . . Ac5?!
Here thi s acti vi ty i s i nappropri ate, si nce i t
al lows Whi te to devel op hi s kni ght at c3,
creati ng the threat of pi nni ng the f6-kni ght
(wi th the i dea of t:c3-d5), after whi ch the
absence of the bi shop from e7 i s very per
cepti bl e. The mai n conti nuati on is 7 . . . Ae7,
as Bel i avsky had pl ayed in al l hi s precedi ng
games. To the questi on, why di d he pl ay
7 . . . Ac5, Al exander merel y shrugged hi s
shoul ders.
8. c3
For the moment the i mmedi ate pi n 8. Ag5
i s premature, si nce after 8 . . . h6 9. Ah4 0-0
1 0. t:c3 Ae7! Bl ack retreats hi s bi shop,
obtai ni ng an easy game. Now, however,
i t is not easy for hi m to choose a moment
to castl e.
8 . . . d6
JJ
A natural and frequentl y-empl oyed move.
But 8 . . . 0-0! ? al so comes i nto consi dera
ti on, with the i dea after 9. Ag5 h6 1 0. Ah4
Ae7 of reachi ng a posi ti on from the vari a
ti on gi ven i n the previ ous note.
9. a4
A standard fl ank attack, whi ch at the
same ti me solves the probl em of retai n
i ng the l i ght-square bi shop. After the mod
est 9. Ae3 0-0 1 0. a3 t:d4 Bl ack has no
probl ems.
9 . . . a5
A dubi ous move - the kni ght moves to the
edge of the board. The mai n conti nuati on
i s consi dered to be 9 . . . b4. Si nce the ti me
of the Kasparov-Anand worl d champi on
shi p match i n 1 995 i t has been consi dered
that 1 0. !d5 1 eads to the exchange of thi s
kni ght (1 0 . . . !a5 1 1 . !xf6+ 'xf6), whi ch
eases Bl ack' s defence: 1 2. Aa2 h6 13. c3
bxc3 14. bxc3 0-0 1 5. Ae3 ad8 1 6. b1
Ac8 (wi th the i dea of . . . Ag4 or . . . Ae6)
wi th roughl y equal chances. More compl i
cated pl ay resul ts from 1 0. !e2 0-0, and
i f 1 1 . a5! ? (preventi ng . . . !a5), then 1 1 . . .
d5! ? i s possi bl e.
10. Aa2
No true ' Spani sh' pl ayer woul d part wi th hi s
trademark bi shop for the sake of an extra,
doubl ed pawn - 1 0. axb5 !xb3 1 1 . cxb3
axb5 1 2. xa8 Axa8 1 3. !xb5 h6, for
whi ch Bl ack has suffi ci ent compensati on
i n the form of the two bi shops.
a b C d U f Q h
8
8
g
A & A
-
A &
-
A
g

4
' /
4
3
./ .
3
_
_
c
_
!

a b C d U f Q h
1 0 Bb4 1 1 . e2 Ac8?!
On the whol e thi s i s a themati c bi shop ma
noeuvre, by whi ch Bl ack takes control of f5
(for where the kni ght i s ai mi ng) and gai ns
the opportuni ty to neutral i se the bi shop on
a2 or effect a pi n on g4. But i n the gi ven
speci fi c si tuati on, for the moment thi s ma
noeuvre i s premature. Bl ack shoul d have
deci ded on 1 1 . . . 0-0! ? 1 2. Ag5 h6 1 3. Ah4,
when 13 . . . Ac8! i s now good.
12. c3
I f 1 2. Ae3 Bl ack equal i ses by 1 2 . . . Axe3
1 3. fxe3 Ae6! .
1 2 . . . bxc3 13. bxc3 Ab6
A prophyl acti c bi shop retreat , si nce i n
the event of 13 . . . Ae6 the 1 4. d4 advance
i s made wi th gai n of tempo, and after
1 4 . . . Axa2 1 5. xa2 Ab6 1 6. Ag5 White
has an enduri ng advantage.
JC
14. g3
Now i f 14. Ag5 there can fol l ow 14 . . . h6
1 5. Ah4 g5! ? (1 5 . . . 0-0?! 1 6. !g3! ) 1 6. Ag3
0-0.
a b C d U f Q h
8
3 W
A A A
-
A3 A
A
4
' /
3
' ' .
-
4
3
/ /
_

a b C d U f Q h
14 . . . Ae6?!
Bl ack deci des agai nst 14 . . . 0-0, feari ng the
pi n 1 5. Ag5. But perhaps the devi l i s not
as terri bl e as he' s pai nted? For exampl e,
the game De Fi rmi an - Lugo (San Di ego
2004) conti nued 15 . . . h6 1 6. Ah4 Ag4 1 7. h3
Axf3 1 8. 'xf3 g5 1 9. tf5 gxh4 20. !xh6+,
and here, by pl ayi ng 20 . . . g7! 21 . !f5+
M. Ca|| sen - A. Be| i avsky
<h8, Bl ack woul d have hel d the posi ti on.
I nstead of 1 9. f5 Vi ktor Mi khal evsky rec-
ommends 1 9. h5! xh5 20. 'xh5, whi ch
i s correct after 20 . . . gxh4? 21 . 'g6+ h8
22. 'xh6+ g8 23. h1 ! wi th dangerous
threats such as f2-f4. But 20 . . . 'f6! 21 . Ag3
<g7 22. lab1 'g6 i s stronger, when Bl ack
successful l y defends (Bel i avsky) .
15. d4! Jxa2?!
If was not yet too l ate to castl e - 1 5 . . . 0-0
1 6. dxe5 dxe5 1 7. xe5 'xd1 1 8. lxd1
a b C d U f
9
h
W w
8
7
A A A
7
6
6
5

5
4
/ / /
4
3
/
3
2
/ / /
2

a b C d U f
9
h
1 1. Ag5!
ad8 1 9. le1 lfe8, and Bl ack' s acti ve
pi eces gi ve hi m qui te good compensa-
White has been abl e to i mpl ement the mai n
ti on for the pawn.
conceptual i dea i n the 7 . . . Ac5 vari ati on.
16. !xa2 0-0?!
Now Whi te's attack becomes i rresi sti bl e,
but i t i s al ready hard to offer Bl ack good
advi ce. For exampl e, he i s unabl e to return
the a5-kni ght to the defence - 1 6 . . . c6
17. a5! xa5 (1 7 . . . Axa5? 1 8. 'a4 'd7
1 9. d5) 1 8. dxe5 dxe5 1 9. ld2 wi th numer
ous threats. The defence is al so not eased
by the i ncl usi on of 1 6 . . . exd4! ? 1 7. cxd4 0-0
1 8. Ag5 h6 1 9. Ah4, when in vi ew of the
threat of h5 Whi te's attack i s very dan
gerous. For exampl e: 19 . . . c5 20. h5 g5
21 . /xg5 xh5 22. 'xh5 hxg5 23. Axg5 f6
24. 'g6+ h8 25. la3! or 1 9 . . . le8 20. 'c1
(wi th the threat of h5) 20 . . . b3 21 . 'e3
xd4 22. xd4 Axd4 23. 'xd4 g5 24. f3!
gxh4 25. f5, and Bl ack' s posi ti on i s de
stroyed ( Mi khal evsky) .
The pi n on the kni ght deci des the game.
1 7 . . . exd4
Thi ngs are not changed by 17 . . . h6 1 8. Ah4.
Now 1 8 . . . exd4 1 9. cxd4 l eads to a posi
ti on consi dered i n the note to 16 . . . 0-0,
whi l e i f 18 . . . c6 there fol l ows 1 9. h5! g5
20. xg5! xh5 21 . 'xh5 hxg5 22. Axg5
f6 23. Ah6, and after the capture of the
rook Whi te's attack remai ns dangerous.
18. h5! dxc3 1 9. h4!
Whi te' s attack i s so strong, that he can
demonstrate the strength of hi s caval ry.
But also after the prosai c 1 9. Axf6 gxf6
20. 'c1 h8 21 . 'xc3 lg8 22. xf6 Bl ack
woul d not have hel d out for l ong.
19 . . . h8 20. f5
Bl ack resi gned.
Some commentators gave an enthusi asti c assessment of thi s game. Thi s woul d
seem t o be a del usi on. Bel i avsky' s pl ay was a l ong way from hi s real potenti al , as
i ndi cated by the seri es of medi ocre moves, begi nni ng wi th hi s choi ce of openi ng
vari ati on. Knowi ng the mai n i dea of Whi te' s pl ay agai nst 7 . . . Ac5, i t was not hard
J
Chapte|2 TheWaytO the TOp
for Magnus to fi nd obvi ous moves. But he must be gi ven hi s due - he carri ed out
a sustai ned attack.
Carl sen encountered Bel i avsky' s real potenti al a few months l ater i n Amsterdam,
where he was al so hopi ng to make use of the other opportuni ty to move i nto ' hi gh
soci ety' .
I n the summer of that year the Max Euwe Associ ati on, fi nanced by Joop van Oost
erom, organi sed in Amsterdam a team tournament ' Ri si ng Stars' v. ' Experi ence' , hel d
on the Scheveni ngen system. Famous veterans tested promi si ng young pl ayers. The
best of the young woul d recei ve an i nvi tati on to the Mel ody Amber tournament, hel d
i n Monaco wi th the parti ci pati on of the worl d el i te. The composi ti on of the j uni or team
was i mposi ng: the young grandmasters who had di sti ngui shed themsel ves in Wi jk
aan Zee - Sergey Karj aki n, who had shared 5th-6th pl aces i n the A Tournament, and
Magnus Carl sen, who had shared 1 st-2nd pl aces i n the B Tournament, the home pl ay
ers Dani el Stel l wagen and Jan Smeets, and the Chi nese pl ayer Wang Hao. As for the
five veterans, onl y the 53-year-ol d Al exander Bel i avsky was sti l l acti ve i n competi ti ons.
He became a stri ct exami ner of the mai n favourites i n the two concl udi ng rounds: he
defeated the l eader Carl sen and di d not al l ow Karj aki n to catch hi m. As a resul t Carl sen
and Bel i avsky fi ni shed fi rst in thei r respecti ve teams with i denti cal resul ts - 6% poi nts
from 1 0 games. For the second ti me Carl sen ful fi l l ed his mai n obj ecti ve - to break
through to encounters with the el ite i n a mi ni mum of two tournaments in 2007. As for
the exami nati on by the veteran, i t was very i nstructi ve.
8
7
M. Carlsen - A. Bel i avsky
Amsterdam 2006
a b C d U f g h
$ X
A W
6
A$A
5
A
4
/
3
='
' ' / '

6
5
4
3
2
_
L
a b C d U f g h
31 BWg4! 32. Je3
Whi te cannot take the kni ght by 32. xd6
on account of an attractive mate: 32 . . . .f2
33 . .g1 xg2+! 34 . .xg2 .f1 +35 . .g1 .xg1 #.
C
32 BJxe3 33. Wxe3 9f4
In a posi ti on whi ch is di ffi cul t for the op
ponent it i s l ogi cal to i ncrease the pressure .
Therefore Bel i avsky i s not in a rush to wi n
pawn - 33 . . . txe4 34 . .f1 !? (34 . .e2 td6)
34 . . . tf6 35 . .ae1 , whi ch al l ows White to
acti vate hi s forces .
34. Jd1
Magnus fol l ows the path of l east resi st
ance. 34. Ac2 was stronger: 34 . . . .ef8
35. c5 .f2 36. xeS+ .8f6 37. g3 xg3
38. hxg3 .xc2 39. e5 .e6 40. exd6 .xd6,
and now not 41 . .e8+?! cg7 42 . .e7+ ch6
43 . .xb7 .dd2, but i mmedi atel y 41 . .e7!
.xb2 42 . .f1 , and the acti vi ty of the rooks
secures equal i ty. Therefore Bl ack woul d
apparentl y have had to regroup hi s forces
M. Ca|| sen - J. Nunn
by 35 . . . 'e6 36. fad1 Wf6 37. 'g1 ff2,
but after 38. Ad3 White hol ds the positi on.
34 . . . Wg5 35. ' Wd3?
This al l ows a rook i nvasi on, l eadi ng to the
l oss of a pawn wi thout any compensa
ti on. 35. Af3! ? txe4 36. fad1 was more
resi l i ent, although even here after 36 . . . tf6
fol l owed by . . . e5-e4 the extra pawn shoul d
have the fi nal word.
a b C d U f g h
8
6 g 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
a b C d U f g h
35 . . . ff2 36. Af3 d2 37. Wf1
Also after the queen exchange 37. We3
Wxe3 38. fxe3 fxb2 the endgame i s hope
l ess for Whi te.
37 .. J axb2 38. ad1 d8 39. c4?!
The cunni ng 39. Ag4 (with the i dea of fxd6)
is parried by the cool -headed 39 . . . 'g7.
39 . . . g7
I n ti me-troubl e one wants to pl ay as sol
i dl y as possi bl e, but 39 . . . fxa2 was al so
possi bl e, i ntendi ng to meet 40. c5 wi th
40 . . . tbS 41 . Wc4 fad2.
40. 'd3 f7 41 . 'a3 dd2 42. xd2
'xd2 43. d1 xa2 44. 'e7 Wc3
45. h4
If 45. Wxb7 or 45. ff1 , then 45 . . . fa1 i s al so
CT
deci si ve. Two pawns down, White pl ayed
on for another ten moves before curtai l i ng
hi s hopel ess resi stance.
Game 1 7
M. Carl sen - J. Nunn
Amsterdam 2006
1 . e4 c5 2. f3 d6 3. d4 f6 4. c3
cxd4 5. xd4 a6 6. Ae3 e5 7. f3 Ae7
8. Ac4 0-0 9. 0-0 Ae6 1 0. Ab3 c6
1 1 . We2 aS 12. fd1 xb3 13. cxb3!?
The mai n conti nuati on 1 3. axb3 We? i s con
si dered to be sound enough for Bl ack, and
so Carl sen turns onto a l ess wel l -expl ored
path, openi ng the c-fi l e for hi s rook and pre
venti ng the devel opment of the queen at c7.
a b C d U f g h
W
Q
g g g
g
Q
6
5
5
4
4
3
_
5v
3
_
L
a b C d U f g h
1 3 . . . 'e8
Two years later the game Carlsen -l vanchuk
(Morel i a/Li nares 2008) conti nued 13 . . . td7
1 4. td2 Wc7 1 5. fac1 ffeS 1 6. tdS Wd8
1 7. fxeS fxeS 1 S. txe7+ Wxe7 1 9. tc4
Axc4 20. bxc4 teS 21 . b3 fc6 and Bl ack
mai ntai ned the balance. Wi th the exchange
of the dark-square bi shop the d6-pawn i s
weakened, of course, but it proves i mpos
si bl e to approach i t.
Chapter2 The WaytO the TOp
14. e1
Thi s move i ndi cates that Carl sen i s fami l
i ar wi th t he theory even of t hi s fai rl y rare
vari ati on. 1 4. Ag5, attempti ng to expl oi t
the weakness of the d5-poi nt, i s parri ed
by 14 . . . th5! (thi s possi bi l ity i s based on
tacti cs: 1 5. txe5 i s not possi bl e because
of 1 5 . . . f6), pl ayed i n the game Movsesi an
Babul a (Czech Team Champi onshi p 2005-
6) . After the exchange of Bl ack' s ' bad'
bi shop the chances are equal .
14 . . . hS
Later, at the rapi d tournament i n Cap
d'Agde 2006, Karj aki n pl aye
d
more ener
geti cal l y agai nst Carlsen: 1 4 . . . tg4 1 5. tc2
f5 1 6. f3 txe3 1 7. txe3 fxe4 1 S. txe4
ldS 1 9. td5, and a posi ti on wi th equal
chances was reached.
1 5. c2
The kni ght i s transferred to the key poi nt
of the posi ti on - d5.
1 5 . . . 'd7 1 S. b4 gfc8 1 7. f3 .dS
1 8, gd3
By threateni ng the doubl i ng of rooks on
the d-fi l e, Whi te does not al l ow ti me for
. . . b7-b5.
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1 8 . . . a5
Thi s weakeni ng of the queensi de squares
by Bl ack is associ ated wi th an i ncorrect
i dea. Possi bl y the experi enced grandmas
ter was not attracted by the exchangi ng
operati on 1 S . . . Aa5 1 9. tbd5 txd5 (or
1 9 . . . Axd5 20. txd5 AdS 21 . lad1 te8
22. lc3 tf6) 20. txd5 AdS (not 20 . . . b5
21 . Ab6) 21 . lad1 , l eadi ng to a passi ve
positi on, whi ch, however, is not easy to
breach.
CZ
1 9. bd5 xd5 20. xd5 a4?!
I l l ogi cal - why undoubl e the white pawns?
20 . . . la6 21 . lad1 lac6 was in the spi ri t of
the posi ti on, with the i dea of 22. lc3 Axd5.
20 . . . b5 and 20 . . .f5 were al so possi bl e.
21 . bxa4 gxa4 22. b3 gas 23. gad1
gas?
A strange move, to put i t mi l dl y, l eadi ng
to the l oss of a pawn. If Bl ack was i ntend
i ng to exchange on d5, 23 . . . Wb5 24. a4
WeS 25. tb4 laaS was more l ogi cal , at
l east provoki ng a weakeni ng of the b3-
pawn. 23 . . . f5 came i nto consi derati on,
wi th the threat of 24 . . . fxe4 25. fxe4 Ag4,
whi l e i f 24. Wf2? White has to reckon with
24 . . . Axd5 25. lxd5 f4.
24. bS .xbS 25 . .xbS gas 2S. gxdS
We7
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M. Ca|| sen- J. Nunn
27. Wb2!
Apparentl y when he pl ayed 23 . . J a5
Bl ack mi ssed thi s possi bi l i ty, hopi ng for
27 . .d8+ .xd8 28. Axd8 C5+ 29. <h1
'a3, when he regai ns the pawn (30. fd2?
Axb3 31 . axb3 c1 + 32 . .d1 fa1 ). Now,
however, the queen i s switched to i ts own
wi ng, where i t supports the advance of
the pawns.
27 . . . Wg5?!
Of course, 27 . . . fxb6? 28. fxb6 c5+
29. f2 does not work, but Bl ack shoul d
have reconci l ed hi msel f to 27 . . . faa8 28. a4
f6, si nce the attempt to devel op counter
pl ay on the ki ngsi de is unreal i sti c.
28. a4 h5 29. a5 h4 30. b4 !aa8
White has made progress wi th hi s attack
on the queensi de, whereas Bl ack' s pl ay
has come to a standsti l l , si nce after 30 . . .
h3 31 . fd8+ .xd8 32 . .xd8+ <h7 33. d2
'xd2 (otherwi se b4-b5) 34 . .xd2 fa8
35. g4 he l oses hi s h3-pawn.
31. Wd2
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31 . . . Wxd2
Bl ack i s forced to agree to the exchange
of queens, si nce otherwi se after 31 . . . h5
32. h3 the queen remai ns out of pl ay, pas
si vel y observi ng the breakthrough by the
a-pawn: 32 . . . g6 33. fc1 .xc1 + 34. xc1
.c8 35. d2 (al so good i s 35. xc8+ AxeS
36 . .xg6 fxg6 37. b5 <f7 38. Ac7 <e6
39. <f2, when the march of the ki ng to
the queensi de l eads to the wi nni ng of the
e5- and h4-pawns) 35 . . . fc4 36. Ae3 <h7
37 . .b6, wi nni ng the b6-pawn.
32. !1 xd2 !c4 33. Ac5 !c8 34. !b6
!c7 35. f2 h7 36. Ad6 !d7
36 . . . fc2 37. <e1 fc1 + 38. fd1 l eads to
the exchange of a pai r of rooks and the
l oss of the e5-pawn.
37. e3 f6
Parti ng wi th the e5-pawn, but al so hope-
l ess i s 37 . . . fc3+ 38. fd3 fxd3+ 39. <xd3
f6 40. <c3, when Whi te creates a passed
pawn.
38. Axe5 fxe5 39. !xe6 !xd2
40. xd2 !xb4 41 . !xe5 !b2+ 42. c3
!xg2 43. !h5+ g6 44. !xh4 !a2
45. b4
Bl ack resi gned.
After hi s notabl e performance i n the Worl d Cup, Carl sen was al so guaranteed i nvi ta
ti ons to the maj or al l -pl ay-al l tournaments. Neverthel ess, he coul dn' t refrai n from a tri p
to Reykj avi k to take part i n the tradi ti onal Open. Magnus was l eadi ng up to the l ast
round, but he contri ved to lose a better endgame to the Egypti an Adl y, whose rati ng
was 1 50 poi nts l ower than hi s. The resul t was a share of 6th-9th pl aces wi th a score of
CO
6% poi nts out of 9. A more seri ous test awai ted hi m at a FI DE category 1 7 tournament
in Sarajevo with a wel l -bal anced young fi el d of six parti ci pants. In the absence of any
obvi ous outsi ders, the tournament concl uded with a uni que resul t:
1 ' was suffi ci ent

for a share of fi rst pl ace. Carl sen gai ned hi s onl y wi n wi th Bl ack agai nst the Bosni an
Borki Predoj evi c, and for cl ear vi ctory i n the tournament he needed to do the same i n
the l ast round wi th Whi te, but he pl ayed on to a di ffi cul t endgame, whi ch he saved onl y
by a mi racl e. The resul t was a share of 1 st-3rd pl aces wi th Ni si peanu and Mal akhov
(5% poi nts from 1 0 games) .
Part of the ' compul sory' program for 2006 was the Ol ympi ad i n Turi n. Al though Norway
does not number among the ' chess' countries and the team faced matches in the second
echel on, Magnus showed hi msel f to be a genui ne l eader. On board 1 he scored 6 poi nts
in 8 games, whi ch enabl ed the Norwegi an team to fi ni sh in an honourabl e 31 st pl ace.
Carl sen' s star status di d not affect hi s patri oti c sense, and he thought that he
shoul d al so pl ay i n the Norwegi an Champi onshi p. Thi s strol l i n an easy tournament
(FI DE category 9) proved in fact to be qui te di ffi cul t - a share of 1 st-2nd pl aces wi th
hi s fi rst mentor, Agdestei n (7 poi nts out of 9) . The match for the ti tl e of champi on was
won 3-1 by the pupi l .
The tournament i n Bi el , hel d wi th the same format as i n the previ ous year, attracted
an even stronger fi el d (FI DE category 1 7), wi th the parti ci pati on of the wi nners of the
precedi ng tournaments, Al exander Morozevi ch (2003 and 2004) and Andrey Vol oki ti n
(2005). I t was the games wi th them that determi ned Carl sen' s resul t. He achi eved the
i mpossi bl e - he won twi ce agai nst Morozevi ch, but he al so l ost twi ce to Vol oki ti n. As
for Morozevi ch, on thi s occasi on too he was i rrepressi bl e and he agai n won ' Bi el ' by
a margi n of 1 % poi nts from Carl sen and Radj abov, who shared 2nd-3rd pl aces wi th
6 poi nts out of 1 0.
Standi ng apart in the seri es of strong tournaments was the rapi d-pl ay event in the
French town of Cap D'Agde (FI DE category 1 4), where i n hi s semi -fi nal match Carl sen
l ost %-1 % to Karj aki n.
Game 1 8
M. Carl sen M. Adams
Ol ympi ad, Turi n 2006
Nimzo-lndian Defence [ E20]
1 . f3 f6 2. c4 e6 3. c3 Ab4 4. g3
o-o 5. Ag2 d5 6. d4
Si nce the 1 4th worl d champi on Vl adi mi r
Kramni k i ntroduced t he Catal an Openi ng
i nto hi s repertoi re, i nterest i n posi ti ons of
thi s type has greatl y i ncreased. Thi s theme
was taken up by Carl sen, who i s al so not
C
averse to pl ayi ng wi th a fi anchettoed bi sh
op. Thi s same posi ti on can al so ari se i n the
Romani shi n Vari ati on of the Ni mzo- l ndi an
Defence. I ts vi rtues i ncl ude pi ece pressure
on the centre, and i ts drawbacks - the
vul nerabi l i ty of the c4-pawn, whi ch i s not
the case in the Catal an Openi ng.
6 . . . dxc4 7. 0-0
Fi rst cl ari fyi ng the bi shop' s posi ti on by
7. a3! ? al so comes i nto consi derati on.
M. Ca|| sen - M. Adams
Analys/sd/ag|am
a) 7 . . . Axc3+ 8. bxc3 and after the attempt
to defend the c4-pawn - 8 . . . c6 (if 8 . . .
b5, then 9. a4! i s good, taki ng pl ay al ong
si mi l ar l i nes) there can fol l ow 9. Ce5!
td5 1 0. Vc2 b5 1 1 . e4 Cf6 1 2. a4 Ab7
1 3. Aa3 e8 1 4. b1 ! wi th the threat of
1 5. Cxc4. 8 . . . Cbd7 is more cauti ous,
after whi ch White carri es out a pl an typi
cal of such posi ti ons: 9. 0-0 c6 1 0. a4
b5 1 1 . Aa3 e8 1 2. Cd2 Cd5 1 3. Vc2
Ab7 1 4. Ce4;
b) 7 . . . Ae7 8. Va4 a6 9. Vxc4 b5 1 0. Vd3
Ab7 1 1 . Ag5 Cbd7 1 2. b4 a5! ? 1 3. 0-0
axb4 1 4. axb4 Axb4 1 5. Cxb5 c5
16. dxc5 xa1 1 7. xa1 Axc5 wi th an
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I f 8 . . . Ae7 White concentrates hi s forces
in the centre: 9. e4 Ca5 1 0. Ae3 a6 1 1 . Ve2
b5 1 2. ad1 , threateni ng to l aunch an of
fensi ve. Noteworthy, for exampl e, is the
game Matl akov- Emel i n (St. Petersburg
2009): 1 2 . . . Ab7 1 3. Cg5 Cd7 1 4. h4 Ve8
1 5. f4 Cb3 1 6. e5 Axg2 1 7. xg2 h6 1 8. d5!
Cdc5 (White al so has a dangerous attack
after 1 8 . . . hxg5 1 9. hxg5 g6 20. Vg4 g7
21 . Ce4 h8 22. Cf6) 1 9. Vg4 d8 20. f5
exf5 21 . xf5 g6 22. Cge4 h7 23. Vf4
1 -0.
equal game (Radj abov-Topal ov, Sofi a
9. bxc3 Eb8 1 0. Ag5 b5
2008) .
7 . . . tc6
Bl ack i s prepari ng an attack on the centre
by . . . e6-e5. The al ternati ve is the under
mi ni ng move 7 . . . c5. Therefore it is more
accurate to cl ari fy the bi shop' s posi ti on
on the 7th move.
8. a3
jseenextd/ag|am)
8 0 0 . Axc3
Pl ayi ng thi s posi ti on wi th Bl ack, Carl sen
tri ed retreati ng hi s bi shop - 8 . . . Aa5 9. e3
e5 10. txe5 Cxe5 1 1 . dxe5 Vxd1 1 2. xd1
d7 1 3. f4 Cc5 and he equal i sed i n Ped
ersen -Carl sen (Aal borg 2006).
After the i ncl usi on of 1 0 . . . h6 1 1 . Ah4 the
conti nuati on 1 1 . . . b5 1 2. e4 e5 l eads to a
transposi ti on of moves. The dangers of
wi nni ng the bi shop - 1 1 . . . g5 1 2. Cxg5
hxg5 1 3. Axg5 ar e wel l demonstrated
by the game l vani sevi c- Mas (Bi el 2008):
1 3 . . . g7 1 4. e4 Ce7 1 5. f4 Ch7 1 6. Vh5
Cxg5 1 7. fxg5 e5 1 8. f6 Cg8 1 9. af1 Ve7
20. Vh4 Vd8 21 . Vh5 Ve7 22. dxe5 Ae6
23. g6 Ch6 24. gxf7 h8 25. f8Vf+ 1 -0.
1 1 . e4
CO
Carl sen consi ders a more effecti ve way
of expl oi ti ng the pi n on the kni ght to be
1 1 . Cd2! ? Ab7 (after 1 1 . . . Ce7 1 2. Axf6 gxf6
1 3. Ce4 the weakness of the c5-square i s
di scl osed) 1 2. te4 ta5 1 3. txf6+ gxf6 1 6 Bie8?!
1 4. Ah6.
11 h6 12. Jh4 e5
12 . . . g5?! i s ri sky: 1 3. txg5 hxg5 1 4. Axg5
e5 1 5. d5 wi th a dangerous attack for
Whi te.
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For Magnus, who is noted for hi s concrete
thi nki ng, there is no reason to avoi d an
endgame where he has a spati al advantage
and the two bi shops. Nothi ng si gni fi cant is
promi sed by 1 3. d5 ta5 - after 1 4. a4 there
can fol l ow 1 4 . . . g5 1 5. txg5 hxg5 1 6. Axg5
'd6, and the pi n does not succeed.
1 3 xe5 1 4. dxe5 Wxd1 1 5. fxd1
d7
If 1 5 . . . tg4 Carl sen was i ntendi ng 1 6. AdS
b7 1 7. f4 te3 1 8. d2 txg2 1 9. xg2,
when Whi te gai ns an enduri ng advantage
thanks to his control of the d-fi l e.
1 6. f4
Bl ack' s posi ti on i s unenvi abl e: the rook
on d1 severs hi s defensi ve resources i n
two, and t he bi shop pai r i s ready t o begi n
operati ng at ful l power.
Pl ayed on general grounds: Bl ack pre
vents the transference of the bi shop to
the queensi de. Annotati ng the game i n
lnformator, Adams suggests a more prom
i si ng way to resi st: 16 . . . txe5! 1 7. Ae7! e8
1 8. fxe5 xe7 1 9. d8+ h7 20. Ah3 Axh3
21 . xb8 xe5 22. b7! xe4. Despite the
exchange advantage, the weakeni ng of
White's peri phery al l ows Bl ack to i niti ate
counterpl ay, for exampl e: 23. xb5 e2
24. c5 g2+ 25. h1 c2 26. xc4 Ag2+
27. g1 c6 28. a4 Ad5 29. xa7 g2+
30. f1 xh2 31 . e1 g6 or 23. f2 e5
24. xc7 f5+ 25. e3 a6, and White has
nothi ng real .
1 7. e6!
A bri l l i ant posi ti onal pawn sacri fi ce for
the sake of i ncl udi ng the g2-bi shop in the
game.
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1 7 fxe6
As though bewitched, Adams cal cul ated
the consequences of capturi ng the pawn
and deci ded on the move i n the game.
The capture wi th the rook 17 . . . xe6 di d
not appeal to hi m because of 1 8. e5 g5
1 9. fxg5 txe5 20. d8+ g7 21 . gxh6+
gxh6 22. ge1 ! ge6 23. ge3, and now i f
23 . . . d3? there fol l ows 24. gxe6 fxe6
when Bl ack cannot di sentangl e hi msel f.
Rybka, whi ch does not suffer from i l l u
si ons, defends by 23 . . . f6! ? 24. Ad5 geb6
25. gg8+ h6, and al though the ki ng's
posi ti on l ooks suspi ci ous, i t cannot be cap
tured. However, 1 8. Ad8! i s more cunni ng
(to j udge by the game, Carl sen had thi s
move i n mi nd): 1 8 . . . c6 1 9. e5 wi th the threat
of 20. Ah3.
But i t i s not essenti al to take the pawn!
I t i s surpri si ng, but i n thei r commentari es
on the game nei ther Adams nor Carl sen
even consi dered 17 . . . c5! 1 8. exf7+ xf7
1 9. e5 Ab7, when Bl ack safel y compl etes
his devel opment.
18. e5 xeS
The onl y possi bl e way of offeri ng at l east
some resi stance. 1 8 . . . g5 is dubi ous:
1 9. fxg5 xe5 20. gxh6 Ab7 21 . Af6 d3
22. g4, and the passed pawns are bound
to deci de the game.
19 . .d8!
An excel l ent i ntermedi ate move! Bl ack, un
der the cross-fi re of the bi shops, i s forced
to gi ve up the exchange.
19 . . d3 20. Jxc7 Sb7 21 . Jxb7 Jxb7
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22. a4!
Carl sen' s pl ay i n thi s endgame i s admi
rabl e. Depth i s combi ned wi t h concrete
deci si on-taki ng. I t is wel l known that the
si de who i s the exchange ahead shoul d
ai m for the exchange of the opponent' s
rook, to depri ve hi m of counterpl ay. The
young Norwegi an i s prepared to sacri fi ce
a pawn to achi eve thi s objecti ve.
22 . . . bxa4 23. Sdb1 .c6 24. Sb8 f7
Bl ack coul d have prevented the i nvasi on
of the rook by pl ayi ng 24 . . . gxb8 25. Axb8
a6 26. Ad6 f7 27. lb1 Ab5, but not for
l ong. After 28. g2 f6 29. f3 h5 30. e4
Whi te advances hi s ki ngsi de pawns, and
after the openi ng of one of the fi l es the
rook penetrates i nto the rear.
25. Sxe8 xeS
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26 . .d6
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The game enters the techni cal phase. Fi rst
the path of the a4- pawn must be bl ocked.
C1
26 . . . a6 27. Eb1 h5?!
I l l ogi cal . If possi bl e, the i nvasi on of the rook
shoul d be prevented - 27 . . . Ab5. However,
after 28. g2 h5 29. f3 f7 30. e4 White
woul d have obtai ned the posi ti on consi d
ered i n the note to Bl ack's 24th move. Now
Bl ack l oses a pawn.
28. Sb6 d7
I f 28 . . . Ab5 there fol l ows 29 . .b7 Ad?

30 . .a?.
29. Af8 g6 30. xa6
Bl ack has a pawn for the exchange, and
i n addi ti on i t i s passed. But thi s does not
change the eval uati on of the endi ng: White
shoul d wi n, al though i t wi l l be a l engthy
process.
30 . . . e5 31 . fxe5 txe5 32. h4 tg4
The c3-pawn i s i mmune: 32 . . . tf3+ 33. f2
td2 34. e3 te4? 35 . .xc6.
33. Ag7 c7 34. Ad4
The bi shop has handed over control of the
a4-pawn to the rook, but i t i s performi ng
an i mportant rol e by preventi ng the ma
noeuvre of the kni ght to e4. The kni ght
must fi nd another way of tyi ng the ki ng to
the defence of the g3- pawn, si nce agai nst
passi ve defence it wi l l head towards the
a4-pawn.
34 . . . th6 35. f2 tf5 36. Ac5 d7
37. Ab4
' The Moor has done hi s duty, l et hi m go! '
The rook i s freed to go i n pursui t of the
pawns.
37 . . . c7
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38. a7+
38 . .aS! was stronger: 38 . . . b6 39 . .c5
td6 40. e3 ebS (i n the event of 40 . . . <c?
41 . f4 b6 42 . .g5 the g6- pawn is lost)
41 . .xc4 a3 42. Ac5+ c7 43 . .a4 txc3
44 . .xa3 and White wi ns the pawn.
38 . . . b6 39. f7 th6 40. e7 Ad5
Adams defends resourceful l y, doi ng eve
rythi ng possi bl e to prevent the whi te ki ng
from crossi ng the 3rd rank. But Carl sen
fi nds a subtl e rook manoeuvre, whi ch
destabi l i ses the defence.
41 . d7! tg4+ 42. e2 Ae4 43. d4!
Ad3+ 44. f3 th2+ 45. f4 tf1
46. d6+ b5 47. d5+ b6 48. a5
Ac2 49. e5 Ad3 50. f3
50. g4! ? hxg4 51 . xg4 was stronger, not
al l owi ng Bl ack the chance whi ch occurred
in the game.
50 . . . td2+ 51 . f4 tf1 ?
Adams mi sses the opportuni ty to advance
his pawn to a3 - 51 . . . tb1 ! , wi th chances
of hol di ng the new defensi ve l i ne.
Analys|sd|ag|am
Here are the vari ati ons gi ven by Adams:
CC
a) 52 . .aS a3 53. g5 Ac2 54. g4 (54. fa8
b7 55. fa5 b6, pursui ng the rook)
54 . . . hxg4 55. xg4 Ab3 56. g5 Ac2,
and by reduci ng the pawn materi al ,
Bl ack hol ds on;
b) 52. e3! a3 53 . .aS Ac2 54. d4 Ab3
fol l owed by 55 . . . a2.
But Whi te's pl ay can be i mproved. I n vari
ati on b) i nstead of 53. aS he can wi n the
c4-pawn - 53. <d4! Ac2 (53 . . . <b7 54. as
b6 55. a4! Ac2 56. Ac5+ <c6 57. a6+!
b7 58. aS) 54. Ac5+! (of course, not
54. <xc4?? Cd2+ and the pawn can
not be stopped) 54 . . . <c6 55. <xc4. To
convert the passed c3-pawn Whi te must
l i ft the bl ockade of the c4-square, whi ch
Bl ack can set up by 55 . . . Cd2+ 56. <b4
a2 57. e6+ d5 58. a6 Ab1 . Thi s i s
achi eved by the manoeuvre of the bi shop
to b2 - 59. a3! Cc4 60. aa td2 61 . Ae3
lc4 62. Ag5 CeS 63. <b3 Cc4 64. Ac1
cs (64 . . . Cd6 65. aS+) 65. a4 <bs
66. l:b4+ <aS 67. Ab2, and t he c- pawn
begi ns advanci ng.
Of course, under the strict ti me control i t
was i mpossi bl e to cal cul ate al l these sub
tl eti es, but thi s was Adams' onl y chance
of savi ng the game.
52. g4
There i s no other way of breachi ng Bl ack' s
defences.
52 . . . hxg4 53. xg4 d2 54. f4 b3?
And here the onl y savi ng chance was
54 . e . Cb1 ! , wi th the hope of exchangi ng
the a-pawn for t he h4- pawn. However, as
Adams shows in hi s anal ysi s, after Whi te's
best conti nuati on 55. <e3! he woul d have
retai ned wi nni ng chances.
Analys|sd|ag|am
a) 55 . . . a3 56. <d4 Ac2 (the attempt to at
tack the h4-pawn after 56 . . . Cd2 l eads
to the temporary removal of the kni ght
to the edge of the board, whi ch al l ows
White to pi ck up the a3-pawn and l aunch
an attack on the ki ng: 57. l:e6+ <bS
58. Axa3 Cf3+ 59. <d5 Cxh4 60. Ac5
Cf3 61 . l:b6+ <as 62. b4 or 57 . . . <b7
58. Axa3 Cf3+ 59. <cS Cxh4 60. l:e7+)
57. Ac5+! <c6 58. <xc4 td2+ 59. <b4
a2 60. l:e6+ <d5 61 . l:a6 Ab1 62. Ae3
Cc4. Al though Bl ack has set up a
bl ockade on c4, i t is not di ffi cul t to l i ft
i t: 63. Ad4 td6 64. a5+ <e4 65. Af6
<d3 66. a3 Cc4 67. aa Ce3 68. c4,
and the pawn begi ns advanci ng;
b) 55 . . . b7 56. as a3 57. <d4 Cd2
58. <d5 (58. xa3 l eads to the l oss of
the h4-pawn: 58 . . . Cf3+ 59. <dS Cxh4
60. Ac5 Cf5 61 . l:a7+ <c8) 58 . . . Cb1
59. l:b5+ <c8 60. <d4 Cd2 61 . <e3
tf1 + 62. <f2 Cd2 63. a5 tb1 64. <e3
<b7 65. <d4 td2 66. <dS tb1 . I n thi s
positi on, although White has retai ned an
advantage, Bl ack has more chances of
hol di ng the posi ti on, havi ng in mi nd an
attack on the h4- pawn.
55. le6+
The kni ght on b3 i s essenti al l y out of pl ay
and i t is easi er to attack the pawn on a4
than on a2, as was exami ned in the note
to Bl ack' s 51 st move.
55 . . . b5
C
The a4-pawn i s al so not saved by 55 . . . <b7
56. <es Cd2 57. <d5 Cf3 (or 57 . . . Cb1
58. e7+ <b6 59. Ac5+ <bS 60. b7+
<a6 61 . a7+ <bS 62. Ab4) 58. l:e7+ <b6
59. Ac5+ <bS 60. b7+ <a6 61 . l:a7+ <bS
62. Ae7 td2 63. Ad8 and the i nevi tabl e
aS+ (Adams).

... C:
h
.
a
:
pt
:
e
r
'
2
:....
The W
a
y to t
he To
p
56. e8 c1
The posi ti on cannot be hel d by 56 . . . b6
57. !a8 b5 58. e5 Ac2 59. d5 Ad3
60. !b8+ a6 61 . c6 Ae4+ 62. c7, when
Bl ack i s i n zugzwang (Adams) .
57. b8+ c6 58. a8 e2+ 59. f3
g1 + 60. e3 e2 61 . xa4
The ti tani c work has neverthel ess con
cl uded wi th the wi n of the pawn. Now White
can permi t hi msel f to swi tch to an attack
on the g6-pawn.
61 B d5 62. a5+ e6 63. a2 g3
64. f4 f5 65. a6+ f7 66. g5
g3 67. a7+ g8 68. f6 h5+
69. e5 g3 70. Ac5 f5 71 . Af2!
After the kni ght' s manoeuvrabi l i ty has been
restri cted, the game qui ckl y concl udes.
71 . . . h6 72. Ad4 f5 73. f6
Bl ack resi gned.
Game 1 9
M. Carl sen - A. Morozevi ch
Bi el 2006
King's Indian Defence [ 97]
1 . d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 Ag7 4. e4 d6
5. f3 0-0 6. Ae2 e5 7. 0-0 c6 8. d5
e7 9. a4
A rare conti nuati on i n the cl assi cal variati on
of the Ki ng's I ndi an Defence, whi ch used to
be practi sed in the late 1 980s. Nowadays
i t i s consi dered that White's mai n plan i n
volves the preparati on of c4-c5, whi ch can
be begun with an i mmediate 9. b4 or after the
preparatory moves 9. te1 , 9. td2 or 9. Ad2.
9 . . . a5
I t was because of thi s repl y, fi xi ng the b4-
square, that the move 9. a4 went out of
use. Thi s makes it al l the more i nteresti ng
- what has Carl sen prepared?
7
6
s @
-
/
3
2
a b c d U f g h
1 0. b3!
8
6
5
-
3
Here it i s! To support the move b4 White
bri ngs out hi s bi shop to a3. Thi s i s a fresh
i dea in the gi ven posi ti on - the kni ght
remai ns at f3, in order in the event of . . .
f7-f5 to proceed vi a g 5 to e6. I t shoul d
be menti oned that the fi rst seri ous test of
thi s vari ati on occurred i n the Worl d Cup
i n the game Korchnoi - Kasparov ( Bar
cel ona 1 989), whi ch conti nued 1 0. te1
td7 1 1 . Ae3 f5 1 2. f3 tc5! 1 3. td3 b6
1 4. b4! txd3! 1 5. 'xd3 axb4 1 6. tb5 h8
1 7. 'b3 tg8 1 8. 'xb4, and here, as Kasp
arov shows, Bl ack woul d have gai ned an
advantage by 1 8 . . . fxe4! 1 9. fxe4 !xf1 +
20. !xf1 Ah6! 21 . Af2 tf6! .
1 0 . . . d7 11. Aa3 Ah6
Of course, 1 1 . . .f5?! 1 2. tg5! tf6 1 3. c5!
h6 1 4. cxd6 cxd6 1 5. te6 Axe6 1 6. dxe6
woul d have been too bi g a concessi on to
Whi te. Apart from the spi ke-pawn on e6,
whi ch cramps Bl ack, hi s own pawn on d6
needs defendi ng.
M. Ca|| sen - A. MO|Ozev| Oh
12. b4 axb4 1 3. Axb4 f5
a b c d e f g h
-
$W $
& & A
s
5
/
5
4
/ / /
4
3
_ _
3
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l \ l
a b c d e f g h
Here we can take stock of White's openi ng
i dea. Compared wi th the 9. b4 variati on, he
i s as though a tempo down, si nce hi s pawn
has gone to b4 in two moves, whi ch, how
ever, i s not of great i mportance. The mai n
i deas of thi s posi ti on are wel l known: White
prepares c4-c5, and Bl ack, whi l e tryi ng to
prevent thi s, ti es down the white pi eces by
the rei nforcement of the f5-e4 pawn ten
si on, not hurryi ng wi th the exchange. As for
the plan of advanci ng the ki ngsi de pawns i n
connecti on wi th . . .f5-f4, i n the gi ven si tua
ti on (wi th the bi shop on h6) i t i s unfounded,
si nce White gets i n fi rst wi th hi s attack on
the queensi de. I n thi s respect i t i s useful to
be fami l i ar with van Wel y's games with l van
chuk (Wij k aan Zee 1 999) and Pi ket (Monaco
1 997).
14. td2
A typi cal manoeuvre. Si nce the kni ght' s
route to g5 i s bl ocked, i t defends the e4-
pawn and i s ready from b3 to support the
c4-c5 advance.
Al so a typi cal manoeuvre i n thi s type of
posi ti on. The ki ng moves off the a2-g8 di
agonal i n good ti me (whi ch i s useful i n the
T
event of c4-c5) and vacates the g8-square
for the kni ght, whi ch at e7 is too passi vel y
pl aced. From here the kni ght can be pl ayed
to f6, supporti ng the attack on the e4-pawn.
1 5. a5 If7
For the moment t here i s nothi ng new.
White conti nues sei zi ng space, whi l e Bl ack
strengthens hi s queensi de defences and
i s not i n a hurry to remove the support of
the f5-pawn.
1 6. tb5
Carl sen i s true to hi s aggressi ve styl e. He
presses on the queensi de, di spl ayi ng hi s
readi ness to sacri fi ce the e4- pawn and
hopi ng to use hi s pi eces on the adjacent
a2-g8 and a1 -h8 di agonal s.
1 6 . . . tf6
Bl ack accepts the chal l enge. The posi
ti on demands concrete deci si ons, and
Morozevi ch thi nks that the manoeuvre of
hi s other kni ght to f6 vi a g8 is too sl ow,
si nce he has to reckon wi th 1 7. exf5 gxf5
1 8. c2 when he agai n faces a di l emma
- how to operate wi th hi s kni ghts.
1 7. c5 dxc5
After 17 . . . Axd2 1 8. xd2 t:xe4 White had
prepared 1 9. a2! dxc5 20. d6, attacki ng
rook and kni ght.
a b c d e f g h
s
5
4 4
3 3
_
/ / /
_
"
a b c d e f g h
1 8 B .c3
Outwardl y a themati c move: by capturi ng
the eS-pawn, the bi shop puts the bl ack
ki ng under an ' X- ray' attack. But i n the
gi ven si tuati on thi s i s goi ng too far. Carl sen
commi ts a mi stake, typi cal of youth: he
fai l s to reckon wi th the opponent's coun
terpl ay. There was no poi nt i n rejecti ng
1 8. AxeS, si nce after 18 . . . Axd2 1 9. 'xd2
lxe4 20. 'b2! Bl ack has no way of op
posi ng Whi te's attack on the l ong di ago
nal : 20 . . . lxcS 21 . 'xeS+ g8 22. lxc7.
Now i n the event of 22 . . . ld7 23. Wc3 !a7
24. !fd1 lf6 2S. d6 lc6 26. Ac4 White
real i ses the attacki ng concepti on begun
wi th 1 6. !bS - hi s pi eces domi nate on the
a2-g8 and a1 -h8 di agonal s. There onl y
remai ns 22 . . . !b8, but after 23. le6! (thi s
i s stronger than 23. d6 le4) White forci bl y
An anti -posi ti onal move - the doubl ed c
pawns are no adornment to Bl ack' s po
si ti on. The natural 1 9 . . . txc6! suggested
itself: 20. lc4 !d7! 21 . Wc2 txe4 22. tb6
!b8 23. lxd7 Axd7, and after . . . td4 Bl ack
has more than suffi ci ent compensati on for
the sacri fi ced exchange.
20. a3
a b
8
7
6
:
/
4

:
c d e f g h
3W

& 3

/
/ / /

8
7
6
:
4
:
transposes i nto a favourabl e endgame: a b c d e f g h
23 . . . WxdS 24. WxdS !xdS 2S. e xeS !c7
26. !fc1 lf4 27. Af1 .
20 . . . fxe4
1 8 . . . c6!
Thi s way, wi thout a moment' s respi te! I n
the event of 1 8 . . . Axd2 1 9. Wxd2 txe4
20. AxeS+ g8 21 . Wb2 White woul d have
achi eved hi s ai m.
1 9. dxc6?!
Carl sen beats a retreat, rel yi ng onl y on
t he posi ti onal pl uses associ ated wi th
the kni ght' s post on t he c4 bl ockadi ng
square. And wrongl y so! By the pi ece
sacri fi ce 1 9. AxeS cxbS 20. AxbS !xaS
21 . !xaS WxaS 22. tc4 White coul d have
conti nued the attack: 22 . . . Wd8 23. ld6
!f8 24. Axf6+ !xf6 2S. Wa1 Wf8 26. eS,
regai ni ng the sacri fi ced materi al and retai n
i ng the i ni ti ati ve (Sergey Shi pov) .
1 9 B B B bxc6?!
The attempt to wi n thi s pawn wi th the kni ght
after 20 . . . Axd2 woul d have been parri ed
by the i ntermedi ate move 21 . tc4! (after
21 . Axd2?! txe4 22. Ac3 Wc7 23. Ab2
tdS 24. lc4 !e7 2S. f4 Aa6 26. e xeS g8
the bl ack kni ghts domi nate in the centre
of the board) 21 . . . txe4 22. AxeS+ g8
23. f3, and White regai ns the pi ece, retai n
i ng al l the pl uses of hi s posi ti on. As Vi k
tor Mi khal evsky has shown, Bl ack woul d
have had t o go i n for a forci ng vari ati on:
23 . . . WdS! 24. fxe4 Ae3+ 2S. txe3 WxeS
26. tg4! fxg4 27. Wd8+ g7 28. !xf7+
xf7 29. !f1 + tfS 30. Ac4+ g7 31 . Wg8+
h6 32. exfS gxfS 33. h1 !?, where the
doubl ed extra pawns are of no i mportance,
but Whi te's i ni ti ati ve remai ns. After the i n
cl usi on of 33. Wf8+ gS 34. h1 Bl ack
can sacri fi ce the exchange - 34 . . . Aa6!
Z
M. Ca|| sen- A. MO|Ozev| Oh
3S. 'xa8 Axc4 36. !:g1 AdS wi th the threat
of forci ng a draw by perpetual check after
. . . Axg2+.
21. ac4! ed5 22 .xeS .g7
23. d6
An i l l ogi cal , reckl ess move, depri vi ng the
posi ti on of i ts strategi c cl ari ty for whi ch
Carlsen was ai mi ng. He shoul d have con
si dered 23. 'a4 e3 ( 23 . . . 'd7 24. 'a3
'e? 2S. Ad6 favours White) 24. fxe3 txe3
2S. !:f2, and after the i nevi tabl e exchange
of a pai r of kni ghts White control s the most
i mportant poi nts on the board.
23 . . J ae7 24.2c4 .e6?
Thi s routi ne central pl ay al l ows White to
advance hi s passed pawn. 24 . . . Aa6! ,
keepi ng the white pi eces under pressure,
was more l ogi cal .
25. a6! b4 26. 'c1
26. 'b1 ! ? (with the threat of tb7) came i nto
consi derati on: 26 . . . 'g8 (both 26 . . . txa6
27. tb6 and 26 . . . !:xa6 27. !:xa6 txa6
28. 'a1 are unfavou rabl e for Bl ack)
27. tb6 !:aa7 and now 28. 'c1 gai ns i n
strength. For exampl e, i f 28 . . . td3 there i s
29. Axd3 exd3 30. 'xcS.
26 . . . d3?!
Understandabl y, Morozevi ch di d not l i ke
26 . . . !:xa6 27. !:xa6 txa6 28. Wa1 ! !:a?
29. f3! e3 30. txe3, when Bl ack is un
abl e t o di sentangl e hi msel f wi thout l os
i ng materi al . But he coul d have taken the
pawn wi th the kni ght: 26 . . . txa6 27. !:d1
(after 27. Wf4 td5 the kni ghts become
coordi nated) 27 . . . AdS 28. 'f4 'f8, and
the kni ght on a6 moves out of ' custody' .
27 .xd3 exd3
a b c d e f 9 h
W
8
7
X
7
6

$
6
5
+ r
5
4
:
4
3
3
2

2
' l l
1
a b c d e f 9 h
28. 'c3?!
A poor move, al l owi ng Bl ack to provoke
favourabl e si mpl i fi cati on whi l e retai ni ng
hi s extra materi al . White coul d have fought
for an advantage wi th the natural 28. !:d1 .
O
28 . . . Axc4! 29. 'xc4?!
After thi s move the d2-pawn remai ns al i ve
and White has to fi ght for equal ity. More ac
curate was 29. txc4 te4 30. 'b2 g8! ?
31 . Axg7 !:xg7 32. tb6 !:aa7 33. !:fd1 with
the i dea after 33 . . . Wd4 34. Wxd4 cxd4
35. !:xd3 c5 of forci ng a draw: 36. tc8
!:a8 37. tb6.
29 . . . 'g8! 30. 'xc5 d2
An i mpul si ve deci si on, provoked by a de
si re i n ti me-troubl e to fi x Whi te's attenti on
on the far-advanced passed d-pawn. From
the standpoi nt of fi ghti ng for an advantage,
30 . . . 'dS! 31 . Wc3 (31 . Wxd5 txd5 32. f4
tb4) 31 . . . th5 32. Axg7 + !:xg7 33. 'b4 c5
34. We4 Wxe4 35. txe4 c4 was stronger.
31 . Jad1 Jxa6?!
One can understand Bl ack's desi re fi nal l y to
capture the annoyi ng passed pawn. Espe
ci al l y si nce i n severe ti me-troubl e it was hard
to eval uate the consequences of the ex-
changi ng variati on 31 . . . \d5! 32. \c3 1xe5!
33. \xe5 \xe5 34. tf7+ g8 35. txe5
te4, where for the moment the d2-pawn
remai ns al i ve, but as Shi pov showed, Bl ack
i s i n no danger: 36. tc4 Ac3 37. f3 Ad4+
38. h1 tf2+ 39. !xf2 Axf2 40. !xd2 1xa6,
and the draw i s not far off.
32. xd2
a b c d e
8
7
6 g
5
4
3
2
& :
W =
d e
f g h
Ww
8
3&
7
&A
6
5
4
3

2

f g h
Wi th the wi n of the d2-pawn Whi te has
al so gai ned a sol i d posi ti onal advantage.
32 . . d5 33 .xg7+ xg7?!
The e-fi l e shoul d not have been conceded.
33 . . . xg7 34. \d4+ tf6 was stronger,
si nce now 34. !e2! woul d have put Bl ack
i n a cri ti cal posi ti on: 34 . . . !e7 (Bl ack woul d
not hol d out much l onger after 34 . . . tc7
35. !fe1 fa8 36. \xc6) 35. fxe7 txe7
36. te8! \xe8 37. \d4+ g8 38. \c4+.
But White mi ssed thi s chance, and every
thi ng turned ful l ci rcl e.
34. h3?! 'e6!
to create a counter-threat - 36 . . . fga7! .
Now the pi ece sacri fi ce 37. fdb2?! \xd6
38. 1b8+ g7 39. 11 b7+ proves i neffecti ve
in vi ew of 39 . . . tc7 (39 . . . te7?? 40. fg8+!
l eads to mate i n three moves), and after
40. !xa7 fxa7 41 . fg8+ f6 Whi te can
count onl y on a draw. Most probabl y
White woul d have had to restri ct hi msel f
to 37. 'd4+ h7 wi th an uncl ear posi ti on.
37. xb6 'e1 + 38. h2
a b c d e f g h
8
8
7
7
6
& A
6
5
&
5
4
4
3
3
2

2
W
a b c d e f g h
38 xb6?
Bl ack overl ooks a queen manoeuvre, wi n
ni ng a pawn, j ust when sal vati on was at
hand: 38 . . . \xd2 39. !xc6 \f4+ 40. \xf4
txf4 and, in vi ew of al l the pawns bei ng
on one wi ng, he can hope for a draw.
39. 'f4! d5?
Al l owi ng a mati ng attack. But al so after
39 . . . \e7 40. Wxh6+ g8 41 . Wf4 td5
42. Wg3 there was no chance of savi ng
the game.
I t i s i mportant not to concede the e-fi l e to
40 xdS! cxdS 41 'fS+ h? 42. ea
the whi te rooks.
35. b1 h6 36. 'c4 b6?
Bl ack resi gned.
By i mpul si vel y ai mi ng to si mpl i fy the posi - Thi s defeat merel y aroused Morozevi ch,
ti on, Morozevi ch mi sses an opportuni ty who won four games i n a row. But then
A. MO|Ozev| Oh - M. Ca|| sen

agai n ' awaiti ng' hi m was Carl sen. On thi s
occasi on Magnus had to demonstrate hi s
defensi ve ski l l i n a diffi cul t posi ti on.
Game 20
A. Morozevi ch - M. Carlsen
Bi el 2006
1. e4 cS 2. f3 c6 3 . .bS f6
Carl sen is seeki ng fresh i deas in an ol d
vari ati on. 3 . . . g6 occurs far more often.
4 q .xc6 dxc6 S. d3 d7 6 . .f4!?
Wi th the kni ght retreat Bl ack prepared the
fi xi ng of the centre wi th . . . e7-e5, and White,
whi l e conti nui ng his devel opment, prevents
this. The pl ay i s more committi ng after 6. e5
eb6. The source game Bol ogan - Lauti er
(Poi kovsky 2003) conti nued 7. tbd2 Af5
8. 0-0 e6 9. b3 Ae7 1 0. Ab2 0-0 1 1 . le1 a5
1 2. a4 td5 1 3. te4 Ve? wi th compl i cated
pl ay. But in thi s vari ati on too Carl sen had
some experi ence: 7. 0-0 c4! 8. d4 Ag4
9. c3 e6 1 0. Ae3 Ae7 1 1 . tbd2 0-0 1 2. ve2
'd5 1 3. b3 va5 1 4. bxc4 ta4 1 5. tb3
(1 5. te4! ?) 15 . . . va6 1 6. h3 Ah5 1 7. Ad2
eb6 1 8. g4 Ag6 1 9. Ag5 Axg5 20. txg5
'xc4 21 . vxc4 txc4, and Bl ack achi eved
the better endgame (Gul l aksen -Carl sen,
Tromso 2006) .
6 . . . g6 7. 'c1 .g7?!
I n hi s comments on the game Carl sen con
si ders that i t was more l ogi cal to prevent
the exchange of hi s bi shop by 7 . . . h6, ai m
i ng to obtai n a posi ti on si mi l ar to the mai n
vari ati on 3 . . . g6 4. Axc6 dxc6.
8 B .h6 WaS+!
A move wi th deep i mpl i cati ons. Magnus
has found a way to avoi d the exchange of
bi shops. If 8 . . . 0-0 there coul d have fol
l owed 9. h4.
9. c3
I f 9. Ad2, then 9 . . . vb6 i s possi bl e.
9 BBeS! 1 0. xeS .xeS 1 1 . d2
a b c d e f 9 h
g
-
5
4 4
3 3
_
a b c d e f 9 h
1 1 . . . 'a6?!
A poor move, and t he i ni ti al cause of
Bl ack' s probl ems. The d3-pawn i s eas
il y defended, whereas for a l ong ti me the
queen proves to be out of pl ay. The more
naturai 1 1 . . . Ae6 1 2. tb3 suggests i tsel f,
and now 1 2 . . . vb5, provoki ng a weaken
i ng of the d4-square (1 2 . . . vb6 1 3. Ae3
Axb3 14. axb3) 1 3. c4 vb6 14. Ae3 Ad4
wi th roughl y equal chances (vari ati on by
Carl sen).
O
12. 'c2
Those fol l owi ng thi s game on the i nternet
wondered what Morozevi ch was thi nki ng
about for so l ong, si nce 12. tc4 i s such
a natural move. However, after 12 . . . Ac7
1 3. ve3 (manoeuvres such as 1 3. Ag7
lg8 1 4. vh6 Ae6 1 5. vxh7 0-0-0 can
hardl y be seri ousl y consi dered) 13 . . . Ae6
1 4. vxc5 0-0-0 White i s forced to swi tch
to defence - 1 S. Ag7 ghe8 1 6. Ad4 <b8,
when hi s pi eces are too cramped. 1 7. 0-0
can be answered by 17 . . .fS! ?, setti ng White
a choi ce - 1 8. AeS gxd3 1 9. Axe?+ <xc7
20. 'eS+ <d? or 1 8. exfS AxfS, in both
cases wi th an acceptabl e game for Bl ack.
1 2 . . . .e6 1 3. f4
White dri ves back the bi shop to c7, i n order
to obtai n the possi bi l i ty of pl ayi ng c3-c4,
rel i evi ng hi s concerns over the d3- pawn
and sti l l further restri cti ng the queen on
a6. I n the event of 1 3. f3 Ac7 1 4. gS
Bl ack need not fear the doubl i ng of hi s a
pawns - 14 . . . 0-0-0 (weaker i s 14 . . . Ad?
1 S. 'b3) 1 S. xe6 fxe6, si nce i t i s not
easy to defend the backward d3- pawn:
after 1 6. c4 AaS+ 1 7. <e2 Bl ack doubl es
rooks on the d-fi l e.
1 3 . . . .c7 14. 0-0 f6
Prepari ng the retreat of the bi shop to f7 i n
the event of f4-fS.
1 cM 0-0-0 1 6. a4!
The vi ce ti ghtens. Bl ack' s posi ti on i s des
perate, si nce Whi te's onl y weakness - the
d3-pawn - i s easi l y defended, whereas i t
i s easy for hi m to pl an hi s attack on the
queensi de: a4-aS, d2-b3, f4-fS and
Ah6-e3.
a b c d e f
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a b c d e f g h
1 6 B B Ed7
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Carl sen recogni ses the danger of hi s posi
ti on, and, real i si ng that 1 6 . . . AaS 1 7. b3
Ab4 1 8. aS i s hopel ess (the queen i s sti l l
out of pl ay), he deci des on radi cal meas
ures. He deci des to carry out a combi ned
attack on the aS- and d3-pawns, di spl ay
i ng hi s readi ness to part wi th hi s trapped
queen. Hal f-measures ai med at cutti ng off
the bi shop on h6 apparentl y di d not ap
peal to hi m - 1 6 . . . ghg8 1 7. aS gS 1 8. b3
b6 1 9. axb6 'xb6 20. fxgS fxgS 21 . 'c3,
when after Ag7 Whi te control s the po
si ti on's i mportant hi ghway and retai ns
stabl e advantage.
17. a5 Ehd8 1 8. Ea3

The attack on the d3-pawn has come to
a standsti l l , whereas 1 9. fS Af7 20. Ae3
is threatened, forci ng Bl ack to weaken hi s
ki ng' s defences - . . . b7-b6. But Carl sen
had al ready taken a deci si on.
18 . . . .xa5!
I t i s better to di e standi ng, than to l i ve on
your knees!
a b c d e f g h
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1
a b c d e f g h
1 9. f5!
Whi te i s not in a hurry. The move b3 wi l l
not run away, and for the moment i t i s use
ful to i ncl ude the bi shop i n the attack on
the cS-pawn.
A. MO|Ozev| Oh - M. Ca|| sen
19 . . . Af7 20. fxg6
I f 20. tb3 there woul d have fol l owed
20 . . . xd3 21 . txc5 (i n the event of 21 . xa5
Vxc4 22. 'xc4 Axc4 23. txc5 d1 24. xd1
l:xd1 + 25. f2 b6 the pi ece i s regai ned)
21 . . . Ab6! . It was on thi s queen sacrifice that
Carl en' s defensi ve i dea was based. After
22. xa6 Axc5+ 23. h1 bxa6 a posi ti on
arises, si mi l ar to that whi ch occurred i n the
game.
20 . . . hxg6 21 . eS Ae6 22. exf6
It was possi bl e to wi n the exchange
22. te4 Af5 23. e6 d4 24. Ae3, but Mo
rozevi ch i s hopi ng for more.
22 . . . exf6 23. b3 xd3 24. xeS .b6
A pi ece i s l ost after both 24 . . . 'b6 25. xa5
Vxa5 26. txe6, and 24 . . . 'xc4 25. 'xc4
Axc4 26. txd3 Ab6+ 27. tf2 Axf 1
28. xf1 .
2S. xa6
For White to restri ct hi msel f to the wi n of
the exchange by 25. xd3 Axc5+ 26. h1
27. 'xd3 Axc4 28. 'h3+ f5 29. e1 woul d
be too great a concessi on to Bl ack.
2S . . . AxeS+ 26. h1 bxa6
a b c d e f g h
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a b c d e f g h
Thi s is the posi ti on for whi ch Carl sen was
ai mi ng i n hi s attempt to save the game.
Bl ack has suffi ci ent materi al compensati on
for the queen, and hi s control of the d-fi l e
al l ows hi m to hope for counterpl ay i n vi ew
of Whi te' s i nadequatel y defended back
rank. Surpri si ngl y, he i gnores thi s factor.
27. Ag7?
Fate is obvi ousl y unki nd to Morozevi ch.
Now he l oses the game. Of course, i t i s
unj ust to end up wi th a zero after such hi gh
qual i ty pl ay. But objecti vel y, i t has to be
admitted: the si tuati on has changed, and
the coordi nati on of the bl ack pi eces can
be di srupted onl y by concrete pl ay: 27. b4!
Ab6 (27 . . . Axb4 28. 'a4) 28. 'e2! Af7
(28 . . . Af5 29. g4! ). Now Carlsen suggests
the fol l owi ng vari ati on 29. 'e4 b7 30. b5
axb5 31 . cxb5 Ad5 32. 'e7+ (or 32. bxc6+
Axc6 33. 'xg6 d1 ) 32 . . . a8 33. bxc6
Axc6 34. 'xf6 3d6 wi th counterpl ay for
Bl ack. But White can al so consi der 29. Ag7
d2 (29 . . .f5?! 30. c5 Ac7 i s not good be
cause of 31 . Ae5!) 30. 'f3 8d6 31 . Af8
e6 32. 'c3 de2 33. Ac5 b7 34. 'd3
Ac7 35. b5, when he neverthel ess suc
ceeds i n di srupt i ng the coordi nati on of
the bl ack pi eces.
J
27 Ag4!
Now Whi te cannot hol d hi s back rank,
whi ch gi ves Bl ack a seri ous attack.
28. b4
Here thi s move is now too l ate.
28 . . . Ae3! 29. h3 d1 30. xd1 xd1 +
31 . h2 Af4+ 32. g3 d2+ 33. Wxd2
Jxd2 34. hxg4
sOOnOxtd|ag|am)
a b c d e f g h
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a b c d e f g h
34 Axb4?!
For the moment Carl sen' s endgame tech
ni que i s sti l l shaky. The exchange of pawns
al l ows Whi te to prol ong the resi stance.
There was a qui cker wi n by the themati c
di verti ng-cum-i nterference move 34 . . . c5!
35. bxc5 Ag5 36. Af8 aS 37. c6 Ac1 , when
the a-pawn cannot be stopped.
35. Axf6 aS 36. g2 d7 37. f3 Ad6
These tri cks are unnecessary. There was
an el ementary wi n by 37 . . . a4 38. e2
a3 39. d3 e6 40. Aa1 Ae7 41 . c2
Af6.
38. e4 Axg3 39. d3 e6 40. Ad4
a6 41 . c2 a4 42. b1 Ae5 43. Af2
d6 44. a2 Ac3 45. a3 e5
46. xa4 f4 47. Ab6 xg4 48. Aa5
Axa5 49. xa5 f4 50. b6 aS
White resi gned.
The sternest test of Carl sen' s potenti al came at the Mi khai l Tal Memori al Tourna
ment, whi ch took pl ace i n November 2006 i n Moscow. Thi s was the fi rst ti me he had
pl ayed i n a FI DE category 20 tournament wi th such a uni forml y strong fi el d. I ndeed,
hal f of them were in the top ten in the worl d rati ng l i st , and al though Carl sen hi msel f
was j ust 2 poi nts short of the 2700 mark, al ready i n the 1 st round the di fference was
fel t. Magnus was gi ven a genui ne strategy l esson by Gel fand: 'Just l i ke Chi gori n' ,
Yury Razuvaev commented on the manoeuvres of hi s kni ghts, whi ch outpl ayed the
opponent' s bi shops. After bei ng gi ven a master cl ass by one of the pupi l s of the
Sovi et Chess School , subsequentl y the youngster hel d on l i ke a seasoned competi
tor. For the moment i t was hard to hope for anythi ng more, and had i t not been for
an embarrassment in hi s game wi th Aroni an (on thi s occasi on he l ost a dead-drawn
rook endgame), Magnus woul d have saved face ri ght to the end of the tournament.
But as i t was - a share of 8th-9th pl aces wi th 3% poi nts out of 9. A seri ous l esson
on the eve of hi s 1 6th bi rthday.
Contrary to expectati ons, Carl sen made a poor start to the year 2007. In hi s fi rst
A Tournament i n Wi j k aan Zee (FI DE category 1 9) he suffered a compl ete fai l ure.
Magnus l ost four games, wi thout a si ngl e wi n, and shared l ast pl ace wi th Shi rov.
The game between them from the l ast round was the onl y one where Carl sen was
genui nel y cl ose to a wi n. It was somethi ng el se that was i mportant. Magnus man
aged to summon up hi s courage and demonstrate the potenti al of a fi ghter, ready
for forthcomi ng battl es.
C
M. Ca|| sen - A. Sh| |Ov
8
7
M. Carl sen - A. Shi rov
Wi j k aan Zee 2007
a b c d e f
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26. f5!
Carl sen apparentl y thought that wi nni ng
t he queen by 26. fe6 .xe6 27 . .xf6 .xf6
was an i nsuffi ci ent reward for the parryi ng
of the attack.
I t i s dangerous to take the kni ght - 26 . . .
gxf5 27 . .g3! h8 28. h5 'd4 29. xg7!
(thi s i s more effecti ve than the capt ure
wi th the rook) 29 . . . Wxd1 30 . .xd1 .xe4
(30 . . . fg8 31 . xf5) 31 . Axe4 fxe4 32. h5,
wi nni ng the exchange wi th a conti nui ng
attack: 33 . .xd6 i s threatened (vari ati on
by Carl sen).
27. xg7 Wxg7 28. lg3
28. fbf3! ? was stronger.
28 . . . lf8 29. e5!?
A pawn sacri fi ce on the al tar of the at
tack! Bri l l i ancy l overs wi l l undoubtedl y gi ve
Carl sen' s enterpri se its due. And yet, ob
jectivel y speaki ng, thi s i s not the most j usti
fi ed sol uti on to the posi ti on, si nce agai nst
accurate defence Whi te' s pl an does not
l ead to the goal . Here too 29. fgf3 was
more l ogi cal .
29 . . . xe5 30 . .b2 bc4 31 . xg6+
White has no other way of conti nui ng the
attack. 31 . Ad4 al l ows Bl ack a respi te to
bri ng up hi s reserves and parry the attack:
31 . . . ff6 32. d5 .xf1 + 33. Wxf1 .f8, re
tai ni ng the extra pawn.
31 Bhxg6 32. lxf8+ lxf8 33. Axg6
After 33 . .xg6 xb2 34. Wh5+ g8
35. fxg7+ xg7 Bl ack' s materi al com
pensati on f or the queen i s too great.
I
a b c d e f
9
h
a b c d e f
9
h
33 . . . .g4?
Carl sen comments that both he and Shi
rov consi dered t hi s to be the onl y pos
si bl e defence, si nce a conti nuati on of the
forci ng pl ay by 33 . . . ff1 + 34. Wxf1 xb2
35. Ae4! Wh6 36. AdS woul d have l ed to
a l oss for Bl ack, in vi ew of the threat of
fg8. But thi s proved to be del usi on. After
33 . . . Ae8! White woul d have had nothi ng
better than to force a draw by perpetu
al check: 34. Wh5+ g8 35. Ah7+ h8
36. Ag6+.
34. lxg4 Wt6 35. Ad4 Wf1 + 36. Wxf1
lxf1 + 37. h2 xa3 38. d3 ld1
39. lg3 ac4 40. h4
Chapter Z The Way to the Top
There is no poi nt i n commenti ng on the
practi cal l y forced pl ay i n the ti me scram
bl e, except to suggest movi ng one of the
bi shops out of the pi n - 40. Ac3! ?.
40 d2
Onl y a computer woul d be capabl e of fi nd
i ng a defence such as 40 . . . &b6! .
The smoke of battl e has cl eared. With
materi al equal , White has the two bi shops,
an i mportant factor, gi ven the open char
acter of the posi ti on. But subsequentl y he
mi ssed chances to convert hi s advantage,
and the game ended in a draw 20 moves
l ater.
It is unl i kel y that anyone was expecti ng Carl sen to succeed i n the most presti gi ous
tournament - Morel i a/Li nares (FI DE category 20), so poor had been his fi rst contacts
wi th the el ite grandmasters i n Moscow and Wi jk aan Zee. It was al l the more surpri sing
to see hi m l eadi ng together wi th Anand after the Mexi can hal f of the tournament. This
di d not surpri se Magnus hi msel f, as he was the most ' moti vated' fi ghter in the i niti al
part of the tournament. 3% poi nts in the fi rst fi ve games - perhaps onl y Kasparov had
managed thi s! After an exchange of bl ows wi th Morozevi ch and Anand (Carl sen's 'evil
geni us' ), he gai ned successi ve wi ns over l vanchuk and Topal ov, who cl earl y underes
ti mated the youngster. In the Spani sh half of the tournament they pl ayed agai nst hi m
wi th more respect, and onl y i n the l ast round was he unabl e to anythi ng to counter the
sol id strategy of Leko, who was eager to wi n at l east one game. Carlsen was caught
by Morozevi ch, who pl ayed bri l l i antl y i n the second hal f of the event. Neverthel ess, by
scori ng ' pl us one' , he cl ung on to 2nd pl ace, a poi nt behi nd the wi nner, Anand. The
mai n outcome of the tournament was that Magnus had l earned how to win against
el ite grandmasters!
He confi rmed thi s at the ' Mel ody Amber' Tournament, staged by Joop van Oosterom
in Monte Carl o. Thi s was a uni que contest wi th twelve of the strongest pl ayers in the
world, personal l y selected by the patron, who pl ayed two games a day - one bl i ndfol d
and one rapi d. Carl sen performed worthi l y in the rapi d event, and with a score of 6%
poi nts he shared 2nd-5th pl aces, behi nd only the worl d champi on Vl adi mi r Kramnik.
He was l ess successful at bl i ndfol d pl ay, where he scored 4 points.
One would have t hought t hat , having passed through the crucible of several
prest i gi ous tournaments, Carl sen had earned hi msel f a rest . But ahead l ay the
Candi dates tournament, crowni ng hi s fi rst cycle i n the battl e for the worl d cham
pi onshi p. Before travel l i ng to El i sta i t was i mportant to raise hi s fighti ng spi ri t in
hi s homel and, and Magnus deci ded to pl ay i n Gausdal , whi ch was cl ose to hi s
heart. I n order to ensure the motivati on of thei r i dol , the organisers of the ' Gausdal
Cl assi c' grandmaster tournament di d everyt hi ng possi bl e to rai se i ts l evel to FI DE
category 1 2. The tournament was i n the nat ure of a warm- up: Magnus easil y took
the fi rst pri ze. Over the short di stance of 9 rounds he scored 7 poi nts, fi ni shi ng 1 %
ahead of h i s nearest ri val .
1
M. Carl sen - A. Morozevich
Game 2 ..... 1 _
M. Carl sen -A. Morozevi ch
Morel i a/Li nares 2007
King's Indian Defence [ E66}
1. d4 tf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 .g7 4 . .g2
0-0 5. tc3 d6 6. tf3 c5
Thi s move characteri ses the Yugosl av
Vari ati on, whi ch was so named thanks to
the anal yses of Yugosl av pl ayers i n the
1 950s. By attacki ng the centre from the
wi ng, Bl ack tri es to expand the range of
hi s bi shop on g7, not feari ng the exchange
7. dxc5 dxc5, si nce in the absence of any
weaknesses White can hardl y hope for an
advantage i n thi s symmetri c posi ti on. I n
the event of 7. d5 wi th 7 . . . b5! ? Bl ack can
switch to a sharp vari ati on of the Benko
Gambi t. Therefore after 6 . . . c5 White usu
ally does not hurry to cl ose the centre, but
waits for Bl ack to bri ng out hi s kni ght wi th
7 . . . tc6, after whi ch he plays 8. d5. I n mod
ern tournaments the devel opment 6 . . . tc6
7. 0-0 a6 is preferred, when after 8. d5
ta5 9. td2 c5 a si mi l ar pawn structure
arises. The attack on the white centre wi th
the central pawn 6 . . . tbd7 7. 0-0 e5 takes
us back to the outstandi ng 'fathers' of the
Ki ng's I ndi an Defence, Davi d Bronstei n and
Isaak Bol esl avsky.
7. 0-0 tc6 8. d5
Whi te's mai n conti nuati on, l eadi ng to a
closed positi on. But in the Yugosl av Vari
ati on Bl ack al so has to reckon wi th the
transi ti on i nto the symmetri c vari ati on after
the exchange 8. dxc5 dxc5, where White
can try to expl oi t the advantage of the fi rst
move. But here too Bl ack has counter
arguments. For exampl e, after 9. Ae3
Ae6 10. a4 he can avoi d the symmetry
-1 0 . . . td4! , whi l e i f 9. Af4 (wi th the i dea of
tf3-e5) there can fol l ow 9 . . . th5 1 0. Ae3

td4! .
8 . . . ta5 9. td2 e5
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By cl osi ng the centre, Bl ack si gni fi es that
hi s pri ori ti es l i e in the centre and on the
ki ngsi de. The drawback to hi s posi ti on i s
the kni ght on a5, whi ch i s not easy to bri ng
i nto pl ay.
The other pl an with a counterattack i n
t he centre and on t he queensi de i s asso
ci ated wi th the undermi ni ng of the pawn
chai n by . . . e7-e6 and . . . b7-b5 and pl ay on
the b-fi l e. I t i s usual l y carried out via this
move order: 9 . . . a6 1 0. c2 b8 1 1 . b3 b5.
1 0. b3
More usual i s 1 0. a3 b6 (1 0 . . . c7? fai l s to
1 1 . b4! cxb4 1 2. axb4 txc4 1 3. tb5 b6
14. txc4 xb5 1 5. txd6 xb4 1 6. Aa3
wi th an obvi ous advantage for White) 1 1 . b4
tb7 1 2. Ab2 tg4 (if 1 2 . . . tea White erects
the same barri cade) 1 3. h3 th6 1 4. e3! f5
1 5. f4 wi th compl i cated pl ay.
As for the obvi ous move 1 0. e4, i t has
contradi ctory assessments. The out
standi ng Ki ng's I ndi an expert Yefi m Gel
l er regul arl y empl oyed i t, hopi ng to expl oi t
the undermi ni ng move . . .f7-f5 to Whi te's
advantage, si nce on the deci si ve part of
11
the battl efi el d he has one pi ece more. For
exampl e, after 1 0 . . . Cg4 i n hi s game wi th
Vel i mi rovi c ( Havana 1 971 ) he responded
1 1 . b3 f5 1 2. exf5 and after 12 . . . e4? 1 3. f6!
Cxf6 1 4.Cdxe4! Cxe4 1 5. Cxe4 Axa1
1 6. Ag5 Af6 1 7. Cxf6+ xf6 1 8. 'a1 Black
was unabl e to escape from the vi ce. But
al so after 1 2 . . . gxf5 1 3. h3 Ch6 1 4. Ab2
with the preparati on of f2-f4 i t i s not easy
for Bl ack to create counterplay on the ki ng
side. Neverthel ess, the modern vi ew on the
probl ems of thi s vari ati on recommends
that White shoul d avoi d al l owi ng Bl ack hi s
mai n counterpl ay resource.
Wi th 1 0. b3 Whi te fol l ows a di fferent
concepti on: he pays no attenti on to the
out-of-pl ay kni ght at a5 and tri es to expl oi t
i ts absence for the creati on of a numeri cal
superi ori ty on other parts of the board,
avoi di ng gi ving Bl ack somethi ng to l atch
onto for the creati on of counterpl ay.
1 0 8 . 8 tg4
The retreat 1 0 . . . Ce8, prepari ng . . .f7-f5,
does not sati sfy the non-routi nel y thi nki ng
Morozevi ch. However, now Bl ack has to
reckon wi th hi s second kni ght al so be
i ng dri ven to the edge of the board. Thi s
creates the constant probl em of fi nd
i ng a sui tabl e refuge at t he rear for the
kni ghts, whose paths i ntersect at d8. I n
thi s respect i t i s useful to see how thi s
positi on was handl ed by Kasparov, who
i n hi s game wi th Bel i avsky (Li nares 1 994)
preceded the kni ght move wi th 1 0 . . . Ad7.
There fol l owed 1 1 . Ab2 Cg4 1 2. h3 Ch6
1 3. e3 (Bel i avsky chooses the pl an wi th the
bl ockade of the e5/f5 pawn pai r; 1 3. e4 f5
1 4. exf5 gxf5 1 5. 'c2 fol l owed by f2-f4 i s
more often pl ayed) 13 . . .f5 1 4. f4 a6 1 5. 'c2
b5 1 6. Cd1 (White takes hi s kni ght vi a f2
to d3, ai mi ng to provoke a cri si s at e5; i n
the event of 1 6. ae1 Bl ack advances his
queensi de pawns wi th gai n of tempo: 1 6 . . .
b 4 1 7. Cd1 Cb7 and then . . . a6-a5-a4)
1 6 . . . b8 1 7. Ac3! (it is i mportant to remove
the bi shop from the ' X-ray' of the rook)
17 . . . e8 1 8. b1 Cf7 1 9. Cf2 exf4 (Bl ack
has to keep the knight at a5 in vi ew; for ex
ampl e, after the i ncl usi on of the exchange
on c4, 1 9 . . . bxc4 20. bxc4 xb1 21 . xb1
exf4 22. exf4, he cannot play 22 . . . e3 be
cause of 23. Axg7
r
xg7 24. tf1 followed
by Wc3+) 20. exf4 e3 21 . Axg7
r
xg7
22. fe1 ! xe1 + (i f 22 . . . We7 there fol l ows
23. Cf3 wi th the threat of 24. xe3 Wxe3
25. e1 ) 23. xe1 Wf6! (i t is i mportant to
occupy the l ong di agonal ) 24. cxb5 axb5
25. b4 cxb4 26. 'e? 'd8 27. 'xd8 xd8
28. Cd3 c8 wi th an equal game.
1 1 . h3 th6 12. tde4!?
A compl etel y new i dea in t hi s posi ti on.
I t i s obvi ous that i f 12 . . . f5 there fol l ows
1 3. Cg5 wi th the threat of an i nvasi on at
e6. I ncidental l y, about the effect of a nov
el ty. It often operates l i ke a psychol ogical
bomb, and the reacti on to i t is burdened
by thi s psychol ogi cal factor: the opponent
knows somethi ng that I don' t know. And
to go al ong wi th the opponent i nvol ves a
ri sk: at the board wi l l i t be possibl e to find
everythi ng whi ch he prepared at home?
Morozevi ch di d not take the ri sk, but he
went, as they say, from the fryi ng pan i nto
the fire.
1 2 f6?!
Bl ack refrai ns from acti ve measures, pre
pari ng the kni ght retreat to f7 and reservi ng
the move . . . f7-f5 for better ti mes. Even so,
there were no grounds for rejecti ng the
mai n l i ne of pl ay.
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Thi s posi ti onal sacri fi ce of a pi ece for two
pawns (the one on c5 cannot be hel d)
sharpl y changes the character of the pl ay.
And al though i t is to a certai n extent i ntui
tive, wi th hi s poorl y coordi nated pi eces i t i s
not easy for Bl ack to restrai n the d5-pawn.
Taki ng account of t he surpri se effect, he i s
forced to sol ve compl etely new probl ems.
13 . . . Wxd6 14. e4 Wd8
After 1 4 . . . \b6 1 5. Ae3 the pawn cannot
be saved.
15. xc5 f5
The psychol ogi cal effect of the pi ece sac
ri fi ce has worked. I t i s not in Morozevi ch' s
style to try and 'di g i n'. By returni ng the ma
teri al, he coordi nates hi s pi eces. However,
with his extra pawn Magnus al so feel s com
fortable. But di d Bl ack have anythi ng bet
ter? He woul d have been unable to solve
hi s probl ems after 1 5 . . . Wc7 1 6. Aa3 !d8
1 7. td3 f5 1 8. Wc2. For exampl e, i t i s ri sky
to pl ay 18 . . . e4 1 9. tf4 Axa1 ?! 20. lxa1 ,
when he may be unabl e to survi ve the
'draught' along the long di agonal. He would
have lost materi al after 1 5 . . . tf7? 1 6. te6
Axe6 1 7. dxe6 td6 1 8. e7 Wxe7 1 9. Wd5+.
But a conundrum was posed by
1 5 . . . tf5! ?, whi ch woul d have set Whi te
di fficult probl ems. For exampl e: 1 6. Aa3
!e8!? (after 1 6 . .. Wc7 1 7. te4 b6 1 8. d6 Wf7
1 9. txf6+ Wxf6 20. Axa8 Bl ack achi eves
less) 1 7. te4!? (1 7. g4 th4 1 8. d6 txg2
1 9. xg2 Af8 wi th the threat of . . . Wxd6
and . . . b7-b6) 17 . . . b6 1 8. g4 th4 1 9. td6
txg2 20. txe8 tf4 21 . txg7 xg7 wi th
unclear pl ay.
16. d6 e4 1 7. d7
After t he i ncl usi on of t he exchange
1 7. Axh6 Axh6 the advance 1 8. d7 !f7
1 9. dxc8W Wxc8 would have al lowed Bl ack
counterpl ay, based on the advantageous
opposi te-col our bi shops.
17 . . . f7 18. b1 We7 1 9. dxc8W axeS
20. a4 fd8 21 . We1 c6
:
&
b
4
-
a O c O e ! Q h
Thi s was the posi ti on for whi ch Morozevich
was ai mi ng, when he went in for the forci ng
pl ay begi nni ng wi th 1 5 . . . f5. For the sacri
ficed pawn Bl ack has compensati on, in the
form of hi s more acti ve pi eces.
22. c3 d4 23. Ab2
I f 23. td5 Bl ack coul d have sacri fi ced the
exchange: 23 . . . lxd5! ? 24. cxd5 !c2, ob
tai ni ng defi ni te compensati on. But after
1
25. h1 txe2 26. Ad2 td4 27. c1 xa2 27. WaS
28. c8+ Af8 29. Ab4 td6 30. 'd1 t4d5
31 . c2 xc2 32. 'xc2 White's chances
I t shoul d not be forgotten that thi s game
are sti l l better.
23 . . . bS 24. tdS
was pl ayed in the fi rst round of the most
presti gi ous tournament of the year, and
after hi s fai l ure i n Wi jk aan Zee Carl sen
24. e3 suggests i tsel f, after whi ch the ra-
was sub-consci ousl y ai mi ng for cl ari ty.
noeuvre 24 . . . tc2 25. 'e2 Axc3 26. Axc3
Possi bly, therefore, he prefers to transpose
ta3 27. bd1 l ooks dubi ous i n vi ew of
i nto a techni cal endgame, rather than pl ay a
the weakness of the l ong dark-square
di agonal , whi l e 24 . . . tf3+ 25. Axf3 exf3
26. txb5 woul d have led to the wi n of a
mi ddl egame wi th a coupl e of extra pawns:
27. cxb5 'c5 28. b4 'd6 29. a4, which
i nvol ves some ri sk.
second pawn, al though al so wi th an el e-
27 . . . bxc4 28. te3! Wc7 29. Wxc7 Axc7
ment of ri sk - the white ki ng' s defences
30. txc4 teS
are weakened.
24 . . . 'd6
24 . . . 'c5! ? was more vi gorous, when i n
the event of 25. tf4 'd6 26. cxb5 c2
27. Axd4 Axd4 28. d1 e3 29. fxe3 Axe3+
30. h2 'e5 Bl ack' s acti ve pi eces woul d
have gi ven hi m defi nite compensati on for
the sacri fi ced materi al .
2S. Axd4 Axd4 26. !d1 AeS?
Bl ack mi sses a chance opportuni ty to
exchange a pai r of pawns: 26 . . . bxc4! ?
27. xd4 cxb3 28. axb3 c5 29. f3 xd5
30. xd5 'xd5 31 . fxe4 fxe4 32. 'c3,
when White's achi evements are l ess than
i n the game.
d
b
4
a O c O e
a O c O e ! Q h
d
b
4
As a resul t of the exchangi ng operati on
White has obtai ned an endgame wi th an
extra pawn and a stabl e pawn structure,
where Bl ack's practical savi ng chances are
associ ated wi th the opposi te-col our bi sh
ops. Wi th every exchange these chances
are i mproved.
31 . Exd8+ !xd8
a O c O e !
d
A 3
b
4
-
a O c O e ! Q h
32. Ec1!
d
b
4
The acti ve kni ght has to be exchanged,
after whi ch White wi l l ' revi ve' hi s bi shop,
regroup hi s forces, and at a conveni ent
moment undermi ne Bl ack' s pawn chai n
wi th g3-g4.
1
32 !xc4 33. xc4 d1 + 34. Af1 Ad6 43 mf6
35. e3 a5!
43 . . . fxd3? fai l s to 44. fxe4+ and 45. fxf4.
It i s useful to hal t the pawns at the di stant
44. Axe4 d2! 45. xd2 Axd2 46. mg3
approaches to the queeni ng squares.
If Whi te were abl e to advance f2-f4 wi th hi s
36. mg2
The prophyl acti c 36. fc2 was more ac
curate, preventi ng the possi bl e 36 . . . fd2.
36 mf7 37. c2 me7 38. Ae2 d5
After 38 . . . fa1 Whi te woul d probabl y have
carried out the same pl an as in the game.
39. Ac4 d1 40. g4
a O c - e ! Q h
d d
40 f4?
A commi tti ng deci si on. Any neutral move,
such as 40 . . . f6, woul d have retai ned
practi cal drawi ng chances. Now, however,
White wi ns the e4-pawn. True, i t is wi th the
help of a tacti cal tri ck, whi ch was easy to
overlook when maki ng the l ast move before
the ti me control .
41. exf4 Axf4 42. e2 d4 43. Ad3!
Now Black has to pl ay on two pawns down.
The onl y consol ati on i s the possi bi l i ty of
exchangi ng rooks, transposi ng i nto a pure
endi ng wi th opposi te-col our bi shops. Re
taini ng the rooks - 43 . . . fxd3 44. fxe4+
leads to a hopel ess rook endi ng.
pawn on h3, the posi ti on woul d be won for
hi m. But he is not abl e to do thi s.
46 . . . Ae1 47. mt3 Ab4 48. h4 h6
49. me2 Ad6
The ki ngsi de shoul d have been bl ocked -
49 . . . g5 50. h5, when i t woul d not be easy
for White to fi nd a wi nni ng pl an.
so. md3
a O c - e ! Q h
d d
7 7
b
4
/
4
3
/
3
2
/ /
2
a O c - e ! Q h
50 Ac5
Bl ack mi sses the l ast opportuni ty to pl ay
50 . . . g5, when after 51 . h5 e5 52. f3 Ab4
i t woul d not be easy for White to convert
hi s materi al advantage. Hi s chances are
associ ated wi th the creati on of an outsi de
passed pawn: 53. c4 Aa3 54. b5 Ab4
55. a4 Ad2 56. a3 d6 57. b5 Ae1
58. b4 axb4 59. axb4 Ad2 60. c4.
Analysis diagram
1 D
The cri ti cal posi ti on. Whi te woul d l i ke to

di vert the bl ack pi eces by the advance
of the b-pawn and then create a second
passed pawn on the h-fi l e wi th the hel p
of the f2-f4 breakthrough, whi ch works,
for exampl e, after 60 . . . Ae1 ? - 61 . f4! gxf4
62. g5. I n the event of 60 . . . Ac1 White wi ns
usi ng the typi cal i dea of restri cti ng the op
ponent' s ki ng- 61 . AdS! , enabl i ng hi s own
king to go to e4 and then on to the h6-pawn
- 61 . . . Af4 (if 61 . . . Ab2 the pawn advances
- 62. b5, whi le i f 61 . . . Ae3 62. d3 the ki ng
breaks through to e4) 62. d4 Ad2 63. b5
Aa5 64. e4 Ab6 65. Ac4 and e4-f5
(M. Mari n).
The onl y move l eadi ng to a draw i s
60 . . . Ae3! . I t i s i mportant to keep t he
b6-square under control , wi thout l i fti ng
t he control of f4, and t he ' kn i ght op
posi ti on' of the ki ngs wi th the support
of the bi shop enabl es the posi ti on to
be hel d. I f 61 . AdS or 61 . Aa8 there fol
l ows 61 . . . e5, and not hi ng i s gi ven by
61 . b5 or 61 . d3 because of 61 . . . Ab6.
The march of the ki ng t o a6 - 61 . b5
i s restrai ned by 61 . . . Ad2. I nci dental l y,
here too the opposi ti on can be mai n
tai ned - 61 . . . c7 62. a6 b8, si nce
after the advance of the pawn to b6 the
f3-f4 breakthrough does not achi eve i ts
ai m: the passed h- pawn i s hel d by the
bi shop, and i f the whi te ki ng goes to i ts
ai d, Bl ack wi ns the b6-pawn, by di verti ng
the whi te bi shop wi th hi s passed pawns.
51 . f4 h5 52. g5+ 'g7 53. 'c4
(see next diagram)
53 . . . Ad6?
I t i s i l l ogi cal to gi ve the opponent con
nected passed pawns. 53 . . . Af2 54. b5
Ae1 55. a3 f7 56. Ad3 g7 57. Ae2 f8
a O c - e ! Q h
d d
7
b
A
F
4
3
/
2
/
a O c - e ! Q h
3
2
58. f5 gxf5 59. Axh5 e7 was stronger,
retai ni ng chances of savi ng the game.
54. 'b5 Axf4 55. 'xa5 Ag3 56. 'bS
Axh4 57. a4 Axg5
Black has restored materi al equal ity, but
the pawn race is obvi ously won for White.
a O c - e ! Q h
d d
7
F
A
b
4
/
4
3
/
3
2 2
a O c - e ! Q h
58. aS 'f6 59. a6 Ae3 60. 'c6 g5
61 . b4 'es 62. b5 'xe4 63. b6 g4
64. a7 g3 65. a8' 'f3 66. b7 Af4
67. Wf8 'e4 68. 'e8+
Bl ack resi gned.
1
M. Carl sen - V. lvanchuk
M. Carlsen - V. Topalov
. - . - , -
d
W &
$ $
W
! $
-
4 4
3
/
3
2
/
2
. - . - , -
Here somet hi ng i nexpl i cabl e occurred
with Topal ov. He resi gned the game, not
findi ng any way to save hi s kni ght, and
he merely shrugged hi s shoulders i n per
plexi ty when Magnus showed hi m how to
do thi s: 64 . . . Vd5+ 65. f3 e5. Whi te has
nothi ng more than perpetual check by
66. Vh7+ f8 67. Vh8+ Vg8 68 . .h7+
<f7 69 . .g5+.
Game 22
M. Carlsen - V. lvanchuk
GrOnfeld Defence [ 087]
1. d4 Cf6 2. c4 g6 3. Cc3 d5 4. cxd5
.a5. Nowadays pl ans are al so practi sed
where Bl ack does not hurry to relieve the
pawn tension. l vanchuk fol l ows the tradi
ti onal path, retai ni ng t he opti on after the
bi shop retreat of reverti ng to fami l iar l i nes
by exchangi ng pawns, but the course of
events i n the game, where the kni ght at a5
played the rol e of a spectator, may subse
quentl y have led hi m to another, possi bl y
more promi si ng conti nuati on: 10 . . . Vc7
1 1 . l:c1 l:d8. The game Chepari nov-l v
anchuk (Cap d'Agde rapi d 2008), continued
1 2. Af4 Ae5!? 1 3. Axe5 .xe5 1 4. Ab3
.g4 1 5 . .g3 Vf4 1 6. Vf3 Vxf3 1 7. gxf3
Lf6 1 8. l:fd1 f8 1 9 . .e2 b6 20. e5 .h5
21 . dxc5 Aa6 22 . .g3 "f4 23. cxb6 axb6
wi th excel l ent compensati on for the pawn,
typi cal of Grinfel d-type posi ti ons.
1 1 . !d3
. - . -
d
$
&
4
3
2
/
_
, -
. - . - , -
4
3
txd5 5. e4 Cxc3 6. bxc3 Ig7 7. /c4
11 b6
c5 8. Ce2 Cc6 9. !e3 0-0 1 0. 0-0 This variation has become popul ar i n recent
Thi s is the so-cal l ed mai n vari ati on of the
years. Of course, Bl ack coul d al so have re
Grinfel d Defence. I t was here that the fi rst
turned to the mai n l i ne by pl ayi ng 1 1 . . . cxd4.
attempts were made to refute what has 12. lc1
turned out to be the 'evergreen' i dea of I f Whi te captures the pawn - 1 2. dxc5?!
the Austri an grandmaster Ernst Grinfel d bxc5 1 3. Axc5, then after 1 3 . . . Vc7 1 4. Ad4
(3 . . . d5! ), fi rst carri ed out in 1 922. e5 1 5. Ae3 Ae6 1 6. Vc2 .c4 Bl ack has
10 Ca5
ful l compensati on.
Over previous decades Bl ack' s mai n con-
12 cxd4
tinuation was 10 . . . cxd4 1 1 . cxd4 Ag4 1 2. f3 Wi th the rook on c1 , Carl sen consi ders
1J
the openi ng of the c-fi l e to favour White.
I ndeed, to neutral i se the control of the c
fi l e Bl ack has to go i n for the exchange
of rooks, whi ch reduces the possi bi l i ty of
creati ng pi ece pl ay typi cal of the Grin
fel d Defence. 1 2 . . .\c? l ooks to be i n the
spi ri t of the posi ti on, al though i t i s not
easy to shake the pawn centre. Bl ack' s
probl ems are i l l ustrated by the game Ja
kovenko-Areshchenko (Worl d Cup, Khan
ty-Mansi ysk 2009): 1 3. 'd2 Ab7 1 4. Ah6
fad8 1 S. Axg7 xg7 1 6. f4 fS?! 1 7. exfS
gxfS 1 8. 'e3 'd6 1 9. fcd1 c4 20. Ac2
AdS 21 . 'eS+ WxeS 22. fxeS e6 23. f4
f7 24. fde1 e7 2S. fe3 bS 26. fb1 a6
27. fh3 ft? 28. fh6 c6 29. Ad1 ! 1 -0.
After 1 3. 'd2 Bl ack can consi der 1 3 . . .
eS, when i n the event of 1 4. dxeS AxeS
1 S. f4 Ag7 1 6. eS fd8 or the i mmedi ate
1 4 .. . fd8 (i ntendi ng 1 S. AgS Aa6!) he ob
tai ns excell ent pl ay. However, 1 4. f4! ? i s
more cri ti cal .
1 3. cxd4 e6
If 1 3 . . . Ab7 there woul d have fol l owed
1 4. dS! , restri cti ng the bi shop, and Bl ack i s
obl iged to prevent thi s move. However, thi s
l eads to a weakeni ng of the dark squares
on the ki ngsi de, whi ch creates the grounds
for an attack.
14. 'd2 .b7
. - . -
d
#
$
4
3
/
. - . - g -
d
4
3
1 5. h4
A strong move, i ntroduced by the German
grandmaster Rai ner Knaak i n a game with
Mal i ch (Hal l e 1 976). White begi ns a flank
attack wi thout ri ski ng the l oss of a pawn,
si nce in the event of 1 S . . . Wxh4? 1 6. Ag5
'hS (thi ngs are not changed by 1 6 . . .\
g
4
1 7. f3 'hS 1 8. g3 Axd4+ 1 9. ff2) 1 7.
g
3
'g4 1 8. Ae2 the queen is lost.
1 5 e . e 'e7?!
Surpri si ngl y, l vanchuk fol l ows Mal i ch, who
al ready then had become convi nced about
the drawbacks to thi s move and had rec
ommended 1S . . . 'd7, which Bl ack adopted
in later games wi th hi s vari ati on. True, with
out parti cul ar success. For exampl e, the
game Knaak-Ki r. Georgiev (East Germany
1 987) conti nued 1 6. Ah6 fac8 1 7. hS! fxc1
1 8 . .xc1 fc8 1 9. Axg7 .xc1 + 20. Wxc1
xg7 21 . h6+! wi th advantage to Whi te.
The move in the game is obvi ousl y not
in the spi ri t of the posi ti on, si nce it assi sts
Whi te's pl an of exploi ti ng the weakness of
the dark squares. Carl sen consi ders the
best defence to be 1S . . . c6, after which he
was i ntendi ng to pl ay 1 6. eS. But a radi cal
sol uti on in the spi ri t of the Si ci l i an Dragon
al so comes i nto consi derati on: 1 S . . . hS!?,
ni ppi ng i n the bud the threat of the h-pawn's
advance. For exampl e, the game Ti m man
Barami dze (Bundesl i ga 2007) conti nued
1 6. AgS 'd7 1 7. Ah6 ffc8 1 8. Axg7 xg7
1 9. WgS 'd8 20. 'g3 fxc1 21 . fxc1 fc8
22. fe1 c6 23. dS b4 24. Ab1 exd5
2S. a3 c2 26. fd1 , and here 26 . . . We8!
woul d have l ed to equal pl ay.
16. h5!
Thi s i s stronger than 1 6. AgS f6 1 7. Af4, as
pl ayed i n the Knaak-Mal i ch game, where
1
M. Carlsen - V. l vanchuk
White did not achi eve anythi ng si gni fi cant.
16 . . . lcS 1 7. e5!
. - .
6

7
&X
&
&
4
3
2
- , -
V&$&
& &

"

l
. - . - , -
d
7
4
3
2
1
The concrete sol vi ng of probl ems by earl s
en, who i mmedi atel y 'takes the bul l by the
horns', i s i mpressi ve. White prepares the
ground for the exchange of the bi shop on
g7, regardl ess of the weakeni ng of the l ong
light-square di agonal , whi ch Bl ack i s not
abl e to expl oi t . Previ ousl y 1 7. Ag5 a3
18. e5 was preferred, and, to judge by sto
ries about Magnus's outstandi ng memory,
this i dea was wel l known to hi m.
1 7 . . . 1xc1 ?
Thi s was cl earl y not l vanchuk' s day. The
exchange of al l the rooks depri ves Bl ack
of his l ast hopes of creati ng counterplay.
As Carl sen comments, fi rst and foremost
the kni ght shoul d have been brought back
into pl ay - 1 7 . . . tc6.
The prophyl acti c 17 . . . d7, prepari ng to
besi ege the d4-pawn after 18 . . . tc6, was
also in the spi ri t of the posi ti on.
1S. lxc1 lcS
I f 18 . . . d7 Whi te attacks: 1 9. Ag5 l:c8
20. l:xc8+ xc8 21 . Af6 tc6 22. g5!
(22. Axg7 <xg7 23. Ae4 te7 al l ows Black
to hol d the posi ti on) wi th t he t hreat of
te2-f4. For exampl e: 22 . . . f8 (22 . . . e8
23. hxg6 hxg6 24. tf4 txd4 25. th5! or
22 . . . Aa6 23. Axa6 xa6 24. tf4) 23. hxg6
hxg6 (23 . . . fxg6 24. tf4) 24. tf4 Ah6
25. h4 txd4 26. txg6 fxg6 27. xd4
etc.
1 9. !xeS+ AxeS 20. Ag5 Yc7
Bl ack mi sses the l ast chance for a suc
cessful defence: 20 . . . d7, as suggested by
l vanchuk i n hi s commentary on the game.
' Thi s i s more resi l i ent' , agrees Carl sen, ' But
even so after 21 . Af6 i n any case it is very
hard to bel i eve that Bl ack i s abl e to sur
vi ve. ' After the best repl y 21 . . . tc6 Bl ack's
posi ti on i s sti l l dangerous.
Analysis diagram
Whi te can conti nue the attack as i n the
game: 22. g5 txd4 23. Axg7 <xg7!
(weaker is 23 . . . txe2+ 24. Axe2 <xg7
25. h6+! <fa 26. f6 wi th the t hreat af
ter Ae2-d3xg6 of queeni ng the h- pawn,
whi l e i n t he event of 26 . . . d2 27. Af1
Ab7 28. h8+ <e7 29. xh7 Whi te pi cks
up an i mportant pawn and succeeds in
retur ni ng wi t h hi s queen - 29 . . . Axg2
30. g7 d1 31 . f6+ <fa 32. <xg2 wi th
an extra pi ece) 24. f6+ <f8 25. tf4!
(25. h 6 is j ust i f i ed onl y i n t he event
of 25 . . . txe2+ 26. Axe2, but by pl ay-
i ng 25 . . . tf5! Bl ack hol ds the posi ti on:
26. h8+ <e7 27. tf4 txh6 28. xh7
g5) 25 . . . gxh5 26. Axh7 c7 27. txh5,
and the attack conti nues.

Another way of attacki ng is 22. 'f4
wi th the i dea of 23. Axg7 xg7 24. 'f6+
f8 25. Axg6! hxg6 26. h6 and the pawn
i s i rresi sti bl e. Bl ack l oses after 22 . . . Axf6
23. gxf6 'd8 (23 . . . We8 24. Ab5 Ad7
25. Axc6 Axc6 26. We? l eads to the l oss of
a pawn) 24. hxg6 fxg6 (24 . . . hxg6 25. Wg5
f8 26. Axg6) 25. f7+! g7 26. Ab5 Ad7
27. Axc6 Axc6 28. f8W+, wi nni ng the bi sh
op. After the bi shop retreat 22 . . . Af8 agai n
23. Wg5 i s possi bl e. Let us consi der the
mai n vari ati ons:
Whi te has carri ed out hi s pl an, and now it
onl y remai ns to get to the ki ng.
21 . . . c6
A bel ated return of the kni ght. But Bl ack
has no defence agai nst the threat of Wd2-
g5 wi th a ' break-i n' at g6. For example:
21 . . . Af8 22. Wg5 tc6 23. hxg6 hxg6
24. Axg6 fxg6 25. Wxg6+ Ag7 26. Axg7
Wxg7 27. We8+, or 21 . . . Axf6 22. exf6 Wd8
23. Wg5 tc6 24. hxg6 fxg6 25. Axg6! .
22. Wg5
a) 23. e . txd4? 24. txd4 Wxd4 25. hxg6
White i s i nexorable i n the conduct of hi s
fxg6 26. Axg6 and White wi ns;
pl an. He is threateni ng to capture on g7
b) 23 . . . Ab7?! 24. hxg6 fxg6 25. d5! exd5
followed by h6+ and Wf6, and i f 22 . . . Af8
(otherwi se 26. d6) 26. Axg6 hxg6
the bi shop sacri fi ce is deci si ve.
27. Wxg6+ Ag7 28. e6 and wi ns;
c) 23 . . . te7 24. hxg6 fxg6 25. tf4 Ab7
26. Wg4 AdS 27. Axe? 'xe7 (27 . . . Axe?
28. txg6!) 28. txd5 exd5 29. Wc8 wi th
advantage to White - he i s threateni ng
30. Wc6;
d) 23 . . . tb4 (the most resi l i ent) 24. hxg6
fxg6 25. Axg6! hxg6 26. Wxg6+ Ag7
27. tf4 Wf7 28. Wg5 h7 29. Wh4+ g8
30. Axg7, and by coordi nati ng his queen
and kni ght (as Rybka i ndi cates), White
combi nes an attack on the ki ng wi th
the threat of wi nni ng one of the pi eces:
d1 ) 30 . . . xg7 31 . th5+ f8 32. Wd8+
We8 33. Wf6+ Wf7 34. Wh8+ e7
35. tf6 Wf8 36. Wh4;
d2) 30 . . . Wxg7 31 . th5 Wh6 32. tf6+
g7 33. Wg4+ Wg6 34. te8+
h7 35. Wh3+ Wh6 36. tf6+
g6 37. Wg4+! Wg5 38. We4+
Wf5 39. Wh4 g7 40. te8+ g6
41 . Wh8.
21 . Af6!
22 . . . h6
A forced weakeni ng, si nce Whi te was
threateni ng 23. Axg7 xg7 24. Wf6+ f8
25. h6 when the pawn cannot be stopped.
23. Wc1!
The pi n on the kni ght emphasi ses the
hopelessness of Black' s posi ti on.
. - . - g -
d

d
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b
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23 g5
I f 23 . . . Wd7 Whi te wi ns by 24. hxg6 fxg6
25. tf4 txd4 26. txg6. But now to the
T 1
M. Carlsen - V. l vanchuk
:
vertical pi n is added a diagonal one, which
. - . - , -
leads to the l oss of a piece.
d d
24. Ab5 Ad7 25. d5! exd5 26. d4
7
Axf6 27. exf6 'd6 28. Axc6 'xf6
29. Axd7 'xd4 30. g3 'c5 31 . 'xc5
b
bxc5 32. Ac6 d4 33. Ab5 f8 34. f4
4 4
gxf4 35. gxf4
3 3
Bl ack resigned.
. - . - , -
The Candi dates tournament in the new cycl e of the i ndi vidual worl d championshi p
was a notabl e event in Carl sen' s chess career. The very appearance of a 1 6-year-ol d
candi date for the worl d crown was an extraordi nary phenomenon. The onl y pl ayer
to have previ ousl y achieved this was Bobby Fischer, among whose opponents were
the stars of the post-war wave of Soviet grandmasters. Pl ayi ng in the Candi dates
Tournament i n 1 959 were such titans of the Soviet Chess School as Paul Keres,
Vasi l y Smysl ov, Mi khai l Tal and Ti gran Petrosi an, who are now l egends of worl d
chess. The present-day Candi dates have their stars, and al though the l ist of real
contenders for the chess crown is shorter, thi s does not reduce the i ntensi ty of the
fight at the top l evel .
At t he Candi dates Tournament i n El i sta, hel d on t he knock-out system, Carl sen
was pai red wi th Levon Aronian, the brightest young representative in the chess el i te.
Forecasts regardi ng the outcome of the match were one-sided. The cl ear favourite
was the Armeni an grandmaster, wi th whose strength and experience one coul d
hardl y compare the potenti al of the uncommonl y tal ented but not yet battl e-hardened
youngster. Here i t was forgotten that, with prodi gi es, ti me moves on a di fferent scal e,
and that which takes others years, they resol ve within months. And the Carl sen who
went i nto battl e in El ista was a ' renovated' versi on, one who had markedl y gai ned
i n strength during his contact with the el ite. True, in hi s openi ng preparation there
were sti l l gaps, and the first game of the match appeared to confi rm the unfavour
abl e forecasts. Carl sen, who was not yet ready for openi ng di sputes, went in for
an unpretenti ous anti - Marshal l vari ati on i n the Ruy Lopez and contri ved to l ose an
absolutel y equal position. I n the 2nd game the sel f-confident Aronian was not eager
to bui l d on his success, and in the t hi rd game, l ike a sphi nx, Magnus rose from the
ashes and l evel l ed the scores.
11`
Game 23
M. Carlsen - L. Aroni an
Candi dates Match, 3rd Game
El i sta 2007
English Opening [ A30]
1 . f3 f6 2. c4 b6 3. g3 c5 4 .g2
.b7 5. 0-0 e6 6. c3 .e1 7. le1 d5
The most popul ar move, l eadi ng to the
creati on of a mobi l e pawn centre for Whi te.
Lovers of the ' hedgehog' structure prefer
7 . . . d6 8. e4 a6 9. d4 cxd4 1 0. xd4 Vc7.
8. cxd5 xd5 9. d4
Thi s move i s usually made after the pre
paratory exchange 9. xd5 V!xd5. The
followi ng al so occurs: 9. e4 b4 ( 9 . . . xc3
1 0. bxc3 0-0 1 1 . d4 transposes) 1 0. d4
cxd4 1 1 . xd4 8c6 1 2. xc6 V!xd1
c6 1 3. Ab2 gi ves preference t o White,
Bl ack's defensi ve resources shoul d also
not be underest i mated. The attempt to
prevent the creati on of the pawn centre
fai l s in thi s objecti ve.
1 1 . e5! .xg2 12. mxg2 0-0 13. e4
. - . - , -
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1 3. l:xd1 Axc6. I n both cases thi s l eads
1 3 . . . 'c8
to an earl y exchange of queens.
. - . - , -
: @ @ @@ @ :
#
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# # #
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. - . - , -
9 . . . xc3
The preparatory exchange 9 . . . cxd4
1 0. V!xd4 0-0 comes i nto consi derati on,
whi l e i f 10. xd5 there i s the good repl y
10 . . . V!xd5.
1 0. bxc3 .e4
Al though the experi ence of the mai n con
ti nuati on 10 . . . 0-0 1 1 . e4 cxd4 12. cxd4
A new i dea for sol vi ng Bl ack' s openi ng
probl ems, compared wi th 1 3 . . . Af6 1 4. g4
cxd4, as was pl ayed in the game Yermol i n
sky-Atal ik (Berkel ey 2005). There fol l owed
1 5. Aa3 Ae7 1 6. Axe? V!xe7 1 7. cxd4 l:d8!
1 8. d5 exd5 1 9. exd5 V!d6, and here White
coul d have retai ned the better chances by
20. l:c1 ! a6 21 . V! f3 c5 22. l:cd1 . Bl ack
can also consi der 14 . . . c6!? 1 5. Ae3 cxd4
1 6. cxd4 Vd7 wi th an equal game.
14. 'g4
The alternati ve i s 1 4. d5! ? Af6 1 5. Af4 with
the better chances for Whi te.
14 . . . .t6 15. f3
Wi th the threat of e4-e5 and Ah6.
1 5 . . . mha 16. h4!
Magnus al ways has such an attacki ng
move i n mi nd, especi al l y si nce 1 6 . . . h6
does nothi ng to prevent 1 7. Ag5! .
16 . . . c6 1 7 . .g5!
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17 . . . cxd4
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For Bl ack, who is under fi re, it is not easy

to hold the posi ti on. 1 7 . . . Axg5 1 8. hxg5
wi ll not do, si nce i t al lows the rook to be
included in the attack al ong the h-fi l e. Hi s
di fficul ti es are onl y aggravated by 1 7 . . . d8
18. lad1 cxd4 1 9. cxd4, when he has to
reckon wi th t he d4-d5 breakthrough.
Therefore Bl ack agrees t o t he deforma
tion of hi s ki ngsi de pawn structure, whi ch
may tel l not onl y i n the mi ddlegame, but
also in the endgame.
18. Axf6 gxf6 1 9. cxd4
The queen exchange coul d have been
avoided - 1 9. f4 d8 20. cxd4 wi th the
better game, but Carlsen has perceived cer
tain advantages for White in the endgame
and he provokes the opponent's reply.
19 ... e5
There appears to be nothi ng better. If
19 . . . d8 there i s the good repl y 20. f4,
when 20 . . . txd4? fai l s to 21 . ged1 e5
22. xeS.
20. Wxc8laxc8 21 . d5 a5
Black transfers hi s kni ght to the d6 bl ock
adi ng poi nt. 21 . . . b4 i s i l l ogi cal on account
of the si mpl e 22. led1 fol l owed by an at
tack on the queensi de by a2-a4 .
- -
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. - . - , -
22. h5!
Not onl y cl eari ng the kni ght' s path to the
key f5-poi nt, but al so wi th the ai m of 'seal
i ng i n' the ki ng, whi ch wi l l be unabl e to
render any assi stance to i ts forces.
22 . . . c4 23. h4 d6 24. h6 Jc3?!
24 . . _gc4 suggested i tsel f.
25. lac1! lfc8
For a rook, an open file is a gul p of fresh
ai r. Aroni an makes use of the last practi
cal chance. I n rejecti ng the capture of the
pawn - 25 . . . tlxe4, he appreci ated White's
i ntenti on of attachi ng 'epaul ettes' to the
ki ng at h6 and d6 - 26. f5! gd8 (after
26 . . . lfc8? 27. lxc3 xc3 the pi n 28. lc1
is deci si ve) 27. gxc3 xc3 28. d6.
.
. . .
[ . [

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I
1 :
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Analysis diagram
11
Tabl eau! - thi s was how the French woul d
have assessed the resul ti ng positi on.
The i nvasi on of the rook on the c-fi l e i s
threatened, but supporti ng the knight leads
to the loss of a pawn, wi thout essenti al l y
changi ng the posi ti on: 28 . . . b5 29. gc1
b4 30. a3 a5 31 . axb4 axb4 32. gc2.
Whi te i ntends to pl ay gb2, for exampl e,
32 . . . gd7 33. gb2 gb7 33. gxb4! , si nce after
33 . . _ gxb4 34. d7 gba 35. td6! Bl ack has
no defence agai nst the threats of 36. txf7+
and 36. tc8.
26. xc3 xc3
. - . O , -
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27. <f5!
Thi s is where the depth of the h4-h5-h6
manoeuvre i s fel t. White forci bl y transposes
i nto a rook endi ng where the bl ack ki ng is
ti ghtl y 'seal ed i n' by the f5- and h6-pawns.
27 <xf5 28. exf5 g8
Bl ack cannot prevent the rook's i nvasi on
on the ki ngsi de by 28 . . . gc4 i n vi ew of
29. d6 cg8 30. gd1 gca 31 . g4! when he
i s i n zugzwang. I t i s not possi bl e to avert
the breakthrough by the g-pawn: 31 . . . cf8
32. d7 gd8 33. g5 ce7 (33 . . .fxg5 34. f6)
34. g6 and the h-pawn queens (vari ati ons
by Carl sen).
29. e4! f8 30. g4 lc7
I n the event of 30 . . _ gd3 31 . gg7 gxd5
32. gxh7 cg8 33. gg7+ ch8 34. gxf7
gas 35. gxf6 Bl ack cannot cope wi th the
armada of whi te pawns.
31 . g7 b5 32. xh7 g8 33. g7+
h8
White i s as though pl ayi ng wi th an 'extra'
ki ng. If 33 . . . cf8 there fol l ows a break
t hrough by the h- pawn - 34. d6! gd7
35. gg4 and 36. h7.
34. d6
. - . - , -
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34 . . . d7
34 . . . gb7 i s more resi l i ent, wi th the i dea of
creati ng a passed pawn, but then a raid
by the ki ng proves deci si ve: 35. cf3 b4
36. ce4 a5 37. cd5 a4 38. cc6 b3 39. axb3
axb3 40. cxb7 b2 41 . d7 b1 '+ 42. r:c7
Wc1 + 43. cd8 Wc5 44. gxf7, and after
ge7 the ki ng hi des from the checks at g6.
35. f3 b4 36. e4 xd6
After 36 . . . a5 37. cd5 a4 White wi ns by the
same method as in the precedi ng note.
37. xf7 a6 38. g4 g8 39. h7+ h8
40. g5 fxg5 41 . f6
Bl ack resi gned.
11
After the 4th game everythi ng appeared to have come ful l ci rcl e. Now on hi s guard,
Aroni an pl ayed wi th great composure and di d not l et Carl sen 'off the ropes' . For the
Norwegi an, behi nd 1 1-21 i n the match, onl y one chance remai ned - to make use of
hi s l ast Whi te i n the 5th game. And he di d thi s bri l l i antl y.
Game 24
M. Carlsen - L. Aronian
Candi dates Match, 5th Game
El i sta 2007
1. d4 f6 2. c4 e6 3. f3 b6 4. a3 Ab7
5. c3 d5 6. cxd5 xd5 7. c2 Ae7
8. e4 xc3 9. bxc3 0-0 1 0. Ad3 c5
1 1 . 0-0 c7
1 1 . . . Wc8 came i nto consi derati on, wi th the
i dea of exchangi ng the bi shop after . . . Aa6.
12. e2 d7 13. Ab2
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Carlsen had experi ence of pl ayi ng the Pet
rosi an Vari ati on, al though wi th the black
pi eces. At the tournament in Bi el (2005)
Gel fand attacked hi m wi th 1 3. e5, and
thi s i s what happened: 13 . . Jfd8 1 4. h4
f8 1 5. Ae3 Wc6 1 6. lfd1 lac8 1 7. h5 h6
1 8. e1 th7 1 9. Wg4 g5 20. h2 h8
21 . a4 te4 22. ldc1 Ag5 23. f4 f5 24. We2
Ah4 25. tf3 Ae7 26. Ab5 We? 27. Ac4
d7 28. Ab5 We? 29. Ac4 Wd7 1-1.
1 3 . . . c4
An unexpected deci si on in the context of
the match.
I n maki ng t hi s strategi cal ly ri sky move,
Aroni an surel y shoul d have had a 'bomb' up
hi s sl eeve. After al l , by reli evi ng the pawn
tensi on (of course, 1 4. Axc4 Axe4 i s un
favourabl e for Whi te), he granted Whi te a
mobi l e pawn centre wi th prospects of an
attack on the ki ng si de, whi ch meant that he
had to ai m to stri ke fi rst on the queensi de.
But i t woul d appear that he was merel y
counti ng on Carl sen' s psychol ogi cal de
pressi on after the defeated suffered the
day before.
Usual l y i n thi s vari ati on Bl ack mai ntai ns
the pawn tensi on by devel opi ng hi s rooks at
c8 and d8. Here are two typi cal exampl es
on thi s theme:
Kasparov - Kramni k ( Li nares 2004):
13 . . . lac8 14. td2lfd8 1 5. lfd1 tf6 1 6. a4
cxd4 1 7. cxd4 Ab4 1 8. tf3 We? wi th equal
chances;
Ponomari ov- Leko (Tal Memori al , Mos
cow 2006): 1 3 . . . lfd8 1 4. d5 exd5 1 5. exd5
Af6 1 6. c4 b5! wi th good counterpl ay for
Bl ack.
14. Ac2 b5 1 5. Ac1
After Bl ack has 'l ocked' the l ong di agonal,
the bi shop i s doi ng nothi ng at b2, and so
i t j oi ns the attack on the ki ngsi de, ai mi ng
for g5.
1 5 . . . a5 16. Eb1
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16 . . . Aa6?!
Thi s obvi ous move deci des the outcome
of the game, si nce the attack agai nst the
undefended ki ngsi de l ooks extremely
dangerous. But al so i nterest i ng is the
pragmat i c vi ew of the young profes
si onal , who consi ders the best move
to be 1 9. xb4! wi th the wi n of a pawn.
The rook cannot be taken because of a
standard attack: 1 9 . . . Axb4 20. Axh7+
'xh7 (or 20 . . . 'h8 21 . g5 g6 22. 'f3!
'g? 23. 'f4 wi th the threats of xe6+
and 'h4) 21 . g5+ 'g8 (21 . . . 'g6 l eads
to mate after 22. 'e4+ f5 23. exf6+ 'h5
24. 'h7+ 'g4 25. h3#) 22. 'h5 tea
When there are attacks on opposi te wi ngs,
23. 'xf?+ 'h8 24. e1 ! , and Bl ack has
every tempo is i mportant. Therefore 1 6. . .
n o defence agai nst the swi tchi ng of the
b4! 1 7. axb4 axb4 1 8. cxb4 a2 was more
rook to h3.
logi cal , wi th suffi ci ent compensati on for
the sacri fi ced pawn (Carl sen).
1 7. e5 b4?
But now thi s move i s too l ate. I t was ti me
for Bl ack to concern hi msel f wi th hi s ki ng:
1 7 . . . fe8 1 8. g5 f8 1 9. 'h5 Axg5
20. Axg5 wi th a somewhat i nferi or, but
sound posi ti on.
I f 1 7 . . . fb8 Bl ack has to reckon wi th the
breakthrough 1 8. d5! ? exd5 1 9. e6.
1 8. axb4 axb4
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1 9 . . .cb6
Naturally, 19 . . . Axg5? 20. xg5 h6 21 . 'e4
f5 22. xe6 'c8 23. Wt4 woul d have been
sui ci dal.
20. 'e4 g6 21 . 'h4 aa7
Not 21 . . . Axg5 22. xg5 h5 23. xb4 d5
24. e4! , when 24 . . . xb4 fai l s to 25. f6+
'g? 26. xh5+ wi th i nevi tabl e mate.
22. At6!?
Of course, the extra pawn after 22. Axe?
Wxe7 23. 'xe7 xe7 24. xb4 d5 i s
too smal l a gai n i n such a powerful po
si ti on. Carl sen was ai mi ng onl y for an
attack, but, havi ng cool ed down after
the batt l e, hi s pragmat i c vi ew i ncl i ned
i n favour of 22. xb4, si nce here too the
wi n of the exchange - 22 . . . Axb4 23. Af6
b8 24. cxb4 - l eads to a very strong at
tack on the ki ng (25. g5 is threatened).
After 22 . . . d5 23. a4 Whi te remai ns
a pawn up (23 . . . xc3? 24. Axe? 'xe7
25. 'xe7 xe7 26. xa6 l eads to the l oss
T T
M. Carlsen - L. Aronian
of a piece) , retaining threats to the king.
For exampl e, i n the event of 23 . .. .b5
24 . .xa7 'xa7 25 . .e4 Bl ack' s position
is unenviabl e.
22 . . . Axf6 23. exf6 d5
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24. Ae4
:
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Amazing pragmatism! By threatening the

exchange on d5 Carl sen provokes the ex
change of queens, preferring to go into an
endgame with an extra pawn, rather than
an attack with 24. t:e5, which looks very at
tractive. For example: 24 . . . b3 25. Ae4 'd6
26. f4 .e8 27 . .xd5 exd5 28. f5, building up
the threats. This is correct, but what can be
suggested after 24 . . . bxc3 25. Ae4 'd6?
24 . . .ff4 25. Axd5 Wxh4 26. xh4
exd5 27. xb4
White's main trump in this ending is the
' nail ' on f6. By seal ing the kingside, it ef
fectivel y guarantees White an extra piece
- his king, the rol e of which in the endgame
is hard to overestimate.
27 . . . Ac8 28. b6
Prophyl axis against the threat of . . . .a6.
28 . . . a3 29. c1 Ae6 30. f3 fa8
. - . - , h
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Signal l ing the start of an attack on the

kingside. Al though Bl ack's defences ap
pear solid, Magnus sees a way to l aunch
a decisive storm.
31 . . . h6 32. e5 a1 33. xa1!
The onl y way of fighting for a wi n. I f
33 . .bb1 Bl ack can repl y 33 . . . .1 a3! , re
stricting White's offensive actions.
33 . . . xa1 + 34. h2 a3 35. b8+ h7
36. f4!
An essential link in White's pl an is the diver
sion of the bishop ( f4-f5 is threatened). To
convert his advantage it is i mportant for
him to win the f7-pawn without exchang
ing the minor pieces, since i n the event
of 36 . .f8 .xc3 37. txf7 Axf7 38 . .xf7+
<g8 39 . .g7+ <f8 40 . .xg6 .d3 the rook
ending is not worse for Bl ack (variations
by Carl sen).
36 . . . xc3
(see next diagram)
37. h5!
A bril liant sol ution! The pawn offensive with
a smal l army creates a fine aesthetic i m
pression. Bl ack coul d not have prevented
this move by . . . h6-h5, since after tf3-g5
he woul d have been mated.
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37 gxh5
Forced, since i f 37 . . . gS? there follows 38. fS
AxfS 39. xf7 with unavoidabl e mate.
38. lf8 la3 39. f5! Jxf5 40. lxf7+
mg8 41 . lg7+ mts 42. lb7! la8
43. mg3!
The king decides the outcome. If 43 . . . c3
there fol l ows 44. mf4 c2 (44 . . . Ae6 4S. le7)
4S. xfS! with mate in four moves.
43 ldS 44. mt4 Je4 45. g3! c3
46. lt7+ mgs 47. lg7+ mts 48. td7+
lxd7 49. lxd7
Bl ack resigned.
I n the 6th game Carl sen again deserved the highest praise - this time for the defence
of a difficul t position.
Game 2S
L. Aronian M. Carlsen
Candidates Match, 6th Game
Elista 2007
Slav Defence [017}
1 . d4 tf6 2. tf3 d5 3. c4 c6 4. tc3
dxc4 5. a4 Jt5 6. te5 tbd7 7. txc4
tb6
-
. - . - , h
Capabl anca-Vidmar (Carl sbad 1 929), the
main continuation was considered to be
7 . . . Vc7 8. g3 eS 9. dxeS xeS 1 0. Af4
fd7 1 1 . Ag2 f6, where in recent times
Bl ack has begun to experience difficulties
after 1 2. xeS. For exampl e, the game
van Wel y-1. Sokol ov (Dutch Champion
shi p 1 998) continued 12 . . . xeS 1 3. aS a6
1 4. 0-0 Ad6 1 S. e4 Ae7 1 6. Vb3 with a
smal l but enduring positional advantage for
White. Therefore, not without reason, I van
Sokolov made a detailed study of 7 . . . b6
8. eS aS and took it up. I t was this that
Carl sen empl oyed in this important game.
8. te5 a5 9. g3 tfd7
For many years, beginning with the game
This conti nuation is empl oyed far more
rarely than 9 ... e6 1 0. Ag2 Ab4 1 1 . 0-0 0-0,
and since the advance of the e-pawn is not
threatened, for the moment it is not essen
tial for Bl ack to perform such pirouettes.
But al so Carl sen's decision to exchange
T T
L. Aronian - M. Carlsen
the active knight rather earlier is probabl y
no accident.
10. fxd7
Nothi ng significant is promised by the
knight retreat 1 0. tf3. For exampl e, the
game Svidl er -Wang Yue (Chi na 2008)
continued 1 0 . . . e6 1 1 . e4 Ag4 1 2. Ag2 e5
1 3. 0-0 exd4 1 4. xd4 f6 1 5. Ae3 1-1.
I f 1 0. td3 there can fol l ow 1 0 . . . e5! ?
1 1 . dxe5 tc5 with active counterpl ay for
the pawn.
10 . . . 'xd7
I n the event of 1 0 . . . txd7 1 1 . Ag2 e6
1 2. 0-0 Ab4 1 3. e4 the centre has to be
conceded without sufficient reason.
11. e4 .h3
I n the game P. H. Niel sen-Timman (Mal mo
2002) Bl ack deci ded first to weaken
White's kingside: 1 1 . . . Ag4?! 1 2. f3 Ah3
13. Axh3 Wxh3 1 4. Wb3 .a6 1 5. Ae3
Wg2? 1 6. 0-0-0 Wxf3 17 . .he1 , and his
del ay in castl ing l ed to defeat . I t shoul d
be mentioned that after the better 15 . . .
e6 1 6. f2 White al so has the advantage.
12. Jxh3 'xh3 1 3. 'b3 !a6
. - . - , h
reason to be dissatisfied with his posi
tion. He has managed to remove White's
' sting' - the g2-bishop, one of the main
performers in such a position, supporting
the d4-d5 breakthrough, and at the same
time it is not easy for White to expl oit the
awkward position of the rook on a6. How
ever, White's repl y changes the picture.
14 . .f4!
From here the bishop can attack the knight
on b6. In the game Gyimesi - Bu Xiangzhi
(Germany 2007) White developed his bish
op more passively - 1 4. Ae3 and after 14 . . .
e6 1 5. d 5 Ab4 1 6. dxe6 Wxe6! 1 7. Wxe6+
fxe6 1 8. Axb6 lxb6 1 9. 0-0-0 Ac5 20. f4
e7 he had an inferior endgame.
14 . . . e6 1 5. Je5!
A wel l -known technique: before pl acing the
bishop on its designated square - c7, in
passing White tries to extract some benefit
by provoking a weakening of the kingside.
1 5 . . . .b4
The first i mpression is that Bl ack has no
The drawbacks to 1 5 . . . f6 are reveal ed
by 1 6. Ac7 Ab4 1 7. 0-0-0 0-0 1 8. te2!
(after 1 8. ta2 c5 1 9. txb4 c4! ? Bl ack
has serious counterpl ay: 20. Wa3 axb4
21 . Wxb4 txa4 22. Wxb7 lfa8) . Now, in
view of the threat of tf4 or even tg1 , it is
not easy for Bl ack to defend his e6-pawn.
He can hardl y contempl ate either 1 8 . . . g5
1 9. tg1 Wg2 20. Wxe6+ h8 21 . th3
with a compromised kingside, or 1 8 . . . Wg2
1 9. Wxe6+ h8 20. tf4! xf2 21 . lhf1
We3+ 22. b1 with a trapped queen. The
mai n drawback of Bl ack' s position is ob
vious - his pieces are badl y pl aced. On
encounteri ng diffi cul ties, Carl sen sac
rifices a pawn, hopi ng to gai n ti me to
coordinate hi s forces.
T 1
16 . .xg7 lgS 1 7. Ae5 'g2
Bl ack regai ns the pawn, a central one
moreover, whi ch gives him the d5-square
- an excel l ent base for his pieces. True,
for this he has to exchange his bishop,
weakening hi s dark-square periphery. But
in White's position too the l ight squares are
weak. The question is whose strategy is
the more discerning.
1 8. 0-0-0 Axc3 1 9. 'xc3
White is hoping to extract more from the
position than the endgame after 1 9. bxc3
xe4 20. c4 e2 21 . c5 (not 21 . d3?
txa4! with the threat of . . . b6) 21 . . . c4+
22. xc4 txc4.
19 . . . 'xe4 20. lhe1 'd5
Normal l y it is important to blockade the
weak point in front of an isolated pawn.
I n the given situation, where the king has
not castl ed, this is doubl y important: the
opening of the position after a pawn break
through cannot be al lowed. This coul d oc
cur after 20 . . . f5 21 . d5! txd5 (after 21 . . .
cxd5 22. c7 the b7-pawn is lost) 22. xd5
exd5 23. c5! , when Biack has no defence.
21 . b3 'd7 22. 'c2
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Despite al l his trickery, as yet Bl ack has

not managed to consol idate his forces,
whereas White has his sights set on the
h7-pawn.
22 . . . 'e7
Carl sen disl ikes passive pl ay and he de
cides to sacrifice a pawn to activate his
pieces as much as possi bl e. There is
l ogic in this - there are pl enty of weak
nesses in White's position, and Bl ack can
greatl y hinder the advance of the pawns.
I n such a situation it is customary to rel y
on intuition, but the consequences of pas
sive defence al so have to be weighed up:
22 . . . g6! ? 23. <b2 td5 24. h4 h5 25. e2
g4 26. f3 g6 27. g4 e7, and Black is
sti l l holding the position. Nothing is given
by either 28. gxh5 h6, or 28. g5 b4,
whil e if 29. f4, then 29 . . .f6 l ooks a satis
factory repl y.
23. 'xh7 lg6
After the preparatory 23 . .. a3+ 24. <d2
g6 Bl ack has to reckon with 25. e3!
td5 26. h8+ <d7 27. f3, reminding
Bl ack that he al so has a king. Therefore
Carl sen woul d have to seek the exchange
of queens by 24 . . . a2+ 25. c2, but,
knowing Aronian' s technique in the con
version of a minimal advantage in simpl e
positions, he does not want to al low White
a comfortabl e l ife and he prefers to go
fishing in troubl ed waters.
24. 1e3
One gains the impression that both pl ay
ers are thinking in the same direction and
are not in a hurry to exchange queens.
Carl sen i s afraid to go into an endgame,
whil e Aronian is also not in a rush, hoping
to finding chances in the middl egame, in
which he is hardl y taking any risk: it is dif
ficul t for Bl ack to create any counterpl ay,
T Z
L. Aronian - M. Carlsen
since he has to worry about his own king.
After 24. h8+ Bl ack woul d have been
unabl e to avoid the queen exchange, since
with his king in the centre he woul d have
to reckon with the opening of the position.
For exampl e, i f 24 . . .
@
d7, then 25. d5! fol
lowed by 26. b8 (the immediate 25. b8
does not work because of 25 . . . a3+) and
the queen, coordinating with the bishop,
creates dangerous threats.
24 . . . td5 25. f3 'f8 26. h4 h6
Carlsen again decides against going into
the endgame after 26 . . . h6+ 27. xh6
xh6. For the same reason after the retreat
of the rook he does not pl ay 27 . . . a3+.
27. 'c2 a8 28. 'd2 h5 29. b2
'g8 30. e1 'g6 31 . Ad6 d8
The young Norwegian manoeuvres with
his pieces like a highl y-experienced grand
master, observing the basic rules of actions
by the defending side. He avoids pawn
advances and any activity, keeping a care
ful eye on the opponent' s manoeuvres.
31 . . .
@
d7, not removing the defence of the
aS-pawn, can al so be recommended. But
Magnus prefers to defend this pawn with
counterplay.
32. Aa3 'g4 33. d3 f5 34. e5 d7
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35. 'e2
Carlsen has nevertheless won the psycho
logical battle. White's manoeuvres have not
led to anything, and Aronian himsel f offers
the exchange of queens. I n the event of
35. xf5 xf5 36. e2
@
c8 Black final ly
resolves the problem of his king.
35 . . . g8!?
And this is al ready the chal l enge of a sel f
confident fighter. Bl ack avoids the natural
exchange 35 . . . xe2+ 36. xe2, not fearing
the doubl ing of his pawns by 36. xg4
xg4 37. lxf5 exf5, since White cannot
prevent . . . f5-f4.
36. 'e1
Aronian appreciates his opponent's audac
ity and returns to the previous manoeuvring
strategy.
36 . . . g6 37. e2
Here the exchange 37. xf5 exf5 is unfa
vourabl e on account of the possibl e ma
noeuvre . . . lg6- e6-e4.
37 . . . f3?!
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Up till now Carl sen has acted irreproach
abl y, but in time-troubl e his composure
deserts him. He forces events, changing
the character of the position, al though it
was possibl e to continue the strategy of
indirectl y defending the aS-pawn, by at
tacking the f2- and d4-pawns: 37 . . . .g8
38 . .c2 'g6 39 . .d1 (39. 'xaS? ef4)
39 . . . 'f6 etc.
38. :xf3 'xf3 39. :c2 Wf6 40. Wxa5
Wxd4+ 41 . a2 :f6 42. f4?!
After Bl ack' s l apse on the 37th move
White has managed to break through to
the queenside, at the same time ridding
himsel f of his isol ated d4-pawn. However,
by removing his f-pawn from attack, he cre
ates a backward pawn on g3, which signifi
cantl y eases Bl ack' s defence. The correct
continuation was pointed out by Rogozen
ko: 42. Ac5! We4 43 . .d2 .f3 44. Wa7
re? 45. Ae3! with the idea of 46. 'd4,
expl oiting t he fact that 45 . . . exe3?? i s not
possibl e on account of the mating attack
46. WaS+ b6 47. 'a7+.
42 . . . :g6 43. Was
This l eads to simplification, which coul d
have been avoided by 43 . .d2 with t he
probabl e conti nuation 43 . . . 'e3! 44. Wb4
re? 45. Wd6+ rb6 46. Wd8+ ra6
47. Wa8+ rb6 (47 . . . ' a? 48. Wxa7+ rxa7
49 . .d3 l eads to a better endgame for
White) 48. aS+ re? 49. Ad6! ? rd7 (after
49 . . . rxd6? 50. 'd8+ reS 51 . .xd5+! and
52. 'b6 the queen is lost), and Bl ack is still
hol ding the position.
43 . . . b4+ 44. Axb4 Wxb4 45. :g2
The l ast attempt to retain an advantage -
45 . .c4 'd2+ 46. ra3 re?! 47. Wf8 .xg3
48. 'xf7+ Wd7 49. Wxd7+ rxd7 woul d
have resulted in a drawn rook endgame.
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45 . . . :xg3!
A worthy concl usion to this titanic struggle.
46. :xg3 Wd2+ 47. a3 Wc1 +
Draw.
Such a draw is worth any win. To hol d out
in a very difficul t battl e at a critical moment
of the match signified a moral victory for
Carl sen.
And so, ' normal time' ended in a 3-3 draw, and the match continued with a tie-break
of four rapid games. And everything repeated itsel f agai n. Aronian won his first ' White'
game and for the third (!) time took the l ead in the match. After two draws Carl sen had
one l ast chance to make use of the white pieces in what was al ready the 1 0th game
of the match. And he performed a miracl e, fighting ' to the l ast bul l et' , and winning a
theoretical l y drawn endgame.
1 ZZ
M. Carl sen L.Aronian
M. Carlsen L. Aronian
Candidates Match, 1 0th Game
El ista 2007
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I n pre-reform times, when games were
pl ayed with the cl assical time control and
there were adjournments, one cannot im
agine such an ending being resumed. The
pawn cannot be converted. This is obvious,
but not for the present-day ' condensed'
times, when the competitive el ement pre
vails over logical pl ay. Nowadays, fol l owing
the FI DE reforms, games are pl ayed to a
finish, and pl ayers are ensured against l os
ing on time by the addition of extra seconds
after each move. And so Carl sen pl ays on.
What is striking is the professional ism with
which he pl ays this ending, even under the
rapid time regime: here there is the rul e ' do
not hurry' (it is more difficul t to defend than
to attack), restraint in advancing the pawn
(making it taboo for Bl ack to exchange
the queens), and the maximum activation
of the king.
69. h3 'b1 70. Wf6+ h7 71 . Wf3
g7 72. h4
The technique of coordinating the king
and queen whi l e keeping the pawn on
its initial square is i mpressive. I n a rapid
pl ay finish it is not easy to defend - it is
important not to run into an exchange of
queens. Bl ack exaggeratedl y pl ays with
out checks, onl y moving hi s king, pl acing
it on safe squares.
72 . . . h7 73. Wf7+ h8 74. Wh5+ g7
75. Wg4+ h7 76. Wh5+ g7 77. We5+
h7 78. Wd5 g7 79. Wd4+ h7
80. Wd7+ h8 81 . g4
The pawn comes into pl ay at the most ap
propriate moment, provoking Aronian into
giving checks with his queen.
81 . . . Wh1 + 82. g5 Wc1 +?
This next i mpul sive check l eads to de
feat. The position coul d have been hel d by
82 . . . 'e4 or even 82 . . . 'a8! ?, with a tacti
cal point: 83. 'f5 'g8+ 84. h6 'g7+
85. h5 'f7+ 86. Wxf7 - stal emate!
83. g6 Wb1 + 84. Wf5
Bl ack resigned.
And so, the tie-break al so ended in a draw, 2-2. The winner was due to be decided in
a blitz match of two games, and if necessary an 'Armageddon' game woul d be pl ayed.
But things did not come to this. The abil ity to pl ay five-minute chess has its specific
features, and here the cl ear favourite was Aronian, who won both games, and with
them the match.
Carlsen gave a critical appraisal of his defeat: 'Aronian i s very strong' , he repl ied to a
correspondent of the magazine 64 Shakhmatnoe obozrenie. ' The match with him was
a good lesson; I real ised that there is sti l l much to l earn about chess, much to study.
T Z
Leven caused me a mass of unpl easant surprises in the middl egame. I n addition, I
basical l y coul dn' t get out of the opening with the bl ack pieces. ' But, despite the defeat,
it was this match that brought Carl sen up to a new l evel . The 1 6-year-ol d grandmaster
presented himsel f to the chess community as a real contender for the worl d crown in
the near future. He presented himsel f in particul ar as an infl exibl e fighter! Three times
in a week he equal ised, twice in decisive games - onl y those possessing a champion's
character are capabl e of this.
Three weeks for ' repairs' before the start of the third ' pi l l ar' of the worl d chess
cal endar - the Sparkassen GM Tournament in Dort mund ( FI DE category 20) was
not a l ong time. It is wel l known that this was a ki nd of personal fiefdom of Kramnik,
who by that time had won there on eight occasions. The other participants were
al so no pushover. Carl sen was in a cautious mood: ' When there are so many solid
opponents: Kramnik, Anand, Gel fand, Leko - pl aying is not easy. They exert pres
sure with their every move, not l osing concentration for a second. In this sense
Dortmund was in general the most difficul t super-tournament of the year for me:
Morel ia/Li nares or Wij k aan Zee was ful l of fighters such as l vanchuk or Topal ov,
who themsel ves play and al so al l ow their opponents to pl ay. Here there were no
such pl ayers.' Therefore he was not too disappointed with the resul t: a loss to Kram
nik (where he was thoroughl y outpl ayed by the champion in his favourite Catal an
Opening) and fighting draws with the rest was no reason to be upset . Especial l y
si nce t hree weeks l ater there was the tournament in Biel , where the opposition was
not quite so strong.
On thi s occasion the organisers of the festival i n Biel had changed the format
of their main tournament. They i ncreased the number of participants to ten, and,
despite the absence of Morozevich, the main victor of the l ast few years, they were
abl e to raise the l evel to FI DE category 1 8. Carlsen was happy: the opponents were
of those who themsel ves pl ay and al l ow others to pl ay. It seemed the right time to
pl ay fighting chess, but he was continuing to work on his own game, and in Biel we
saw a sel f-confident ' technician' . Magnus happil y exchanged the queens, rel ying on
his greatl y i mproved endgame technique, as he demonstrated in the very first round
in thi s game with Bu Xiangzhi. He was not concerned by the protracted nature of the
battl e (the conversion of a positional advantage with opposite-colour bishops and
rooks took 50 moves) . The tournament went well, and three rounds before the end
Carl sen was l eading by a margin of one point. I t seemed that victory was assured.
But at that moment he committed a chil dish error, inadmissi bl e for a 1 7-year-old
grandmaster.
1 Z
M. Carl sen - A. Oni schuk
M. Carlsen Y. Pel l eti er
Biel 2007
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After the natural 1 6. f3 White is sl ightl y
better, but that is al l . But Magnus pl ayed
1 6. Axh7?? (one can' t hel p remembering
the first game of the 1 972 Spassky-Fischer
match), and after the natural repl y 16 f5
17. e4
g7 1 8. exf5
xh7 1 9. fxe6 fxe6 he

was a piece down for obviousl y inadequate
compensation.
What was the cause of such inexcusabl y
caval ier pl ay? Perhaps he was seeking
revenge for the miniature in hi s first tourna
ment in Biel 2005, which he l ost to Pel letier
in the opening (1 . d4 f6 2. c4 e6 3. c3
Ab4 4. c2 d5 5. cxd5 c5 6. dxc5 xd5
7. Ad2 AxeS 8. xd5 xd5 9. e4 d4
10. 0-0-0 d7 1 1 . Ab5 0-0?? 1 2. Ac3,
and Bl ack lost a piece). On the principl e-it
depends who you are pl aying!
This chi l dishness cost him dearl y. As
it is said, misfort unes do not come sin
gl y. Through i nertia Carl sen l ost his next
game to van Wel y and al l owed hi msel f
to be passed by Radj abov, whom he
had to pl ay i n the l ast round. Al l t hat
remai ned was to displ ay his character
and win ' to order' , and al though he did
this, Magnus was caught by Onischuk.
They had t o pl ay a bl itz tie- break for
the first prize. They fought to the l ast:
with a score of 2-2 things came down
to an 'Armageddon' (draw i n favour of
Bl ack, but he has 4 minutes on the cl ock) .
And Carl sen again displ ayed his char
acter. He won the game with Bl ack, and
moreover he won ' on cl ass' . Passions
died down - Magnus had won hi s first
super-tournament.
Game 26
M. Carlsen A Onischuk
Biel 2007
Queen's Gambit [043]
1 . d4 f6 2. c4 e6 3. f3 d5 4 .g5
By a non-traditional way the game has
entered the currentl y popul ar Moscow
Variation, the cl assical route to which lies
via the Queen' s Gambit (1 . d4 d5 2. c4 e6
3. f3 f6 4. Ag5). The variation received
this name after the famous Moscow I nter
national Tournament of 1 925, where it was
empl oyed by Emanuel Lasker and Efim
Bogolj ubow.
4 . . . h6 5 . .xf6
A popul ar conti nuation. Those who l ike
sharp pl ay prefer to test thei r strength
(and home preparation! ) in the so-cal l ed
Anti- Moscow Variation 5. Ah4 c6 6. c3
dxc4. As for Carl sen, he prefers cl earer
pl ay.
5 . . . 'xf6 6. c3 c6 7. 'b3
Al ong with 7. c2, one of the main continu
ations in the Moscow Variation.
7 . . . dxc4
Another branch 7 . . . d7 8. e4 dxe4 9. xe4
f4 1 0. Ad3 e5 1 1 . 0-0 has been known
T ZO
since the time of the 1 938 AVRO Tourna
ment.
Analysis diagram
The Euwe- Fine game continued 1 1 . . . Ae7
1 2. gfe1 exd4 1 3. &xd4 0-0 1 4. Ac2 tf6
(nowadays t he more forceful 1 4 . . . tc5
1 5. 'c3 gd8 i s preferred, with equal
pl ay) 1 5. gad1 g6 1 6. txf6+?! (1 6. 'c3! ?)
1 6 . . . Axf 6 1 7. ge4 We? 1 8. 'e3 *g7
1 9. h4 h5 20. gf4 ge8! 21 . 'xe8 'xf4
22. tf3 gba 23. 'e4 'xe4 24. Axe4
Ag4, and Bl ack won the endgame i n ex
cel l ent styl e.
The modern sharp continuation 1 1 . . .
exd4 underwent a severe testi ng in the
game Mamedyarov-Topal ov (Sofia 2007),
where Shakhriyar made use of a recom
mendation by Jan Timman, that had not
come to the attenti on of the ex-worl d
champion - 1 2. &xd4! , after which cas-
tl ing is not possibl e - 12 . . . Ae7 1 3. tf5! .
The game continued 1 2 . . . tc5 1 3. &xc5
Axc5 1 4. gae1 + *f8 1 5. ge4 'f6 1 6. 'c3
a5?! (1 6 . . . Ad7! ? 1 7. b4 Axd4 1 8. gxd4 gea
- Stohl ) 1 7. gfe1 Ad7 1 8. g1 e3 Ab4 1 9. Wc2
'd6 20. gf3 h5 21 . c5! Axc5 22. Ac4 f6
23. te6+ Axe6 24. gxe6, and White soon
won.
8. Wxc4 d7 9. e3 g6 1 0. Ae2 Ag7
1 1 . 0-0 0-0
(see next diagram)
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12. Jfd1 e5
Carl sen t hi nks t hat t he preparatory
12 . . . 'e?! ? is more accurate.
1 3. e4
Bl ack is seriousl y behind in the devel op
ment of his queenside, and White's pl ay
invol ves expl oiting the weakness of the
d6-square for the invasion of his knight.
1 3 . . . 'e7?!
Here this move does not oppose White's
pl an, since it al lows a favourabl e break
through in the centre. As Carl sen shows in
his comments on the game, the probl em
would have been solved by the paradoxical
move 1 3 . . . Wf5! . This seems strange - the
queen invites the knight to go to d6 with
gain of tempo, but the subtl e point is that
Bl ack forces the exchange on e5 and neu
tralises the danger: 1 4. td6 Wf6 1 5. dxe5
txe5 1 6. txe5 Wxe5 1 7. 'b4 Ae6, and
1 8. Wxb7?! is risky because of 18 . . . Ad5.
14. d5 cxd5 1 5. 'xd5 b6
The al ternati ve 1 5 . . . tf6 1 6. Wd6 Wxd6
1 7. &xd6 woul d al so have left White with
a favourabl e endgame.
1 Z
M. Carl sen - A. Oni schuk
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16. Wc5!
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One cannot hel p but be amazed at the

pragmatism of the young grandmaster. I f
the position demands it, Carl sen is pre
pared to try and squeeze out a minimal
advantage, even in an obviousl y protracted
endgame.
16 . e e Wxc5 1 7. xeS Ag4
White's control of the d-fil e combined with
the pressure of his knight on the b7-pawn
creates probl ems for Bl ack over the devel
opment of hi s light-square bishop. Onis
chuk' s decision to sacrifice the pawn for
the sake of discl osing the potential of his
bishop pair seems a ful l y objective one.
If he defends the pawn by 17 . . . b8, after
18. ac1 the probl ems of devel oping the
bishop are not relieved: if 18 . . . AfS there is
1 9. th4, whil e if 18 . . . Ag4 - 1 9. h3.
18. h3
1 9. xb7
White must accept the pawn sacrifice,
since after 1 9. ac1 e4 20. hxg4 exf3
21 . Axf3 Axb2 22. b1 xeS 23. xb2
c7 he cannot hope for anything.
1 9 . . . Ae6
The pair of l ong-range bishops supported
by the rook put the queenside under con
certed fire, forcing White onto the defen
sive.
20. b3
White cannot get by without this move,
20. d2 is too passive: 20 . . . c7 21 . &aS
(21 . td6 d8) 21 . . . tea 22. ad1 c2,
whil e after a move by the knight - 20. td6
the potential of the bl ack pieces is ful l y
revealed: 20 . . . c2 21 . d2 xd2 22. txd2
d8 23. t2c4 e4 24. b1 fS, and again
2S. b3 cannot be avoided.
20 . . . 9c2 21 . Af1
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For the moment 1 8. txb7 does not work

21 . . . d5
because of 18 . . . e4.
18 . . . 9ac8
Bl ack has gained an important tempo to
secure an excel l ent post for his bishop
at e6.
Bl ack is at the cross-roads: shoul d he
conti nue his active course, which Onis
chuk settl es for, by pl aying his knight to
c3, or l imit himsel f to waiting tactics? For
exampl e, 21 . . . AdS 22. td6 c6 23. ebS
T ZJ
a6 is possi bl e, driving the knight to the
edge of the board (24. ta3) . But what to
do next? 24 . . . e4 is onl y a hal f-measure:
25. td4 1k5 26. fac1 and White neverthe
l ess transfers his knight to c4 - 26 . . . ffc8
(or 26 . . . fa5 27. tc4 Axc4 28. bxc4 fxa2
29. c5 tc8 30. fa1 , winning the a6-pawn)
27. fxc5 fxc5 28. tc4! , and Bl ack is un
abl e to regain t he pawn. I f 24 . . . a5 White
repl ies 25. td2 e4 (25 . . . a4 26. Ab5)
26. fab1 fa8 27. tac4, stabil isi ng the
a3-knight.
22. Ac4 tc3 23. ld2 lxd2 24. txd2
e4 25. f1
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25 . . . 1b8
Al exey Korotyl ev considers the best pl an
to be the switchi ng of the l ight-square
bishop to the l ong diagonal , from where
it defends the e4-pawn and keeps an eye
on the queen side pawns: 25 . . . Ad7!? 26. a4
Ac6 27. td6 Ae5 28. fc1 Axd6 29. fxc3
Ab4 30. fc2 fd8, and the a4/b3 pawn
pair is securel y bl ockaded. I t shoul d be
added that the attempt to advance the b
pawn - 26. tc5 Ac6 27. b4 - is parried by
27 . . . fd8 28. e1 a5! 29. bxa5 ta4. Now,
however, Carl sen confidentl y finds the key
26. teS Axc4+?
It woul d appear that Bl ack no l onger had
any choice, other than to win the exchange:
26 . . . ta4 27. txe6 Axa1 28. bxa4 fxe6
29. Axe6+ g7 30. txe4, where White
woul d be faced with converting his com
pact pawn mass in a protracted endgame.
But, at the l east, this was a practical
chance, whereas with the exchange of
the l ight-square bishops the potential of
the extra pawn increases sharpl y.
27. txc4 lb5
Apparentl y Onischuk was pi nni ng his
hopes on this move, thinking that after the
knight moves to a6 it wil l be out of pl ay. Af
ter 27 . . . ta4 White can interpose 28. ta6 .
28. ta6!
This knight is destined to discredit the
rul e of Siegbert Tarrasch, that a knight
on the edge of the board al ways stands
badl y. In the given specific position the
white knights are excel l entl y coordinated,
restricting the rook, which looks l ongingly
at the c6-square.
28 . . . Af8
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to Bl ack's defences. 29. b4!
T Z
M. Carl sen T. Radjabov
And here is the key to the position. By sac
rificing a pawn, White compl etely ties down
the bl ack pieces.
29 . . . .xb4 30. a4 lb7 31 . lc1 ld5
32. lb1 f5
Against the attempt to unravel with a ' re
verse' pin, White has a choice between
two winning endgames: 32 . . J !e7 33. xb4
.b7 34. xd5 .xb1 + 35. e2 and 34. d6
.xb4 35 . .xb4 xb4 36. xe4.
33. a5!
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The domination of the white knights over

the bl ack rook is i mpressive! By taking
away the b6-square, White puts Bl ack in
zugzwang. Carl sen confirms this with the
fol l owing variations: 33 . . . .e7 34. xb4
.b7 35. b6! , or 33 . . . .b5 34. g3! with
the threat of 35. d6 (after the immediate
34. d6 .xa5 35. xb4 xb4 36 . .xb4
.a1 + White has to give up his f2-pawn).
The performance is finished. The curtain
can be lowered.
33 . . . g7 34. le5 f4 35. exf4 e3
36. fxe3 lxe3+ 37. g1 ld5 38. h1
lb5 39. lc6
Black lost on time.
Game 27
M. Carlsen - T. Radjabov
Biel 2007
Irregular Opening [ 807]
1 . e4 d6
Despite the fact that in the l ast round Carls
en was more highl y motivated (to overtake
Radjabov, he had to win the game), his
opponent was by no means in a peace
able mood. This is al so indicated by the
choice of opening. I t shoul d be mentioned
that Radjabov (as also Carl sen) is no re
specter of reputations, and he is one of
the few who pl ays for a win with both col
ours. I t is worth remembering Teimour's
win, at the age of 1 6, over the great Garry
Kasparov in Linares 2003. With the black
pieces, moreover! It is sufficient to say
that Teimour's main weapon against 1 . d4
i s the King's I ndian Defence, in which he
has gained numerous wins.
2. d4 lf6 3. lc3 e5
A curious psychol ogical moment. I t turns
out that Radj abov was only ' scaring' Carl s
en with the Pirc- Ufimtsev Defence; he does
not intend to fianchetto his bishop, and
he invites a transposition into the Phil idor
Defence. He is not afraid of the exchange of
queens, realising that in view of the tourna
ment situation Carl sen will not go in for it .
4. lge2
Magnus prefers something different, which
has no name in opening cl assification. The
transposition into the Phi l i dor Defence
coul d have occurred after 4. f3 bd7.
4 . . . lbd7
Carl sen thinks that the development of
the bishops was more in the spirit of the
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position - 4 . . . Ae7 S. g3 Ag4 6. Ag2 exd4
7. xd4 tc6.
5. g3 c6 6. Ag2
I t was possibl e to forestal l the pawn initia
tive on the queenside by 6. a4.
6 . . . b5 7. a3 Ae7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. h3 aS
I n the rapid game Grischuk - Fridman
(Mainz 2006) Bl ack incl uded his pawn i n
the attack onl y after developing his bishop:
9 . . . Ab7 1 0. g4 aS, but after 1 1 . tg3 exd4
1 2. xd4 cS 1 3. d1 b4 1 4. tbS! ? Aa6
1 S. a4 it transpired that the d6-pawn re
quired defendi ng. The game continued
1S . . . g6?! (1 S . . . teS) 1 6. Ah6 feS 1 7. gS
thS 1 S. txhS gxhS 1 9. xhS 'b6 20. f4
c4+ 21 . h1 facS 22. fS teS 23. f6 AdS
24. AfS 1 -0.
1 0. g4
I t is natural to try and take the l ead in the
fl ank attacks, al though in his comments
on the game Carl sen considered this to be
not the optimal decision, without, however,
suggesting anything instead.
1 0 . . . Aa6
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Bl ack on the queenside in ' Spanish' style
1 1 . b4. The game conti nued 1 1 . . . Ab7
1 2. fb1 axb4 1 3. axb4 teS 1 4. tg3 g6
1 S. Ah6 tg7 1 6. tce2 tb6 1 7. f4 exf4
1 S. txf4 AgS?! (1 S . . . tc4! was more logi
cal) 1 9. AxgS WxgS 20. eS dxeS 21 . te4
e7 22. dxeS xeS 23. d6! and White
devel oped a dangerous initiative.
1 1 . . . b4?!
One can onl y try and guess why Radjabov
did not go in for the favourabl e opening
of the position: 1 1 . . . exd4 1 2. xd4 b4
1 3. tce2 bxa3 1 4 . .xa3 (1 4. bxa3? txg4!)
14 . . . dS, where the bl ack pieces would have
become very active. But subsequentl y too
his pl ay raises questions. Apparently it was
one of those days for Radjabov.
12. ce2 bxa3
By beginning with 12 . . . dS 1 3. exdS txdS,
Bl ack woul d not have al l owed the activa
tion of the queen' s rook and after 1 4. fe1
he woul d have achieved an equal game:
14 . . . bxa3 1 S. bxa3 Af6.
1 3. rxa3 d5
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This shows a deep understanding of the
A provocative move, since it al l ows the position! The rook manoeuvre to the centre,
opening of the position. In his game with involving the doubling of rooks on the e-file,
Mokry (European Team Championshi p, forces Bl ack to rel ease the pawn tension.
T
M. Carl sen - T. Radjabov
This l eads to the opening of the position,
making it easier for White to attack on the
kingside.
1 4 d . d dxe4
Bl ack is forced to concede the centre.
He vacates the d5-square for hi s knight,
hoping to drive away the rook, but dis
il l usionment awaits him. The al ternative
1 4 . . . exd4 1 5. Cxd4 Ac5 (1 5 . . . Axf 1 ?
16. Cxc6 \eB 1 7. exd51eads to the loss of
a piece) 1 6 . .fe1 'b6 (weaker is 1 6 . . . Axd4
17. \xd4 c5 1 8. \a4 d4 19 . .a3 with an
attack on the weak pawns) 1 7. c3 had its
drawbacks, but at least Black woul d have
activated his bishops.
1 5. e1!
The rook moves out of the pin and the il
lusions associated with 1 5 . . . Cd5 prove
unfounded in view of 1 6 . .xe4. Unexpect
edl y it transpires that the bl ack pieces are
mobilised far worse for the forthcoming play.
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Not an easy choice. The incl usion of the
exchange 15 . . . exd4 1 6. Cxd4 Vc7 sharply
activates the opponent' s pieces: 1 7. g5
Cd5 18 . .xe4 Ac5 1 9. Cgf5 'b6 (if 1 9 . . .
a4 there follows 20. \h5 .fd8 21 . c4! Axc4
22. Cxg7! ) 20. \h5 .fd8 (or 20 . . . Axd4
21 . Cxd4 g6 22. \h6 .fd8 23. b3! with the
decisive threats of Ab2 and .h4) 21 . b3
Cf8 22. Ab2 Cg6 23. Cxg7! Cdf4 24. Cdf5
Cxh5 25. Cxh5 with a decisive attack.
1 5 . . . h5, a move considered by Carl sen,
al so looks irrational , since it contradicts a
cl assical rule: don' t move pawns on the
wing where you are weaker. After 1 6. gxh5!
(1 6. g5 Cd5 17 . .xe4 Axg5 1 8. dxe5 Cc5
woul d suit Bl ack) 1 6 . . . Cd5 17 . .xe4 f5
18 . .xe5 Cxe5 1 9. dxe5 White has more
than sufficient compensation for the ex
change (Axd5 and Cf4 is threatened).
Possibly the best solution to the situa
tion coul d have been 1 5 . . J e8.
16. f5 .d8?
The bishop retreat conclusively disrupts
the already poor coordination of the bl ack
pieces, dividing them into t wo camps.
16 . . . .fe8 answers better the demands of
the defence.
1 7. g5 d5 18. xe4 f6 1 9. eg3
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I t is al ready hard to offer Black any good
advice, since the white pieces are arriving
on the kingside as though by schedul e. To
illustrate this we give two possibl e varia
tions: 1 9 . . . .f7 20. \g4 Ce7 21 . b3 Cg6
22. Aa3 or 19 . . . Ce7 20. gxf6 Cxf5 21 . Cxf5
Axf6 22. dxe5 txe5 23. Af4. In both cases
White's advantage is obvious.
20. h6+ g7
``
If 20 . . . 'h8 there coul d have fol l owed 22. e6!
21 . gxf6 (21 . dxe5 fxe5 22. tg4 is al so
good) 21 . . . Axf6 22. tg4 Ag? 23. txe5
The decisive breakthrough. White cl ears
txe5 24. dxe5 with an extra pawn.
the approaches to the bl ack king.
21 . dxe5 fxg5
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I f 22 . . . t7f6 t here al so fol l ows 23. e7!
Axe? 24. l:xe7+ txe7 25. l:xe7+ Vxe7
26. thf5+.
23. e7! 'b6
The capture of the pawn l eads to a mating
attack: 23 . . . txe7 24. l:xe7 Axe? 25. l:xe7
!adS 26. 'd4 l:f6 27. 'h4#.
24. exf8'+ txf8 25. c4 tf4 26. 'd6
g7 27. xf4 gxf4 28. Se7+
Bl ack resigned.
An i mportant l andmark in Carl sen' s sel f-assertion was his participation in the
second Mikhai l Tal Memori al Tournament ( FI DE category 20) . On thi s occasion
Carl sen arrived in Moscow not as a timid pupi l , l ike a year earl ier, but as a fighter,
tested in battl e with el ite grandmasters. However, he did not manage to take part
i n the battl e for the fi rst prize. Kramnik was untouchabl e. After the 1 4th worl d
champion had passed on hi s ' rul i ng aut horit y' to Anand, he pl ayed freel y and
over the short distance of 9 rounds he scored +4, finishi ng 1% points ahead of
the second- pl aced Shi rov. But Carl sen' s share of 3rd-5th pl aces with Peter Leko
and Dmitry Jakovenko al so showed that he had effectivel y establ i shed himsel f in
the upper echel on.
Pl aying in Moscow against a f arge group of successors of t he famous Soviet
Chess Schoof is al ways a serious test . Especial l y when you begin the tournament
with a game against Kramnik, and the fact that in Moscow the 1 4th worl d champion
al ways pl ays with particul ar commitment and is al ways aiming to win. The intrigue
was i ncreased by the fact that, in their previous meeting in the summer of that year
in Dortmund, Carl sen had suffered a disaster in the Catal an Opening. The opening
was predictabl e.
T
V. Kramni k M. Carl sen
Game 28
V. Kramni k - M. Carl sen
Moscow 2007
Catalan Opening [ EOS}
1. f3 f6 2. c4
Kramnik' s favourite way of reaching the
Catal an.
2 . . . e6 3. g3 d5 4. d4 e7 5. g2 0-0
6. 0-0 dxc4 7. 'c2 a6 8. 'xc4 b5
9. 'c2 Jb7 1 0. d2
ready in a positional trap: 17 . . . c6 1 8. td3 or
17 . . . axb4 1 8. tc6 Vd7 1 9. axb4 is equal l y
unpl easant) 1 7. tb3! . The cul mination of
White's strategy - he achieves a complete
bl ockade of the queenside. After 17 . . . axb4
1 8. ta5 Aa8 1 9. tac6 Axc6 20. txc6
Vd7 21 . Axd5! exd5 22. axb4 Bl ack was
completel y paral ysed and the b5- pawn
was doomed.
1 1 . g5 bd7 12. bd2 Jc8 1 3. b3
c5
White is intending to pl ace his bishop on Thus Black has carried out his pl an, but
a5, to prevent the freeing advance . . . c7-c5. has associated it with a new idea.
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10 Ad6
Carl sen' s home preparation. Bl ack va
cates the e7-square for his queen, when
the Aa5 thrust becomes irrelevant. Up til l
here t he two pl ayers had move for move
repeated their game in Dortmund, which
continued 1 0 . . . tc6 1 1 . e3 tb4 1 2. Axb4
Axb4 1 3. a3 Ae7 1 4. tbd2 lk8 1 5. b4 a5
1 6. te5! (apparently this move came as a
surprise to Carlsen, who was being guided
by the game Bruzon -Capo Vidal , Morelia
2007, which went 1 6. Vb2 axb4 1 7. axb4
'd6 1 8. ffb1 faB with good pl ay for Bl ack)
1 6 . . . td5? (Bl ack shoul d have exchanged
bishops - 1 6 . . . Axg2 1 7. xg2, but he is al -
14. Jxf6 xf6!?
This is Carlsen's genuine novelty. He sacri
fices a pawn. In the onl y previous game on
this theme, Hofman -Browne (Bad Wies
see 1 998), Bl ack pl ayed 14 . . . Vxf6 1 5. te5
cxd4 1 6. txd7, after which White did not
tempt fate and he offered a draw.
Analysis diagram
What was it that Carl sen did not l ike here?
Sergey Shipov suggests the fol l owing vari
ation: 1 6 . . . Vd8 1 7. tbc5 Axg2 1 8. txf8
Axf1 1 9. 'xh7+ xf8 20. tb7 Vd7
21 . txd6 fc6 22. txf7 xf7 23. fxf1 ,
and White wins a pawn. But 21 . . . Vxd6
22. 'h8+ e7 23. 'xc8 Axe2 must al so
be considered. White is the exchange up,
but the d4-pawn, supported by the bishop,
is a real force. In addition the white king
is a concern. Let us consider a possibl e
1
continuation: 24. lc1 f6! (out of harm' s
way!) 25. lc7 (25. Wc7 We5! ?) 25 . . . Wb4
26. g2 We1 27. lc1 Wd2 28. lc5 Ad3
29. Wb7 g6 and Bl ack is al right. But these
and other variations remained off-screen,
since the two pl ayers continued pl aying at
high speed, demonstrating confidence in
their home preparation.
1 5. xc5
I f 1 5. dxc5, then 1 5 . .. e4! is good.
1 5 Je4 1 6. Wc3 e5!
For the sacrificed pawn Black has developed
great activity. For exampl e, bad for White
is 1 7. xeS Axg2 18. xg2 Axe5 1 9. dxe5
e4 when he has to give up his queen.
1 7. e3 Jxc5 1 8. dxc5 Wd5
I t was onl y now that Kramnik stopped to
think. And he had pl enty to ponder. Bl ack
has successful l y sol ved his opening prob
l ems.
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1 9 . . . 'b7 was more active, but Carl sen
onl y took into account the nuances known
to him with the defence of the back rank.
20. h4 Jxg2 21 . xg2 e4
As Pushkin said: ' One dawn to repl ace an
other hastens' . Now White has to watch out
for the possibl e manoeuvre . .. e4-g5-f3.
22. Wxe5 lxc5 23. 'd4
I f 23. Wf4 possibl e is 23 . . . g5 24. h1
h6 fol l owed by the invasion of the rook on
the 2nd rank.
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23 1c4!
A mul ti-purpose move. The rook drives
the queen off its central position and frees
the knight for the manoeuvre to f3. I n the
event of 23 ... lc2 24. f4 (after 24. e1
fe2 25. f3 h6 26. a3 fc8 the bl ack
pieces occupy their optimal l y active po
sitions) 24 . . . g5 25. 'd5 f3+ (weaker
is 25 ... Wxd5 26. fxd5 f3+ 27. g2 d2
28. le1 with the threat of the fe2 pin, while
after 28 . . . fxb2 29. d3! fb1 30. fxb1
xb1 31 . b4 White again obtains an extra
pawn) 26. g2 Black has either to withdraw
his knight or work out the consequences
of the mutual pin after 26 . . . d2 27. Wxa8
fxa8 28. ffe1 ld8.
24. 'd3
After 24. We5, apart from t he t rivial
24 . . . fc5, there are al so other possibilities.
Bl ack undoubtedl y has ful l compensation
T
. Jakovenko - M. Carlsen
for the pawn, al though it is sufficient onl y
to maintain the bal ance, not more.
24 .. .tg5 25. b3 c5 26. h4
To avoid standing for ever under the threat
of the check on f3.
26 . . . f3+ 27. h1
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27 . . . 'c8
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How can one refrain from threatening mate
on h3? But Black's position is so good, that
he does not need to hurry. For exampl e,
he coul d first have developed his rook -
27 . . . gea, opened an escape square for
his king with . . . h7-h6, and then taken a
decision.
28. f4 'g4!
Otherwise with <g2 White wil l drive away
the knight.
29. 'd7 f5!
Magnus' s motto is ' onl y forward' ! The
exchange sacrifice on f4 i s now on the
agenda. Kramnik has to find a way to save
himself.
way to save the game is by a counter
sacrifice of a rook.
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32. 'e6+ h8 33. 'xf5!
Expl oiting the absence of an escape square
for the king, White exchanges the queens.
33 . . . 'xf5 34. xf5 xf5 35. d1 g5
Bl ack cannot get away with half-measures
- 35 . . . g6 36. <g2.
36. hxg5 xg5 37. fxg5 xf2 38. a4
bxa4 39. bxa4 a2 40. d4
Draw.
The tempo pl ay in the final stage of the
game is i mpressive. The two pl ayers
proved worthy of each other. Even so, there
was a smal l ' pl us' for Carl sen, even if onl y
a moral one - in his opening preparation
he surpassed none other than Kramnik.
Game 29
D. Jakovenko - M. Carl sen
Moscow 2007
Nimzo-lndian Defence [ E20]
1 . d4 f6 2. c4 e6 3. c3 Ab4 4. f3
30. d5 xf4 31 . exf4 f5
White goes in for the Romanishin Variation
Again mate on h3 is threatened. The onl y with the fianchetto of the bishop. The main
1 O
continuations are 4. e3 and 4. 'c2. 18. Af4
4 c5 5. g3 cxd4 6. xd4 0-0 7. Jg2
d5 8. cxd5 xd5 9. 'b3
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A universal move in this type of position.
White counters the pin on the knight and
attacks the d5-point.
9 . . . Wa5
9 . . . 'b6 is weaker in view of 1 0. Axd5 exd5
1 1 . Ae3. 9 . . . tc6 1 0. txc6 bxc6 1 1 . 0-0
Was 1 2. Ad2 l eads to a transposition of
moves.
1 0. Ad2 c6 1 1 . xc6 bxc6 1 2. 0-0
Axc3 1 3. bxc3
After the exchange of the bishop 1 3. Axc3
txc3 1 4. bxc3 Aa6 Bl ack easily equalises.
For exampl e, the game Moiseenko-Zugic
(Toronto 2003) continued 1 5. 'b4 Wxb4
1 6. cxb4 ab8 1 7. a3 Axe2 1 8. fc1 fc8
1 9. Axc6 f8 20. f4 e7 21 . f2 Aa6 %-%.
1 3 Aa6 14. Efd1 'c5
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This battl e took pl ace at the peak of the
variation' s devel opment, where much was
decided by nuances, since this position was
studied at the highest l evel . And although it
is considered favourabl e for White, who has
the two bishops, Bl ack's resources are also
quite considerabl e: his light-square bishop
can be incl uded in the fight for the d-file and
in the pl ay on the kingside. True, there are
al so drawbacks: Bl ack's queenside pawns
are in need of defence.
White began devel oping his bishop at
f4 after a detail ed investigation had been
made of 1 8. Ae3, putting the queenside
under attack. After Bl ack carried out his
main idea of exploiting the weakness of the
light squares: 1 8 . . . Ae2 1 9. e1 (1 9. d2
ab8, Kasparov-Anand, Wij k aan Zee
2000) 1 9 . . . tc4 20. Wc5 fd8 21 . e5?!
(21 . h3! ?) 21 . . . tb2! 22. Wxc6 td3, where
he achieved the better game (Bacrot
Grischuk, Cap d'Agde 2003), interest in
the move 1 8. Ae3 fel l away.
Preventing c3-c4, which is possibl e after

1 8 c5
1 4 . . . Axe2.
15. e4 Ac4 1 6. 'a4 b6 1 7. Wb4 Wh5
Nothing is given by 17 . . . 'xb4 1 8. cxb4
fd8.
Bl ack is at the parting of the ways: shoul d
he drive back the queen or the bishop?
Carl sen begins by driving back the queen,
but in so doing he takes into account the
T
D. Jakovenko - M. Carlsen
experi ence of the game Gri schuk-Gel
fand (Worl d Champi onshi p, Mexi co 2007),
where Bl ack i ncl uded 1 8 . . . Ae2 1 9. l:e1
and wanted both the one and the other
- 1 9 . . . cS 20. Wb3 eS, expecti ng 21 . Ae3
tc4. But there fol l owed 21 . Ac1 ! , when
Bl ack faced an unpl easant white i ni tiative
on the queensi de: 21 . . . l:ac8 22. a4 Ac4
23. Wb2 Wg6 24. aS td7 2S. l:d1 Wc6
26. Ah3 Ae6 27. Axe6 Wxe6 28. Ae3 c7
29. Wa2! (the exchange of queens guar
antees Whi te control of both the open
fi l es, d and b) 29 . . . Wxa2 30. xa2 tf6
31 . f3, and White obtained cl earl y the bet
ter endgame.
The al ternati ve 1 8 . . . eS al l ows Whi te
to attack the c6-pawn. For exampl e, the
game Naj er-Jakovenko (Moscow 2006)
conti nued 1 9. Ae3 Ae2 20. l:e1 tc4
21 . Wcs l:fd8 22. l:ab1 h6 23. h3! txe3
24. Wxe3 Ac4 2S. a4 aS 26. WcS Ae6
27. h4 l:d2! , where for the pawn Bl ack
gained good counterpl ay. But i t is qui te
possi bl e t hat White' s pl ay can be i m
proved.
1 9. Wb2
ti nued 20. Ae3 l:fc8 21 . f3 Wg6 22. a4 aS
23. Ah3 Ae6? (after 23 . . . !cbS 24. Wa3
Ae2! Bl ack woul d have had counterpl ay)
24. Wxb6 Axh3 2S. Wxg6 fxg6 (after 2S . . .
hxg6 26. g4 fS 27. dS fxg4 28. fxg4 Axg4
29. AxeS al l the bl ack pawns are weak)
26. f2, and White achi eved cl earl y the
better endgame.
20. e1
A dubi ous deci si on to concede the d-fi l e,
not supported subsequentl y by any idea.
20. f3 came i nto consideration, but bl ock
ing the di agonal of his bishop apparentl y
di d not come into White's pl ans.
20 . . . d7
Carl sen' s abi l i ty to pl ace hi s pi eces on
thei r best squares characteri ses hi m as
an adherent of the cl assi cal styl e of pl ay.
Bl ack prepares the doubling of hi s rooks,
at the same time defendi ng the a7-pawn,
and l eaves open the possi bility of i ncl ud
i ng the second rook i n the defence of the
cS-pawn in the event of Wa3.
21 . h3
A month l ater at the 2007 Worl d Cup i n
White has t o reckon with t he threat of a
Khanty-Mansi ysk, Chepari nov in his game
with Carl sen made an attempt to i mprove
White's pl ay wi th 1 9. Was. The game con
tinued 19 . . . eS 20. Ae3 Ae2 21 . l:e1 tc4
22. Wa6 txe3 23. xe2 txg2 24. xg2
and, despi te the symmetry of the pawn
weaknesses on the queensi de, the bl ack
pawns proved more vul nerabl e.
19 . . . ad8
A more natural conti nuati on than 19 . . . eS?! ,
which makes the defence of the cS-pawn
more di ffi cul t . For exampl e, t he game
Bacrot -Gri schuk (Poi kovsky 200S) con-
rook i nvasi on of the second rank, and i n
the event of thi s he prepares g3-g4.
21 . . . h6
Carl sen al so makes a useful waiti ng move,
l eavi ng open the possibi l ity of . . . l:c8 in the
event of Wa3.
22. a4
(see next diagram)
A pointl ess advance in the given situation,
si nce an attack on t he queensi de i s not a
real ity.
T J
a O O O
d
7
W
1 _
a O O O ! , h
22 . . . .a6!
d
7
A subtl e move. The bi shop vacates an
i mportant square for the knight, wi thout
bl ocking the d-fil e, which coul d have oc
curred after 22 . . . Ad3.
23. Wa2
was intendi ng to answer with 25 . . . g5! . Now
if 26. Ac1 ? there fol l ows a rook invasi on
- 26 . . J !d1 27. Aa3 xe1 + 28. xe1 d1
29. xd1 'xd1 + 30. h2 'a4 and the
queenside comes under attack by Bl ack,
and after 31 . Af1 Ab7! 32. Axc4 'd1 the
kingside al so col l apses. White has to throw
caution to the wi nds: 26. g4 'g6 27. Ae4
'g7 28. Ag3 td2, but the i niti ative remains
with Bl ack.
25 . . . e5 26. g4
Whi te l oses after 26. Ac1 ? d1 27. g4
xe1 ! 28. gxh5 dd1 , al so picki ng up
the bishop.
26 . . . Wg6 27. Axc4 exf4!
Transposing into a heavy piece endi ng by
27 . . . Axc4 28. Wxc4 exf4 29. Wxc5 d3
This prophyl acti c queen move in the event
woul d have left White with counterpl ay -
of . . . tc4 i ndi cates that Jakovenko has
30 'f5 'd6 31 e5 'd5 32. e6.
reconcil ed hi msel f to wai ti ng tacti cs. I t was 28. AdS f3!
more l ogi cal to return the rook to the d-fil e
by pl aying 23. g4 'h4 24. ed1 .
Fi xing the ki ngside in antici pation of . . .
h6-h5.
23 . . . fd8 24. a5 c4
a O O O
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29. c4?
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25. At1
It is na"lve to hope to shel ter behi nd the
White coul d have parried the threat of 25. . . bishop, si nce Carl sen has al ready found
e5 wi th the radi cal 25. e5, whi ch Carl sen the key to the enemy king. White shoul d
`
D. Jakovenko - M. Carlsen
have given up the exchange: 29. l:e3 Ae2!
(29 . . . Wf6 30. c4 h5 31 . e5 Wh4 32. l:xf3
leaves White with some hopes) 30. l:xe2
fxe2 31 . Wxe2, when his active bishop
gives compensation.
29 h5 30. h2 Wf6!
Bl ack moves his queen cl oser to the king,
keeping ' up his sl eeve' a del ayed-action
mine. The g4-pawn wil l not run away, es
pecial l y as after 30 . . . hxg4 White woul d
have defended with 31 . l:g1 Wf6 32. l:ad1 !
gxh3 33. Wb3.
31 . Ig1?!
The rook on a1 shoul d have been moved
out of range of the queen - 31 . l:ad1 , and
after 31 . . . \f4+ 32. h1 hxg4 White can
defend by 33. l:g1 Wh6 34. l:g3 (variation
by Shipov).
31 hxg4
a O O O ! , h
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h2, White has to accept the l oss of the
exchange - 33. Wxc4 Wxa1 .
32. Iab1?
Jakovenko sensed the danger and moved his
rook away, but to the wrong square. 32. ad1 ,
defending the bishop, was essential .
32 . . . Axc4!
That's it! The fortress on d5 col l apses, and
the exposed king cannot withstand the
attack by the heavy pieces.
33. Wxc4
I f 33. Axc4 Bl ack decides matters with
33 . . . l:d2, when 34. Axf7+ fail s to 34 . . . f8.
33 . . . Wf4+ 34. Ig3 Ixd5!
The e4-pawn is pinned, and al l that remains
for White is to sacrifice his queen for two
rooks, since after 35. hxg4 l:d1 there is
no defence against . . . Wh6+ with a deci
sive invasion of the queen. White does not
have sufficient compensation - this is not
one of those cases where the rooks have
operational scope .
35. Wxd5 Ixd5 36. exd5 c4
Whil e the rook is pinned, the pawn swiftl y
advances towards the queening square .
37. Id1 c3 38. d6 c2 39. Id3 Wc4!
The axe is raised! I f 32. xg4 Carl sen had
One senses that Carl sen is savouring the
prepared 32 . . . Axc4! , and since 33. Axc4
position.
i s not possi bl e on account of 33 . . . d2
40. g93 Wc6 41 . Id3 Wc5!
34. Wa4 l:xf2+ 35. g1 fd2! with the ir-
resistibl e threats of . . . Wd4+ and . . . We5- White resigned.
`

c
_
hapter Z
The Way to the To

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After the Tal Memorial , how coul d he not pl ay in the worl d bl itz championship with the
participation of the worl d champion Anand, which was held two days l ater there in
Moscow, in the prestigious GUM buil ding on Red Square? Carl sen battl ed selflessly
in the doubl e-round tournament with 20 participants, and finished in an honourable
9th pl ace, with a score of 20% points. Of course, 38 games with the strongest blitz
pl ayers in the worl d was a severe strain, especial l y as two days l ater the Worl d Cup
was starting in Khanty- Mansiysk.
Carl sen coul d rightl y consider himsel f a veteran of the knock-out system, he liked
the fierce struggl e in mini-matches, and he was i mproving tournament by tourna
ment. We shoul d remind you: in Tripol i 2004 Magnus went out in the first round, in
Khanty- Mansiysk 2005 he reached the fourth, but in Khanty- Mansiysk 2007 he pl ayed
six stages. ' The knock-out suits the young more than experienced pl ayers, ' Carl sen
was to say after the end of the tournament. ' I n particul ar because it is easier for us to
recover, and because nothing special is expected of us. Before the Worl d Cup I didn' t
have many expectations. I wasn' t afraid of anyone, but al so I did not consider myself
the favourite. I simpl y came al ong and pl ayed. I t turned out wel l . I hope this wil l also
continue in the future. '
The start was difficul t, as fatigue tol d after the continuous marathon. The respite
in the ' entry' match with the Austral ian Zhao Zong Yuan (2-0) was purel y symbolic for
Magnus, since his subsequent opponents did not al low him to rel ax. Much strength
was used on a protracted endgame in the first game with Naiditsch, whom he managed
to overcome onl y in the tie-break (3-1 ). Things took a difficul t course in the match with
Dominguez, who in the first game so zeal ousl y tried to spoil Magnus' s birthday, that
on this occasion too he was thinking about the tie-break. But the second game went
wel l (1 %-%), and subsequentl y his pl ay improved. By the same score 1 %-% he won
his mini-matches against Adams and Cheparinov.
Game 30
M. Carl sen L. Domi nguez
Worl d Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2007
1 . e4 c5 2. f3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. xd4
f6 5. c3 a6 6. Je2 e5 7. b3 Je7
8 . .gs
The pin on the knight is a natural reaction
to 6 . . . e5. By the threat of the exchange
on f6 White discl oses the weakness of the
d5-point and the d6-pawn.
8 . . Je6 9 . .xf6 .xf6
The modern experience of the Sicil ian De
fence (and earlier -of the King's I ndian De
fence in the variation with . . . tb8-d7 and . . .
e5xd4) has shown that the weakness of the
backward d6-pawn is ful l y compensated
by Bl ack' s active piece pl ay in the centre.
Bl ack is not concerned about his d6-
pawn being inadequatel y defended - he
can support it by retreating his bishop to
e7 or cover it with his knight from d4 after
the exchange of the knight on b3.
1 0. 'd3
(see next diagram)
`
M. Carl sen - L. Domi nguez
a O O O ! g h
@

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a O O O ! g h
10 . . . Ag5
An ori gi nal i dea - Bl ack prevents White's
queensi de castl i ng. The cl assical conti nua
tion i s consi dered to be 10 . . . c6 1 1 . 0-0-0
Ae7 1 2. b1 0-0 1 3. dS AgS. A char
acteri sti c game, for exampl e, is Kramnik
Anand (Wijk aan Zee 2004), whi ch conti n
ued 1 4. h4 Axh4 1 S. g3 Af6 1 6. 'f3 AgS
17. 'hS h6 1 8. f4 Af6 1 9. d2 d4 20. Ac4
c8! 21 . c3 bS 22. fS AxdS 23. AxdS
xc3! 24. 'g6! (or 24. bxc3 xc3+ 2S. c2
CxdS! 26. exdS 'aS 27. 'f3 c8+ 28. b1
c3 with equal pl ay) 24 . . . 'b6 2S. xh6!
and the pl ayers agreed a draw i n vi ew of
perpetual check -2S . . . a3+ 26. a1 c2+
27. b1 a3+.
The pl an wi th control of the dS-poi nt
is al so possi bl e - 1 0 . . . 0-0 1 1 . 0-0-0 Ae7
1 2. dS AxdS 1 3. 'xdS 'b6 1 4. hf1
d7 1 S. b1 f6.
1 1 . Ed1 c6 12. a3
The vari ati on wi t h the wi n of a pawn -
1 2. 'xd6 'xd6 1 3. fxd6 e7 1 4. fd1
b4 1 S. Ad3 ac8 1 6. 0-0 fhd8, where
the acti vi ty of the bl ack pi eces guarantees
ful l compensation -woul d undoubtedl y be
a bonus for the opponent.
12 . . . Axb3 13. cxb3 d4 14. b4 c8
Bl ack makes a seemi ngl y useful wai ti ng
move; after 1 4 . . . 0-0 he was wrongl y afrai d
of 1 S. h4, for the reason that White has
i nsuffi ci ent resources to conduct an attack
on the ki ngsi de. The vari ati on 1 S. 0-0 g6
1 6. Ag4 looks more real , wi th the i dea of
advanci ng the pawn to fS, si nce the 1 6 . . . fS
counter has its drawbacks: 1 7. exfS gxfS
1 8. Ah3! ? (1 8. Af3 'd7 1 9. AdS+ h8
20. Ce2 i s al so good) 1 8 . . . 'd7 1 9. f4, and
Bl ack may have probl ems wi th the defence
of hi s fS-pawn.
1 5. o-o o-o 1 6. Ag4!
I t i s useful to retai n thi s bi shop, ' urgi ng' the
rook to go to c6 where, strangel y enough,
i t proves to be out of pl ay.
1 6 . . . Ec6 1 7. g3 g6 1 8. f4 Ah6 1 9. Ef2
Ag7
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Somehow i mpercepti bl y i t has transpi red
that in thi s unpretenti ous manner Carl sen
has outpl ayed hi s opponent. Despi te the
apparentl y acti ve pl aci ng of the kni ght on
d4 and the rook on the c-fi l e, they are ef
fecti vel y out of pl ay. At the same ti me the
white pi eces are ready for an offensi ve on
the ki ngsi de, and i t i s not easy for Bl ack to
create counterpl ay.
``

20. f5! 'g5 21 . Ah3 Ah6
I ntendi ng to expl oi t the weakeni ng of the
dark squares by 22 . . . 'e3.
22. e1 b5 23. mg2
a O O O ! , h
The temptati on to drive in the pawn wedge
23. f6, constructing a ki nd of trap around
the enemy queen, was very great. But then
the position becomes cl osed and there is a
protracted battl e in prospect. At the same
ti me, as Carlsen comments, he sensed that
the opponent was experi enci ng some di s
comfort and that i t was possibl e to await a
more favourabl e outcome. Taki ng account
of thi s, a useful waiting move was made.
23 . . . a8?
Magnus's i ntuition di d not l et hi m down.
Bl ack is unabl e to find a sensi bl e pl an of
defence, and he commits a mistake, l ead
ing to disaster. The idea of switching the
rook vi a a8-a7-c7, i n order to doubl e rooks,
looks rather abstract, since it requi res too
much time. In anti cipation of td5 he shoul d
have consi dered prophyl axi s - 23 . . . ch8,
but after 24. td5 Wd8 agai n l oomi ng up
i s the idea of the wedge f6 fol l owed by the
advance of the h-pawn. 23 . . . lk7 24. td5
!a? 25. !ef1 i s al so too passi ve for Bl ack.
I t woul d appear that i t is al ready hard to
offer hi m any good advi ce.
24. fxg6 hxg6
I n the event of 24 . . . fxg6 the unfortunate
posi ti on of the rook at a8 is di scl osed -
25. Ae6+! txe6 26. 'd5 !ac8 27. Wxe6+
ch8 28. td5 and the concerted actions
of the queen and kni ght shoul d bri ng a
win (vari ati on by Carl sen). For exampl e, if
28 . . . !f8, then 29. tf6 is strong, with the
threat of wi nni ng the queen by h2-h4.
25. Ad7!
The poor rook! Bl ack has reason to regret
his superficial move 1 4 . . . !c8. I ncidental l y,
the proud knight at d4 is al so sti l l pl ayi ng
the rol e of observer.
25 . . . c4 26. b3 c7 27. d5!
Coordi nati ng the acti ons of kni ght and
bi shop. Bl ack cannot avoi d l oss of ma
teri al : under threat is not onl y his rook,
but al so his queen in vi ew of the threat of
td5-f6+ and h2-h4.
a O O O ! , h
b
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2
a O O O ! , h
27 . . . c1 ?
Now Bl ack l oses hi s queen. He shoul d
have accepted the l oss of the exchange
by retreati ng 27 . . . 'd8, al though i t is cl ear
`Z
M. Carl sen - M. Adams
that the win for White woul d be merel y a
question of time.
28. h4! xe1
If 28 . . . \d8, then 29. Zxc1 Axc1 30. 'f1
is decisive.
29. hxg5 .xg5 30 .g4 a1 31 . a4
Rook for queen is cl earl y insufficient com
pensation. Dominguez decided to pl ay on
to the time control .
31 . . . gg7 32. c3 a3 33. axb5 axb5
34. xb5 xb5 35. 'xb5 .e3 36. f1
a2+ 37 . .e2
Not onl y a retreat, but al so the start of an
attack on the f7-pawn.
37 . . . a7 38. gh3 a8 39 .c4 h8+
40. gg4 h5 41 . xf7+ gh6 42. 'd7
Bl ack resigned.
Game 31
Worl d Cup, Khanty- Mansiysk 2007
Nimzo-/ndian Defence [ E36]
1 . d4 f6 2. c4 e6 3. c3 .b4 4. Wc2
d5 5. a3 .xc3+ 6. 'xc3 dxc4
English sol idarity. Fol l owing the prescrip
tion of Nigel Short, Michael Adams con
cedes the centre, in order to devel op his
light-square bishop with gain of tempo.
The main continuations are considered to
be 6 . . . c5 and 6 . . . te4.
7. Wxc4 b6 8. Af4
Cup, Mikhail Gurevich pl ayed 8. tf3 0-0
9. Af4 against Adams, and after 9 . . . Aa6 he
retreated 1 0. 'c2 (1 0. 'xc7 Wxc7 1 1 . Axe?
Zc8 1 2. Af4 tbd7 woul d have transposed
into the present game) 1 0 . . . tbd7 1 1 . Zd1
WeB 1 2. g3 c5 1 3. Ag2 Ab7 1 4. dxc5 and
offered a draw, which, natural l y, was ac
cepted. How can one reject uphol ding the
bl ack pieces without a fight in a mini-match
of two games? In the second game Adams
made successful use of the white pieces.
8 Aa6
The same idea can be carried out, without
sacrificing a pawn - 8 . . . td5 9. Ag3 Aa6,
as Onischuk pl ayed against Carl sen in a
bl itz match for the first prize at the tourna
ment in Biel . There fol l owed 10. Wa4+ \d?
1 1 . Wc2 'b5 1 2. tf3 tc6? and here 1 3. b4!
with the threat of 1 4. e4 woul d have won.
Therefore 9 . . . 0-0 1 0. tf3 Aa6 is more
accurate, as in the game Beliavsky-Rozen
talis (Baden 2007). There fol l owed 1 1 . \a4
Wd7 1 2. 'c2 c5 1 3. tg5 tf6 1 4. Ae5 cxd4
1 5. Axf6 d3 1 6. exd3 gxf6 1 7. te4 Wd4
1 8. Wc3 %-%.
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Carl sen is ready to engage in a theoretical
9. 'xc7 Wxc7 1 0. Axc7 0-0
discussion, by choosing the most critical
variation with the acceptance of the pawn Strangely enough, this natural move proved
sacrifice. I n the 2nd round of the Worl d to be a novelty. Bl ack does not hurry to
`
determi ne the posi ti on of his knight, keep
i ng open the opti on of both . . . Cd7 and
. . . Cc6. Before thi s the main conti nuati on
was considered to be 10 . . . Cc6 1 1 . tf3.
For exampl e, the game Wang Hao-Jako
venko (Poikovsky 2008) conti nued 1 1 . . . )c8
1 2. Af4! ? 0-0 1 3. )b1 )fd8 1 4. e3 Axf1
1 5. )xf1 Ce4 1 6. ce2 taS 1 7. )fd1 Cb3
1 8. Ce1 g5 1 9. Ag3, and here after 1 9 . . .
hS 20. f3 Cxg3+ 21 . hxg3 aS Bl ack coul d
have hel d the positi on. The game went 19 . . .
f5 20. Ae5 cf7 21 . f3 and White retained
an advantage.
1 1 . <f3 Jc8 1 2 . .f4 <bd7
For the sacrifi ced pawn Bl ack has a lead in
devel opment and control of the c-fi l e. The
question i s whether White can neutral i se
these temporary factors, whi l e retai ni ng
his extra pawn.
1 3. <d2! ?
The start of an i mpressi ve manoeuvre.
13 Jc2
The best repl y was 13 . . . th5! , according
to Adams, l eavi ng the evidence i n paren
theses.
14. Jb1 Jac8
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1 5. <b3!
Now the depth of Carl sen' s i dea becomes
apparent. He takes his kni ght to a1 , from
where it dri ves away the rook.
1 5 .c4
An ori gi nal decision, to say the least. Bl ack
goes in for a forci ng l i ne, si nce hi s pl ay
has come to a standsti l l . I n the event of
1 5 . . . tdS 1 6. Ad2 t7f6 1 7. f3 the move
e2-e4 cannot be avoi ded, whi l e i f he at
tempts to prevent i t wi th 1 6 . . . f5, then after
1 7. Ca1 )2c7 1 8. e3 Axf1 1 9. cxf1 eS
20. dxe5 txeS 21 . ce2 White consolidates
his forces, retai ni ng a sound extra pawn.
1 6. <a1 ! .a2 1 7. <xc2 .xb1 1 8. <a1
<d5
The attempt to cut off the bishop from the
c1 -square - 1 8 . . . )c4 1 9. e3 )c8 20. d1
Ce4 21 . Ag3 does not prevent White from
compl eti ng hi s devel opment after Af1 -a6.
1 9 .d2 e5
a O O O
a O O
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A uni que si tuation: White's passive pieces
bl ock the enemy rook's access to his rear,
hi s kingsi de is undevel oped, but Bl ack
has no way of strengtheni ng hi s position.
Therefore he makes a l ast attempt to sup-
T
port his fading i nitiati ve, as otherwise after
f2-f3 and e3-e4 his openi ng i dea wil l have
been a fail ure.
20. e3!?
Also possibl e is 20. dxe5 txe5 21 . e3 (in
tending Aa6 and e2) 21 . . . Ad3 (weaker
is 21 . . . td3+ 22. Axd3 Axd3 23. f3 f5
24. f2 f7 25. d1 ) 22. Ae2, when the
black pieces occupy highl y active positions
(variation by Adams). But not for l ong. Let
us continue: 22 . . . f5 23. f4 Axe2 24. xe2
tc4 25. c1 c7 26. c2 b5 27. b3! txa3
28. xc7 txc7, and with his knight cut off
at a3 it is unlikel y that Bl ack can hol d the
position. There can fol l ow 29. d3 (with
the threat of Ab4) or 29. Ab4 tb1 30. d3.
20 . . . exd4 21 . exd4 b8
The manoeuvre 21 . . . tf8 22. Aa6 e8+
23. d1 te6 l ooks more l ogical , threat
ening after . . . tdc7 to regain the pawn.
But here too White retains t he advantage:
24. e1 d8 25. tb3.
22. f3 c6 23. c4
Bl ack succeeds in exchanging the l i ght
square bi shop: 27. Ae3 tf4+ 28. f2 td3+
29. Axd3 Axd3, obtaini ng opposite-col our
bishops and setting up new defensive lines.
For exampl e: 30. d1 Aa6! 31 . d5 Ab7
32. d6 td5 33. tc2 f6 and . . . d8.
24. f2 .f5 25. b3
White has managed to retain his extra
pawn, but Bl ack's control of the d5 bl ock
ading poi nt leaves him with defensive re
sources.
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+
2
_
a O O O ! Q h
25 . . . .e6 26. fc1 f6 27. a4 aS?!
A carel ess move, al l owing Bl ack to rein- This natural reaction to the threat of a4-
force the bl ockade at d5. 23. f2 with the aS al l ows Whi te to regroup his pieces.
threat of Aa6 was more accurate. Then 27 . . . f7 (with the idea of exchanging the
23 . . . Aa2 is dubious in view of 24. b3 txd4 l i ght-square bishops after . . . tde7) 28. e1
25. Ac4, when Bl ack has probl ems in re- tce7 fol l owed by . . . tc7 was stronger.
leasing his stray bishop.
28_ .c3
Therefore it is sounder to support the
knight on d5 - 23 . . . Af5 24. Ac4 Ae6, at
the same time setting a smal l trap: 25. d1
t:e3! 26. xe3 Axc4.
White frees his knight from the defence of
the pawn, in order to transfer it to a more
active post.
23 . . . fd8 28 . . . At7
23 . . . t:cb4 came i nto consi deration: 24. b3 Here al so it was not yet too late for 28 . . . f7
td3+ 25. f1 tc7 (25 . . . d8? 26. Axd5 29. e1 &ee? 30. td2 t:c7.
xd5 27. e2) 26. e2 e8+, and, by
givi ng up the bl ockade of the d4-pawn, 29. d2 de7
T O
d
7
a O O
A
:
4
/
=/
3
=
2
/
/
/ /
a O O O ! Q h
30 ..t1 !
d
:
4
3
2
' I coul d have exchanged the bi shops, but
wi th al most no ti me l eft I suddenl y found
a very good pl an' , Carl sen comments. He
sacri fi ces the d4-pawn, advantageousl y
transformi ng the posi ti on. I ndeed, on thi s
occasi on too Magnus' s i ntui ti on di d not l et
hi m down. After 30. &d1 xd4 31 . Axf7+
xf7 32. c4 the exchange of the d4-pawn
for the b6-pawn is i ndeed favourabl e for
White, but Bl ack coul d al so pl ay 30 . . . Axc4
31 . xc4 d5, conti nui ng hi s bl ockadi ng
strategy.
30 . . . xd4 31 . e1 dc6 32. c4 d5
33. b1 !
' The poi nt. Bl ack cannot take on c3 due
to the b6-weakness, and as a resul t White
wi l l have ti me for a desi rabl e regroupi ng. '
(Carl sen)
33 . . . f8?!
I t i s not surpri si ng that in ti me-troubl e Ad
ams does not have the ti me to see through
the opponent' s i dea, and he makes what
is in general a useful move, central i si ng
the ki ng. But why not attack the a4-pawn?
33 . . . Ag6 34. &d1 (34. &c1 &ea with the
i dea of . . . cb4) 34 . . . Ac2 35. &xd5 &xd5
36. e3 Ab3 37. xd5 Axd5 suggests
i tsel f, retai ni ng practi cal chances of a draw
(variation by Carlsen). 33 . . . Aea i s also pos
si bl e, and if Whi te tri es to carry out hi s
i ntended pl an - 34. Ae1 , then 34 . . . ce7
35. b3 Ag6, swi tchi ng to an attack on
the b3-pawn. If 36. &c1 there can fol l ow
36 . . . &ea 37. g1 e3 3a. Af2 7d5.
34. Ae1 e7?!
Conti nui ng on the same course. I t was
not yet too l ate to 'j oi n up on' the a4-
pawn - 34 . . . cb4 35. &d1 (or 35. g1
&ea 36. Af2 &e6 37. &d1 .ea 3a. b3 Ag6,
forci ng 39. a3) 35 . . . c2 36. Ad2 .ea
37. b3 Ag6 etc. 34 . . . Ag6 35. &d1 Ac2
36. &d2 Axa4 37. xb6 Ab3 3a. xd5
&xd5, si mpl i fyi ng the posi ti on, was al so
possi bl e.
a O O
a O O O ! Q h
35. g1 !
d
Thi s was Carl sen' s i dea: the ki ng moves
away from the centre, but vacates the f2-
square for the bi shop, from where it attacks
the b6-pawn, after whi ch, rel yi ng on the
strength of hi s bi shop pai r, White gai ns
good wi nni ng chances.
One never ti res of admi ri ng the depth
and preci si on of Carl sen' s i deas! On the
1 3th move he embarked on a manoeuvre
T
with hi s kni ght i nto the corner of the board,
whi ch enabl ed hi m to keep hi s extra pawn,
and on the 30th he devi sed a retreat by
his pi eces, to obtai n a strategi cal l y more
favourabl e posi ti on wi th equal materi al .
The abi l i ty to arrange the pi eces on the
necessary squares, the depth of i deas and
the purity of thei r i mpl ementati on i n some
way remi nd one of Jose Raul Capabl anca.
35 8 . . b8
Bl ack takes hi s kni ght to d7, to support
the b6-pawn. More acti ve pl ay came i nto
consi derati on - 35 . . . teS! ? 36. txe5 fxe5
37. Ah4+ tf6 38. e1 d6 39. Ag3 td7
(39 . . . e8?! 40. Ab5 e7 41 . f4! ) 40. Ab5
AdS 41 . d1 (41 . Axd7 xd7 42. AxeS+
c5 l eads to the creati on of opposi te
col our bi shops) 41 . . . e6, and White has
to l ook for new ways.
36 .f2
Carl sen comments that he used hi s re
mai ni ng ti me studyi ng the ki ng wal k after
36. txb6! txb6 37. Axa5 t8d7 (37 . . . d6?
38. Ab4) 38. Ab4+ e6 39. e1 + f5
(39 . . . d5? 40. Ab5! i s bad for Bl ack) and
he was unabl e to fi nd a wi n. But had there
been a l ittle more ti me, he woul d surely have
found 40. Ad3+ g5 41 . e7 tf8 42. xf7
.:xd3 43. Axf8 txa4 44 . .:xg7+ wi th new
materi al gai ns. I t shoul d be added that
39 . . . te5 woul d al so not have saved Bl ack
after 40. Aa5 .:b8 41 . f4 txa4 42. fxe5 d7
(42 . . . txb2? 43. exf6+ xf6 44. Ac3+ g6
45. b1 ; 42 . . . txb2? 43. Ac4+; 42 . . . fxe5?!
43. Ac7) 43. exf6 gxf6 44. b4 wi th a tech
ni cal l y won endgame. I n short, thi s coul d
have been a worhy concl usi on to the game.
36 d7 37. Se1 + f8 38. Sd1 We7
39. Ee1 + Wf8 40. d6
d
7
3
2
a O O O
X
a O O O ! g h
40 . . . e5?!
d
b
A mi stake on the l ast move before the ti me
control . The exchange of the bi shop cre
ates a si tuati on where the superi ority of the
two bi shops over the two kni ghts, whi ch
have no strong poi nts, i s very percepti bl e.
40 . . . tc5 was al so unsuitabl e: 41 . txf7
xf7 42. AxeS bxc5 43. Ac4 .:d7 44. d1
e6 45. f4 g5 46. g3 and Bl ack cannot
di sentangl e hi msel f (Adams). But 40 . . . Ag8
was more resi l i ent.
41 . xf7 Wxf7 42. Ed1
The central i sed bl ack kni ghts are hob
bl ed by the whi te bi shops standi ng at
the rear.
42 . . . We7 43. f4 g4
Bl ack woul d have l ost materi al after
43 . . . txf4 44. xd8 xd8 45. Axb6+.
44. Ee1 + Wf8
Consi derati on shoul d have been gi ven to
44 . . . d6! ? 45. Ad4 txf4 46. e4! ? g5
47. Axb6 b8 48. d4+ c6 49. Axa5
xb2 50. Ad2 (i f 50. b4 there fol l ows
50 . . . a2 wi th t he t hreat of 51 . . . a1 )
50 . . . te6, and the bl ack pi eces are more
acti ve than i n the game.
T J

45. Jd4 !d6
45 . . . txf4 was dubi ous i n vi ew of 46. Axb6
d5 47. e4 g5 48. g3 f5 49. d4.
46. h3
a O O O
d d
7
&
b
3 &
4
3
3
2

2
+
a O O O ! g h
Adams thi nks that it was possi bl e to capture
the pawn -46 . . . txf4 47. e4 te6 48. xe6
xe6 49. hxg4 e4 50. Axb6 xa4, but
Bl ack woul d hardl y be abl e to save such
an endgame. For exampl e, 51 . Ab5 a1 +
(i n the event of 51 . . . xg4 52. Axa5 re7
53. Ac3 the outsi de passed pawn, sup
ported by the bi shops, i s bound to wi n)
52. rf2 b1 53. Ac5+ rf7 54. Ac4+ re8
55. b3. The ki ng approaches the centre,
after whi ch the b6-pawn i s won. Possi bl y
thi s was the onl y practi cal chance, si nce i n
the subsequent pl ay Carl sen di d not offer
another one, unhurri edl y bri ngi ng the game
to a vi ctori ous concl usi on.
47. !d1 !
Di spel l i ng Bl ack' s l ast i l l usi ons (47 . . . txf4?
48. Ac5).
47 . . . f5 48. Jf2 me7
After the rook exchange 48 . . . txf4 49. xd6
txd6 50. Axb6 the kni ghts l ose thei r last
strong poi nt and are unabl e to resi st the
l ong-range bi shops, as occurred in the
game, Even so, Bl ack cannot avoi d the
exchange of rooks.
49. g4 h6
After 49 . . . tfe3? the pi n 50. e1 i s deci sive.
50. f5 f7 51 . Jg2 f4 52. !xd6 xd6
53. Jxb6 c4 54. Jc5+ md7
a O O O ! g h
d d
7

7
b
3
b
4
& &
4
3
3
2
+
2
a O O O ! g h
55 . .f1
The posi ti on is a purel y techni cal one, and
through i nerti a Carl sen retai ns the bi sh
op pai r. But, as it transpi res, the kni ghts
are abl e to stand up for themsel ves, and
avoi di ng the exchange merely prol ongs the
game. 55. b3! txg2 (55 . . . td2 56. Ae3)
56. *xg2 td2 57. b4, creati ng an out
side passed pawn, was stronger. 57 . . . te4
58. Af8 re8 59. bxa5! is an amusi ng vari
ati on.
55 . . . xb2 56. Jb5+ mda
56 . . . rc7 was more resi l i ent: 57. Af8 g6
(or 57 . . . txh3+ 58. rh2 tf2 59. g5 fol
l owed by Axg7) 58. fxg6 hxg6 59. h4,
al though here too Bl ack i s unabl e to save
the game.
T
M. Carl sen - l. Chepari nov
57. Ab6+ e7 58. h2
Capturi ng the pawn woul d have won more
qui ckl y - 58. Axa5 txh3+ 59. g2 tf4+
60. f3 td5 61 . e4.
58 . . . d5 59 . .xa5 d6 60. Ad2 c5
Now, when the ki ng has come to the ai d of
the kni ghts, White cannot get by wi thout
the exchange of one of hi s bi shops.
61. g3 c7 62. Ae3+ b4 63. Ad2+
mcs 64. Ac1 c4 65. Axc4 xc4
66. Ad2 a6 67. aS
Of course, i n thi s endgame White al so has
an easy wi n.
67 . . . b5 68. f3 c5 69. Ac3 h6
70. e3 c4 71 . Ad4 a6 72. e4
b4 73. h4 b5 74. Ac3 a6 75. d5
c5 76. Ad4 d3 77. e6
Bl ack resi gned.
Game 32
M. Carl sen - I . Chepari nov
Worl d Cup, Khanty- Mansi ysk 2007
Torre Attack [ A48]
1. d4 f6 2. f3 g6 3 . .g5
Carlsen chooses the Torre Attack, avoi di ng
the mai n l i nes of the Grunfel d and Ki ng's
I ndi an Defences, whi ch are possi bl e in re
ply to 3. c4. A quite l ogi cal deci si on in a
mi ni -match in the Worl d Cup, where wi th
the ' cl assi cal ' ti me l i mit the whi te pi eces
were of pri mary i mportance and there was
a ri sk of runni ng i nto a prepared l i ne by the
producti ve Bul gari an Topal ov-Chepari nov
pai ri ng.
3 . . .g7 4. bd2 d6
The cri ti cal repl y to the devel opment of
the kni ght at d2 i s 4 . . . d5, restri cti ng i ts
i nfl uence i n the centre, but the move 4 . . .
d 6 al so has i ts vi rtues. However, from a
romanti c such as Chepari nov one woul d
not expect anythi ng el se.
5. e4 0-0 6. c3 c5
a O O O ! g h
d @
$
@
d

# #
$
g
b
b
4

4
3

3

a O O O ! g h
7. dxc5
The game has transposed i nto a qui et
vari ati on of the Pi rc- Ufi mtsev Defence
where, as i s wel l known, the attempt to
mai ntai n the pawn tensi on by 7. Ad3 l eads
to the exchange of White's i mportant dark
square bi shop: 7 . . . cxd4 8. cxd4 h6 9. Ah4
th5! wi th good prospects for Bl ack. I n
thi s respect the game Ti m man -Topal ov
(Bel grade 1 995) is i nstructi ve: 1 0. 0-0 g5
1 1 . Ag3 g4 12. th4 txg3 13. hxg3 Axd4
1 4. Cf5 Axf5 1 5. exf5 h5 1 6. f6 Cd7 (1 6 . . .
e6 1 7. Ce4 Axf6 1 8. d2 g7 or the i mme
di ate 1 6 . . . Axf6 i s stronger) 1 7. fxe7 xe7
1 8. Af5 Cc5 1 9. Cc4 wi th sharp pl ay, where
White has suffi ci ent compensati on for the
pawn.
7 . . . dxc5 8. Ac4
After 8. Ae2 Cc6 9. 0-0 c7 1 0. c2 Ae6
Bl ack has an easi er game.
T
Chapter 2 The Way to the Top
8 . . . c6 9. 0-0 Yc7
9 . . . ta5! ? i s more acti ve: 10. Ae2 Ae6
1 1 . e1 a6 1 2. Wc2 (or 1 2. Af4 h6 1 3. Wc2
b5 1 4. h3 'b6 with equal chances) 1 2 . . . b5
1 3. b3 xb3 14. axb3 We? with good pl ay
for Bl ack, Mal ani uk-Mari n (Romani a 1 992).
1 0. Ye2
The mai n conti nuati on is consi dered to be
1 0. e1 , after whi ch Bl ack can carry out
the same l i ne wi th the exchange of the
dark-square bi shop: 10 . . . h6 1 1 . Ah4 h5
1 2. 'c2 Ag4 1 3. Ag3 xg3 1 4. hxg3 h5
1 5. f1 Ah6, obtai ni ng comfortabl e pl ay,
Burmaki n - Kurnosov (Ul an Ude 2009).
10 . . . h6 1 1 . Ah4 h5!
The cruci al manoeuvre i n thi s vari ati on,
l eadi ng to the exchange of the dark-square
bi shop.
12. 1Ue1
1 4. Ag3 xg3 1 5. hxg3 b6 1 6. h2
.hS
A provocati ve move: Chepari nov i nvites
the enemy fi re. 1 6 . . . Ad7 was more ci r
cumspect.
1 7. g4 .g6 1 8. g3 Dad8 1 9. f4
a b c d e f 9 h
-

-
t
W
t
6
@
3
6
5

-
111
:
1 W 1
:
/1
_
_

a b c d e f 9 h
1 9 . . . d4!?
I f 12. we3 there can fol l ow 12 . . . a5 1 3. Ad3
Neverthel ess I van i mposes hi s pl ay! The
advanced kni ght is i mmune on account of
c4 1 4. Ac2 g5 1 5. Ag3 xg3 1 6. hxg3 d8
the l oss of the queen.
wi th good pl ay for Bl ack.
1 2 . . . Ag4 1 3. We3!
20. fac1 bS! 21 . Af1
A useful move, movi ng the queen out of
After the active 21 . AdS wi th the threat of
the pi n. Now the natural 1 3 . . . b6 i s met by
twi ce capturi ng on d4, White has to reckon
1 4. e5! , shutti ng the g7-bi shop out of the
wi th 21 . . . 'b6! ?, when the attempt to shut
in the bi shop - 22. f5 Ah7 23. df3 xf3+
24. txf3 e6 25. Ab3 c4 l eads to the ex
change of queens, whi ch does not come
i nto Carl sen's pl ans.
game.
1 3 . . . g5
After the i ncl usi on of 1 3 . . . ta5 1 4. Af1
and now 14 . . . g5 Bl ack has to reckon wi th
1 5. xg5! ? hxg5 1 6. 'xg5 Wf4! 1 7. h3 Ae6
1 8. Wxf4 txf4 1 9. Axe? fc8 20. Ag5,
when White has three pawns for a kni ght,
whi ch may be advantageous i n the end
game.
15
21 . . . gxf4 22. gxf4 e6 23. eS
The fork 23. fS i s parri ed by 23 . . . Ae5
24. hf3 Af4 25. We2 g5, and if 26. fxg6
Bl ack wi ns by 26 . . . Axd2 27. xd2 xd2
28. 'xd2 f3+.
M. Carl sen -I. Chepari nov
a b c d e f g h
-
Z Z
-
W 3
t
-
3
-
5
5
4
4
3
\
3

.
a b c d e f g h
23 . . . f5!
Chepari nov is eager to sacrifice a pi ece. He
cannot remai n for ever under the i mpend
i ng threat of the pawn phal anx!
24. exf6 J: xf6 25. f5 g5 26. fxg6 J: e6
27. 'f2 .e5!
a b c d e f g h
-
Z
-
t
W
t
-
Z
-
5
5
4
4
a b c d e f g h
For the sacrificed pi ece Bl ack has a strong
attack. For exampl e, Whi te l oses after
28. thf3? Ag3 29. 'g2 Axe1 30. txe1
'f4! or 30. gxe1 gxd2! . Somewhat better
i s 28. tdf3 Ag3 29. 'g2, when after ex
changes on e1 - 29 . . . Axe1 30. gxe1 gxe1
31 . txe1 - Bl ack retai ns the i ni ti ati ve: 31 . . .
c4! 32. tef3 'b6+ 33. h1 'xg6, si nce
White's mi nor pi eces are sti l l passi ve (vari
ati on by Shi pov).
28. J: xe5
A pragmati c approach. Wi thout del vi ng
i nto detai l s, Magnus el i mi nates the pow
erful bi shop.
28 . . . 'xe5 29. df3
Here Carl sen wrongl y avoi ds goi ng i nto an
endgame, si nce the pressure of the heavy
pi eces on the central fi l es i s so great that
there are no prospects of acti vati ng the
mi nor pi eces. After 29. Ag2 'e2 30. tdf3
gd1 + 31 . gxd1 'xd1 + 32. 'f1 'xf1 +
33. txf1 txf3+ 34. Axf3 gxg6 35. f2
he woul d have obtai ned a more favourabl e
versi on of the endgame than that whi ch oc
curred i n the game. As for Sergey Shi pov's
recommendati on 33. Axf1 txf3+ 34. txf3
a6, thi s endgame is safer for Bl ack, si nce
i t i s not possi bl e to retai n the g6-pawn -
35. th4 ge4 36. Ag2 gxg4 37. tf5 gg5
38. txe7+ f8 39. td5 gxg6, and wi th
hi s outsi de passed h-pawn Bl ack i s not i n
danger of l osi ng. Al so i nsuffi ci ent i s 35. f2
gxg6 36. g3 gd6 37. Ae2 e5! 38. txe5
gd2, when the rook reaches the second
rank.
29 . . . xf3+ 30. xf3 'f4 31 . J:e1 !
Carl sen fi nal l y real i sed that he needed to
exchange the queens.
31 . . . J:xe1
It is not cl ear - who i n fact is pl ayi ng for
a wi n? Bl ack coul d have captured the g4-
pawn - 31 . . . 'xg4+ 32. Ag2 gxe1 +, forci ng
a draw i n the vari ati ons 33. txe1 'xg6
34. 'xc5 gd1 35. 'xe7 'g3 36. f1 'f4+
37. g1 'g3+ or 33. 'xe1 'xg6 34. 'xe7
gd1 + 35. f2 'c2+ 36. g3 'g6+.
32. xe1 'xf2+ 33. xf2
151
----------
a b c d e f g h
8
8
7
6
$
6
5 5
4
4
3
3
2
2
I
a b c d e f g h
If thi s posi ti on is compared wi th the one
exami ned i n the notes to Whi te' s 29th
move, i t i s obvi ous that the si tuati on i s
worse for hi m.
33 . Jd2+ 34. e3 d1
Bl ack makes thi ngs di ffi cul t for hi msel f. He
shoul d have reduced the number of pawns:
34 . . Jxb2! 3S. td3 .c2 36. txcS .xc3+
37. <d4 .g3 38. Ae2 <g7, and after the
wi n of the g- or the a-pawn he i s cl ose to
a draw. Thi s i s confi rmed by the vari ati ons
39. Ad3 .xg4+ 40. <es .g2 41 . te6+
<g8 42. tc7 hS or 39. gS hxgS 40. Ad3
a6 41 . txa6 eS+ 42. <e4 <xg6 43. tcS
g4 44. <xeS+ <hS 4S. AxbS .a3, where
the outsi de passed pawns gi ve Bl ack suf
fi ci ent counterpl ay.
35. e2 a1 36. Ag2 c4
a b c d e I g h
8
8
7
6
$
6
5 5
4
4
3 3
I
2
.
a b c d e f g h
The subsequent pl ay in thi s endi ng resem
bl es a three-act drama. Act One - l ost
i l l usi ons. Carl sen i gnores the sharp move
37. b4, ai mi ng by the ti me control on move
40 to obtai n a posi ti on wi th a cl earer pawn
structure.
37. a3
Good wi nni ng chances woul d have been
gi ven by the energeti c 37. b4! , bl ocki ng
the queensi de pawns, whi ch woul d have
enabl ed the mi nor pi eces to be acti vated.
Let us consi der the mai n vari ati ons:
a) 37 . . . .xa2+ 38. <e3 <g7 39. Ae4 e5
(otherwise <d4) 40. tc2 .b2 41 . AfS! a6
42. <t3! .b3 (or 42 . . . .a2 43. te3 .a3
44. tdS) 43. <e4 .xc3 44. <xeS, and
White devel ops an attack on the ki ng;
b) 37 . . . cxb3 38. axb3 a5 ( i n the event of
38 . . . g7 Whi te attacks wi th 39. Ae4
.a3 40. tg2! .xb3 41 . tf4) 39. Ac6! a4
(39 . . . b4 40. c4) 40. b4! , and the a-pawn
wi l l be stopped by tc2.
37 B b1 38. Ae4! xb2+ 39. tc2 g7
40. e3
a b c d e f g h
8 8
7
6
$
6
5 5
4
I
3
2 2
a b c d e f g h
Thi s was the posi ti on Carl sen had ai med
for. The bl ack pawns have been stopped,
and the white pi eces are excel l entl y co
ordi nated. I t woul d appear that the wi n is
152
M. Carl sen -I. Chepari nov
a matter of techni que. I ndeed, after the
attempt to i mpede the ki ng by 40 . . . e5
Whi te creates an attack agai nst i ts oppo
site number: 41 . &b4! b3 42. td5 xa3
43. Af5! b4 44. &e?! (wi th the threat of
&e8+) 44 . . . f8 (44 . . . xc3+ 45. e4)
45. e4 bxc3 46. xeS e7 (otherwi se
f6) 47. &d5+ f8 48. &f4! a6 49. d4,
wi nni ng the pawns (vari ati ons by Shi pov).
But al l is not so cl ear.
40 b3!
Act Two - di sappoi ntment. Thi s accurate
rook move, tyi ng the ki ng to the c3-pawn,
is a ki nd of col d shower for Whi te. It tran
spi res that after the i ntended 41 . td4
there fol l ows 41 . . . aS 42. c5 (42. Af5
f6 and . . . e7-e6) 42 . . . xc3 43. xb5
g3 44. Af5 f6 45. &d4 xa3 46. xc4
e3 and White i s stymi ed. I f 47. &e6 there
fol l ows 47 . . . xe6, wi th the theme of the
dark-square corner i n mi nd: 48. g7 c6+
(or 48 . . . xg7 49. Axe6 h5! 50. g5 g6)
49. b5 xg7 50. xc6 h5! 51 . g5 a4. He
is forced to retreat hi s ki ng.
41 . d2 f6?
a b c d e f 9 h
8 8
7
6
6
5 5
4
4
3
2 2
a b c d e f 9 h
An unexpected concl usi on to the Second
Act. After the pi n 41 . . . b2 there i s nothi ng
more sensi bl e for White than 42. e3, when
Bl ack has to repeat moves 42 . . . b3 wi th a
probabl e draw. Now, however, White gai ns
an opportunity to support the g6-pawn and
he shoul d be abl e to wi n.
42. d4!
I n vi ew of the threatened kni ght manoeu
vre &d4-e2-g3-h5, the i dea of breaki ng
through wi th the a-pawn after 42 . . . b2+
43. e3 is too l ate, and so Bl ack is forced
to exchange his b5-pawn for the a3-pawn,
whi ch radi cal l y changes hi s pawn structure
for the worse.
42 . . . xa3 43. xb5 a5 44. c7 Wg7
Bl ack also l oses after 44 . . . g5 45. Af5 h5
46. &e8+ e5 47. gxh5! xf5 48. g7, when
he has to gi ve up hi s rook.
45. e6+ h8 46. e3 a1 47. d4 aS
48. Jc6!
The bi shop i s hurryi ng to f7.
48 . . . a4 49 .ea g1 50. g5!
The g5-pawn j oi ns the group supporti ng
the g6-pawn - it has to be covered.
50 . . . a3! 51 . .f7 xg5!
Here i s a surpri se! Just try i n ti me-troubl e
copi ng wi th the advanci ng pawns.
52. xg5 hxg5 53. Jxc4 Wg7
a b c d e f 9 h
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3
2 2
a b c d e f 9 h
153

Act Three - swi ngs. It has nothi ng in com
mon wi th the precedi ng acts. It was per
formed i n severe ti me-troubl e by two actors
worn out by the very diffi cul t struggl e in the
mi ddl egame. The strength of the fi ghters
was exhausted, and in such a condi ti on,
wi th ti me runni ng out, cal cul ati ng work i s
practi cal l y i mpossi bl e. As fortunes swung
backwards and forwards, Cai ssa smi l ed
on her favouri te.
54. d3?
Thi s move throws away the wi n, whi ch
coul d have been achi eved by the study
l i ke 54. e5! xg6 55. Aa2. Now the race
to queen a pawn - 55 . . . g4 56. f4 h5
57. c4 h4 58. c5 g3 59. f3! h3 60. c6
ends wi th a wi nni ng check. I t i s al so pos
si bl e to wi n more prosai cal l y: 57. g3 g5
58. c4, and Bl ack cannot hol d hi s g4-pawn.
54 . . . xg6 55. c2 g4 56. b3 f5
In the pawn race, ti me is i mportant. After
56 . . . e5 57. AdS f5 58. c4 e4 59. c5 e3
Bl ack woul d also queen one of hi s pawns.
57. xa3 g3?
57 . . . e5 or 57 . . . e4 woul d have l ed to a
draw. There is no poi nt i n commenti ng i n
depth on i nstant pl ay i n a ti me scrambl e,
but we wi l l merel y touch on the errors.
58 . .f1 ?
Why not the i mmedi ate 58. AdS, occupyi ng
the l ong di agonal ?
58 . . . e5?
58 . . . e4 woul d have saved the game.
59. b3?
The bl ockadi ng 59. Ag2 woul d have won.
59 . . . f4?
Here al so it was not too l ate for 59 . . . e4.
60. Jg2
I t is no l onger possi bl e to go wrong, as
. . . f3 was threatened.
60 . . . e3 61 . c4 f2 62 . .e4
Bl ack resi gned.
Thi s and the precedi ng games used up
much of Carl sen' s strength. Everyone has
thei r l i mi t, and in the semi -fi nal he l ost
wi thout a parti cul ar fi ght to Gata Kam
sky (%-1 %) , who i n fact won the World
Cup. Questi oned whether he was di sap
poi nted to have gone out of the Worl d Cup
at the semi -fi nal stage, Magnus repl i ed: ' I
hadn' t expected t o go so far. And I was
very ti red, so basi cal l y I was ready to go
out any poi nt. ' Thi s was not surpri si ng,
si nce for practi cal l y the enti re year he had
not had any respi te, pl ayi ng tournament
after tournament. At a press conference
Carl sen l ooked extremel y ti red. I ndeed to
reach the semi -fi nal of the Worl d Cup after
such a l engthy marathon of diffi cul t battles
was an i ndi cati on of hi s fi ghti ng spi ri t. An
i mportant stage in hi s career had come to
an end - at the age of 1 7 Carl sen had made
hi s way to the top and was establ i shed
among the worl d el i te.
154
Chapter 3
Ll1B BI HB 0Q
In 2008 the organi sers of the chess festi val i n Wij k aan Zee were abl e to assembl e
the strongest fi el d for the mai n tournament i n i ts enti re hi story ( FI DE category 20) .
They coul d hardl y have i magi ned that i n such presti gi ous company Carl sen woul d
achi eve the greatest success i n hi s short career. He shared 1 st-2nd pl aces wi th
Aroni an, ahead of al l the mai n nomi nees i n the battl e for the worl d crown. The l ast
year had not been wasted. From a compl ete fi asco in hi s fi rst A tournament in 2007,
wi thout a si ngl e wi n, to a tri umph wi th fi ve won games - thi s was the resul t of an
enormous amount of work. But as before, Magnus was modest: ' Before the tour
nament I thought that i f I coul d score 50%, it woul d not be a bad resul t, ' he sai d i n
an i ntervi ew for t he magazi ne 64 Shakhmatnoe obozrenie. ' I wasn' t expecti ng to
wi n, of course, and the share of fi rst pl ace was a pl easant surpri se for me. ' But, as
they say, appeti te i mproves duri ng the meal . Magnus hi msel f real i sed how he was
improvi ng from one tournament to the next . Al ong wi th the perfecti ng of hi s posi
ti onal understandi ng, the techni que of pl ayi ng si mpl e posi ti ons and i n parti cul ar the
endgame, he was al so accumul ati ng experi ence i n hi s meeti ngs wi th the strongest
pl ayers i n the worl d. Hi s sel f-esteem was al so growi ng: ' I can no l onger consi der
50% a good resul t. Of course, thi s i s a bi g success, but i n the worl d there are sti l l
many pl ayers who are stronger t han me. To become worl d champi on, I wi l l have to
devel op and i mprove in many respects. '
Game33
M. Carlsen P. Elj anov
Wi jk aan Zee 2008
Grfeld Defence [ 091}
It is rare to wi n a si mpl e posi ti on agai nst
a strong grandmaster wi thout any ap
parent effort, based on factors that are
deepl y hi dden. Thi s game, although wi th
out outward effects, i s i mpressi ve for i ts
compl eteness.
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3
.g7 5 . .g5
5
White's system of devel opment associ ated
wi th hi s l ast two moves has the ai m of
forci ng Bl ack to concede the centre. The
roots of Whi te's i dea l i e i n the game Al e
khi ne-Bogolj ubow (Vi enna 1922), where
White fi rst devel oped hi s bi shop - 4. Ag5,
after whi ch there fol l owed 4 . . . ee4. Later
thi ngs were refi ned: after the i ncl usi on of
4. tf3 Ag7 the move . . . ee4 causes White
less troubl e.
(see next diagram)
Chapter 3 Life at the Top
a b c d e f 9 h
8
@@@ g 8
t
@
t
6
5
4
3
a b c d e f 9 h
6
5
4
3
5 te4 6 .h4 txc3 7. bxc3 dxc4
8. 'a4+ 'd7 9. 'xc4 b6 1 0. e3 .a6
1 1 . 'b3 .xf1 12. mxf1 0-0
Carl sen' s reputati on i n questi ons of home
preparati on had grown so much, that El
janov avoi ded 1 2 . . . tc6 1 3. e2 0-0, whi ch
he had successful l y empl oyed i n a game
with Ki ri l Georgi ev (Wi j k aan Zee 2006) ,
where after 14. lhd1 taS 1 S. 'b4 lfe8
1 6. fac1 lac8 1 7. c4 'g4 1 8. h3 'e4
1 9. 'a4 eS he gai ned quite good coun
terpl ay.
1 3. me2
a b c d e f 9 h
8
8
t
@
t
6
L J
6
5
.
5
m

4 4
3
W
3
2 _
__
_ _
a b c d e f 9 h
hopi ng to expl oi t the openi ng of fi l es for
hi s rooks, supported by the l ong-range
bi shop on g7.
14. dxc5
1 4. lhd1 tc6 1 S. dxcS i s al so pl ayed, but
here Black has al ready compl eted his de
vel opment and he can begi n counterpl ay
on the queensi de, expl oi ti ng the posi ti on
of the white ki ng i n the centre. For exam
pl e, the game Neverov- Pavl ovi c (Hast
i ngs 200S/6) conti nued 1 S . . . 'c8 1 6. lab1
bxcS 1 7. 'c4 taS 1 8. 'bS tc6 1 9. 'c4
(1 9. 'xcS 'a6+) 1 9 . . . lb8 20. lxb8 'xb8
21 . 'xcS lc8 22. Axe? (22. f1 was
more cauti ous) 22 . . . 'b7 23. Ad6 'a6+
24. ld3 taS (24 . . . teS! ? 2S. 'xc8+ 'xc8
26. AxeS AxeS 27. txeS 'e6 also came
i nto consi derati on, obtai ni ng an outsi de
passed pawn after . . . 'xa2) 2S. 'dS tc4
26. tgS tb2 27. 'xf7+ h8 with sharp
pl ay, favourabl e for Bl ack.
14 ta6!?
Bl ack i ntends to pl ay hi s kni ght to the ex
cel l ent square cS wi th gai n of tempo i n
the event of 1 S. cxb6 tcS 1 6. 'c4 axb6
1 7. lhd1 'b7, obtai ni ng excel l ent compen
sati on for the pawn ( . . . fa4 is threatened).
1 5. Ehd1 'b7
The al ternati ve is 1 S . . . 'c7. I n the game
Lauti er-l vanchuk (Terrasa 1 991 ) White de
cided to accept the pawn sacrifice, and this
i s what happened: 1 6. cxb6 axb6 1 7. a4
tcS 1 8. 'b4 laS 1 9. Ag3 eS 20. td2 (or
20. f1 lfa8 21 . 'c4 bS) 20 . . . lfa8 21 . Cc4
txa4! 22. f1 Af8! 23. td6 txc3 24. lac1
lcS 2S. ld3 te4! 0-1 .
1 3 c5 But White is by no means obl i ged to
I n provoki ng the capture on cS, whi ch i s
accept the pawn sacrifi ce, and he can play
posi ti onal l y advantageous for White, Bl ack
1 6. c6! ?, as i n the game.
associ ates thi s move wi th a pawn sacri fi ce, 1 6. c6
156
M. Carl sen P. El janov
Of course, 1 6. cxb6?! axb6 1 7. !ab1 tcS mobi l e, in the gi ven speci fi c posi ti on they
1 8. 'b4 te4 di d not come i nto Carl sen' s are immobi l i sed. Therefore Bl ack shoul d
pl ans. I n hi s preparati ons for the game have thought about prepari ng to advance
he was ai mi ng for a favourabl e endgame. them - 23 . . . a6 24. Aa3 !ac8 etc.
16 Wxc6 1 7. Axe7 Efe8 1 8. Aa3 Wxc3
24. f3 Eae8 25. h3 f6
Bl ack regai ns the pawn, si nce i n the event
of 18 . . . !ad8, as pl ayed i n the game Gri
vas-Leko (Dortmund 1 992), the compen
sati on for it i s i nsuffi ci ent: 1 9. !ac1 tc7
20. c4 te6 21 . f1 'e4 22. !dS.
19. Wxc3 Axc3 20. Eac1 Ab4 21 . Jb2!
White depl oys hi s pi eces i n thei r most ac
tive posi ti ons.
21 . Af8 22. td4 tc5
a b c d e
a
t
$
6
5
4
:
a b c d e f 9 h
23. g4!
8
6
5
4
:
A deep move, ai med not onl y at sei zi ng
space, but al so at fi ghti ng for the weak
ened f6-poi nt.
23 Ee4
Here there i s nothi ng for the rook to do -the
kni ght at d4 stands l i ke a rock. Accordi ng to
the theory of posi ti onal pl ay, formul ated by
the fi rst worl d champi on Wi l hel m Stei ni tz,
'smal l advantages' shoul d be accumul ated.
Among these is a queensi de pawn ma
jori ty, whi ch Bl ack has here, as i n many
Grunfel d-type positi ons. But, i n contrast to
other vari ati ons wi th a strong pawn centre
for Whi te, where the bl ack pawns are very
Logi cal . Bl ack has gone total l y onto the
defensi ve and he bri ngs hi s ki ng to the
centre.
26. Aa3 f7 27. Ec2
8 8
t
$
6
$
6
5
&
5
4
_
/
4
:
/ /
:
2
/ /
2
a b c d e f 9 h
Carl sen's techni que in thi s endgame re
sembl es t he ' i ntri cate' styl e of Anatol y
Karpov i n hi s best years, when he woul d
l ul l hi s opponents wi th unhurri ed manoeu
vres, mai ntai ni ng the pressure and forci ng
them sooner or l ater to weaken themselves.
White prepares to doubl e hi s rooks on one
of the fi l es, i ntendi ng the kni ght sorti e to bS.
27 ta6?
Thi s i s wrong. The kni ght at cS was ac
tively pl aced, and the deci si on to exchange
bi shops i s a strategi c mi stake. Now Bl ack's
rear, especi al l y the d6-square, i s extremely
weak, and the white rooks are abl e to i n
vade. He shoul d have stuck to wai ti ng tac
tics, for exampl e 27 . . . !4e7, offeri ng White a
choi ce: to pl ay an endgame wi th an i sol ated
cS-pawn after 28. AxeS bxcS 29. tb3
(29. !xcS !xe3+) 29 . . . !c7 30. !c4, or
conti nue manoeuvri ng - 28. tbS !b7, al
though fi ndi ng the key to Bl ack' s posi ti on
15
is not easy. Thus, here the exchange of the erwi se the f6-pawn cannot be defended),
f8-bi shop i s not so dangerous: 29. td6+ after whi ch the endgame becomes of a
Axd6 30. xd6 c7, and Bl ack sets up techni cal nature. Sooner or l ater the e- and
new defensi ve l i nes, si nce goi ng i nto the
rook endi ng by 31. Axc5 bxc5 has i ts
drawbacks, i f onl y because of thei r draw
i ng tendenci es. Apparentl y, the spi ri t of
the precedi ng strategy coul d have been
mai ntai ned by a pawn offensi ve on the
ki ngsi de - 29. h4 wi th the i dea of break
i ng through, dependi ng on ci rcumstances,
wi th g4-g5 or h4-h5. Here are some pos
si bl e vari ati ons:
a) 29 . . . h6 30. c4 e6 31 . td4 (or 31 . d8
Ae7 32. h8 g7 33. a8) 31 . . . e8
32. te2 c8 33. h5;
b) 29 . . . e5 30. Ab2 e6 31. cd2 Ae7
32. d5 a6 33. td6+ Axd6 34. xd6
c7 35. d8.
28. xf8 mxf8 29. gc6
The start of the deci si ve i nvasi on.
29 . . . mg7 30. b5 g4e7 31 . gdd6 c5
32. c7
The capture 32. xf6? td7 l eads to the
l oss of the exchange.
32 . . . gf8 33. h4 gff7 34. d5
8
6
5
4
3
a b c d e f 9 h
8
6
5
3
2

2
a b c d e f 9 h
Compl ete domi nati on by Whi te. Bl ack i s
forced to exchange a pai r of rooks (oth-
f-pawns wi l l advance, creati ng a passed
pawn.
34 . . . gd7 35. gxd7 xd7
35 . . . xd7 36. txf6 f7 37. g5 td7
38. e4 txf6+ 39. gxf6+ xf6 40. xf6
<xf6 41 . d5 l eads to a won pawn end
game for Whi te.
36. mg3 c5 37. f3 h6
Acti vi ty wi th 37 . . . f5 i s i nappropri ate -
38. gxf5 gxf5 39. h5. 38. h5 td3 39. g5
gxh5 40. h6 is al so good for Whi te.
38. f4 g5
38 . . . h7 39. h5 g5 40. td5 g7 41. e4
was l i ttl e better for Bl ack.
39. h5+ mg6 40. f4 gxf4+ 41 . exf4
mh7 42. t5 m98 43. mt3
The deci si ve word bel ongs to the ki ng!
43 . . . d7 44. me4 mf8 45. gC8+ me7
46. md5 b5 47. gh8 b6+ 48. mc6
c4 49. ga8 e5+ 50. mc5 d7+
51 . mxb5 md6 52. gxa7 gf8 53. mb4
c5 54. mc4
Bl ack resi gned.
Game34
V. Kramni k M. Carlsen
Wij k aan lee 2008
Englsh Opening [ A30]
I n thi s game Magnus demonstrated the
si gni fi cance of a correct openi ng choi ce.
Wi th the ai d of the cunni ng ' hedgehog' he
was abl e to outpl ay the worl d champi on.
158
V. Kramni k- M. Carl sen
1. f3 f6 2. c4 e6 3. c3 c5 4. g3
b6 5 . .g2 .b7 6. 0-0 Ae7 7. d4 cxd4
8. oxd4 d6 9. d1 a6
a b c d e I g h
8
% W
g 8
t
3
_
3

t
-
I
%
-
5
I
5
4
/\
4
3
_
_
/
3
: _
:
1 _
a b c d e I g h
Bl ack has arranged hi s pawns i n a so
cal l ed ' hedgehog' set-up, the spi nes of
whi ch are ai med at the central squares
and b5.
10. g5
Thi s cont i nuati on was i ntroduced more
than 30 years earl i er. White pl ays hi s kni ght
to e4 in order to attack the d6-pawn.
10 . . . Axg2 1 1 . xg2 c6
The devel opi ng 1 1 . . . &bd7 does not work
because of 1 2. tge4, wi nni ng the d6-
pawn.
12. 'f4
By pl ayi ng hi s queen to thi s active posi
ti on, White mai ntai ns the pressure on the
d6-pawn, i ntendi ng to i ncl ude hi s bi shop
i n the attack on i t from a3 (after b2-b3).
12 . . . 0-0
The al ternati ve is 1 2 . . . a7, i mmedi atel y
swi tchi ng the rook to d7. I f Whi te does
not react to thi s manoeuvre, the ' hedge
hog' may demonstrate i ts spi nes, as i n
the game Webb- Hart (Hasti ngs 1 977/78):
1 3. b3 0-0 1 4. tge4 d7 1 5. Ab2 e8
1 6. ac1 d5 wi th excel l ent pl ay for Bl ack.
But al so i n t he event of 1 3. &ce4 d7
1 4. &xf6+ Axf6 Whi te cannot make use
of tacti cs: 1 5. &xh7 xh7 1 6. 'e4 h5
1 7. 'xc6 c5 1 8. 'e4 'c8, regai ni ng the
pawn wi th an equal game (Adorj an - Bi s
choff, New York 1 986).
1 3. ce4 e8!
I t is i mportant to defend the pawn wi thout
si mpl i fyi ng the positi on, si nce the whi te
kni ghts are ' hangi ng' somewhat. I n the
event of 13 . . . &xe4?! 1 4. &xe4 a7 1 5. b3
d7 1 6. Ab2 the ' hedgehog' s' spi nes are
not so effecti ve: 1 6 . . . d5 1 7. cxd5 xd5
1 8. &c3 xd1 1 9. xd1 'c8 20. te4,
and Whi te created threats to t he ki ng
(Csom- Ki ndermann, Bi el 1 986).
1 4. b3 la7 1 5 . .b2
8
a b c
t
K
d e I g h
W%X
3
-
L&Q&&
5
4
/
3
/
:
/
_
1
a b c
1 5 . . . d7
_
-\
/ //
d e I g h
8
t
-
5
4
3
:
1
I n hi s commentary Carl sen remarks that
he had not expected such an ol d-fash
i oned vari ati on as 1 0. tg5 and he had to
begi n thi nki ng for hi msel f. I ntui ti vel y he
fol l owed the correct course, and si nce
the young ' cl assi c' i s accustomed to pl ac
i ng hi s pi eces on the best squares, thi s
159
Chapter 3
o
Life at the Top
move came natural l y to hi m. I n the game
Woj tki ewi cz - Ftacni k ( Budapest 1 993)
Bl ack carri ed out the themati c ' hedge
hog' advance 15 . . . b5! ? (wi th the i dea after
1 6. cxb5 axb5 of pl ayi ng . . . d6-d5). The
game conti nued 1 6. f3 Was 17 . .ac1
h6 1 8. ed2 (i f 1 8. c3 there can fol
l ow 1 8 . . . e5 wi t h the threat of . . . Ag5)
1 8 . . . .d7 1 9. <g1 Vb7 20. Ye4 bxc4
21 . Yxc4 .c7 22. 'd3 d5 wi th roughl y
equal chances.
1 6. Eac1
Whi te compl etes hi s devel opment, i ndi
rectl y preventi ng . . . d6-d5.
1 6 . . . c7
A new i dea i n the ' hedgehog' structure,
found at the board. Bl ack prepares a
pawn offensi ve wi th . . . f7-f5 and . . . g7-g5,
dri vi ng back the whi te pi eces wi th gai n
of tempo, and beforehand he defends
hi s e6-pawn. The standard pl an i nvol ves
the preparati on of . . . b6-b5 - 1 6 . . . Ya8
1 7. f3 b5.
the queensi de: after b3-b4 and c4-c5 the
d-fi l e i s opened, creati ng condi ti ons for the
exchange sacri fi ce on d4.
20 . . . Jg5!
a b c d e I 9 h
a b c d e I 9 h
The hand of a great master! Bl ack provokes
a weakeni ng of the f3-square, a desi rabl e
one for a kni ght. Compared wi th the posi
ti on after Bl ack' s 1 6th move, the pi cture
has changed radi cal ly. He is in compl ete
possessi on of the i ni ti ati ve.
21 . e3 Eff7
A ski l ful combi nati on of offensi ve wi th
1 7. f3 f5 1 8. c3
prophyl axi s: Bl ack prepares i n good ti me
After t he retreat 1 8. ed2 t he kni ght for Whi te' s counterpl ay wi th b3-b4 and
bl ocks the d-fi l e for the rook, and Bl ack c4-c5, by defendi ng hi s rook on d7.
can swi tch to pl ay i n the centre - 1 8 . . .
e5! ? (here 1 8 . . . g 5 1 9. Ye3 g4 20. e1 i s
l ess effecti ve, si nce the b6-pawn needs
defendi ng) 1 9. e3 e6 wi th the i dea of
. . . as and . . . cd4.
18 . . . g5 1 9. Wd2 g4 20. e1
Everybody back! The acti ve 20. d4?! i s
worse because of 20 . . . Ag5 21 . e3 e5,
when the l ong a8-h1 di agonal passes i nto
Bl ack' s undi vi ded possessi on. There is an
especi al l y yawni ng weakness at f3, whi ch
makes i t hard for White to create pl ay on
22. <g1 e8
Thi s passi ve kni ght is switched to a more
active post.
23. e2 f6 24. f4 We8
' I woul d have l i ked to pl ay . . . e4 immedi
ately, but I rejected i t because of the queen
sac 24 . . . e4 25. xe6? WeB 26. xg5
xd2 27. xf7. I don' t real l y understand
why though, si nce 27 . . . e4 28. h6+ <f8,
with the poi nt of 29. xf5 <f7, wi ns for
Bl ack. ' (Carl sen).
160
V. Kramni k - M. Carl sen
25. Wc3 !g7 26. b4 e4 27. Wb3 !ge7
The queen must be freed for more i m
portant matters than t he defence of the
e6-pawn.
8
t
a b c
IL_r
d e
W
6 @
Q

5
f g h

1
LT
a b c d e f g h
28. Wa4?!
8
t
6
5
4
3
2
1
Thi s attempt to di vert the queen to the
defence of the queensi de weaknesses
does not achi eve its ai m. Kramni k must
have taken the repl y i nto account, but un
deresti mated the dynami c potenti al of the
central i sed kni ghts. At a press conference
after the game Carl sen admitted that he
j udged the posi ti on to be equal or sl i ghtl y
better for White. Hi s i ntui ti on di d not l et
hi m down. As Ni gel Short poi nted out, the
best sol uti on for White was 28. h4! , and
si nce 28 . . . gxh3 29. Cxh3 i s unfavourabl e
for Bl ack, i t has to be admitted that the
kni ghts on e4 and f4 are of equal val ue.
28 . . . e5 29. Wxa6?
The strength of i nerti a is staggeri ng. White
shoul d have stopped in good ti me and
returned hi s queen to b3. Other moves are
unsound. I f 29. c5?! Bl ack has 29 . . . Cc4! ,
whi l e after the exchange 29. Axe5? dxe5
Whi te l oses a pi ece (30. gxd7 exf4 31 . gcd1
ec3! ).
29 . . . !a7
8
H b C
t
6 @
5
4
3
2
d e f g h
W
Q

LT
a b c d e f g h
30. Wb5
8
t
6
5
4
3
2
White is forced to retreat. When he made
hi s queen sorti e on the 28th move Kram
ni k overl ooked that after 30. Wxb6? geb7
31 . Wd4 Af6! hi s queen woul d be trapped
(32 . . . Cf3+ i s threatened). Now, however,
Bl ack transposes i nto a cl earl y better end
game.
30 . . . Wxb5 31 . cxb5 xa2 32. c8+ f7
33. fd3 Jf6
Bl ack al so has a bi g advantage after
33 . . . Cxd3 34. Cxd3 Af6, but Carl sen was
absorbed in constructi ng a ' box' for the
white ki ng.
34. xe5+
I n the event of 34. Axe5 dxe5 35. gc6 tg5
White has no defence agai nst the threat of
. . . Ch3+ and . . . e5-e4.
34 . . . dxe5
' 34 . . . Axe5 was probabl y better, but
i n t i me-troubl e I was rel uctant to al l ow
35. Axe5 dxe5 36. Cd3, whi ch however i s
wel l met by 36 . . . f6 37. gfB+ g7 38. gda
(38. gb8 gd7) 38 . . . Cc3 39. gf1 gd2! and
wi ns. ' (Carl sen)
35. !c2 !ea7 36. g2
36. f1 is stronger, si nce White cannot get
by wi thout thi s move.
36 . . . g5 37. d6?
161
Bel ated acti vi ty. Whi te shoul d have re- Loss of materi al cannot be avoi ded.
stri cted hi msel f to 37. dd2, but al l the
40. ce2
same the ' box' is sl ammi ng shut and the
game cannot be saved.
37 e4! 38. Axf6 Wxf6 39. Wf1
I f 39. xb6, then 39 . . . a1 40. e2 f3 i s
deci si ve.
39 a1
8
a b c
t
J
6
3
2
~
@
a b c
d e f 9 h
d e f
9 h
8
t
6
5
4
3
2
:
Now al l the white pi eces are ti ed by the
threat of doubl i ng rooks on the 1 st rank.
On the other hand, . . . f3 i s threatened.
If 40. cd2 Bl ack wi ns by 40 . . . b1 41 . d1
xb4, when 42. xb6 is not possi bl e on
account of 42 . . . b2 wi th the i rresi sti bl e
threat of . . . h3.
40 B Jb1 41 . :d1 :xb4 42. g2 :xb5
43. f4 :c5 44. :b2 b5 45. Wf1 :c7
46. :bb1
I f 46. g2 Black exchanges a pair of rooks
by 46 . . . c1 47. xc1 xc1 48. xb5 f3
49. e2 e1 50. b2 g5 and puts White
in zugzwang, after whi ch he wi ns wi th the
pawn offensi ve . . . e6-e5 and . . . h7-h5-h4.
46 :b7 47. :b4 :c4 48. :b2 b4
49. :db1 t3 50. cg2 :d7!
Now White cannot avoi d t he exchange of
rooks fol l owed by zugzwang.
51 . h3 e5 52. e2 :d2 53. hxg4 fxg4
54. :xd2 xd2 55. :b2 f3 56. Wf1
b3 57. g2 :c2
White resi gned.
Carl sen arri ved at the mai n super-tournament of the year, Morel i a/Li nares (FI DE cat
egory 21 ) as the vi ctor from Wi j k aan Zee. But he real i sed that to achi eve such a suc
cess here woul d be more diffi cul t: the evenl y strong fi el d di d not permi t any rel axati on
- there were no outsi ders. I n Wij k aan Zee there were, after al l , a few pl ayers agai nst
whom you coul d hope to wi n or at l east have a respi te. But here Magnus di d not rel ax
and throughout the tournament he sat on the ' wheel ' of the l eader Anand.
Curi ous i n thi s respect i s the pen-portrait of one of the grandees of Russi an chess
j ournal i sm, Yuri Vasi l i ev: ' Magnus, thi s l ittl e mongoose, ri si ng sharpl y and swiftl y over
the board, when he needs to grasp the nape of another cobra, i s a new super-hero!
To wi n al one, wi thout a trai ner, the tournament in Wi j k aan Zee, and then to take
second pl ace i n "doubl e-headed" Li nares?! And all thi s at the boyi sh age of 1 7! ' In
Li nares Carl sen' s pl ay was dynami c and uncompromi si ng, and, as i n Wij k aan Zee, he
scored five wi ns. Moreover, hi s contri buti on to the ei ght deci sive games consi derabl y
i nfl uenced the stati sti cs of the tournament, i n whi ch the proporti on of draws sl i ghtl y
exceeded 50%. The one to suffer most at the hands of the ' mongoose' was Topal ov,
who l ost both games to hi m.
162
V. Topal ov - M. Carl sen
Game35
V. Topalov M. Carlsen
Alekhine Defence [ 804]
1. e4 f6
Carl sen was so confi dent in hi s powers,
that he deci ded to surpri se hi s opponent
with the Alekhi ne Defence, an openi ng from
his chi l dhood. Nowadays he empl oys it
only in bl itz games, and he was success
ful wi th i t at the 2007 Worl d Champi on
shi p i n Moscow. Neverthel ess, i n super
tournaments i t is not customary to pl ay
such openi ngs. How great is the degree
of ri sk? I remember a conversati on wi th
Lev Pol ugayevsky, one of the strongest
Sovi et grandmasters. Commenti ng on the
fasci nati on for this openi ng of Vl adi mi r Ba
gi rov, who wrote a book about i t, he was
categori cal : 'An i ncorrect openi ng! I don' t
have the ti me, otherwi se I woul d refute i t' .
Knowi ng Pol ugayevsky' s character and
hi s anal yti cal powers, one can have no
doubts about thi s.
2. e5 d5 3. d4 d6 4. f3
For a l ong ti me White tri ed to refute the
Alekhi ne Defence wi th 4. c4, but nowadays
he does not hurry with thi s move, preferri ng
to compl ete hi s devel opment.
4 . . . dxe5 5. xeS c6
Prepari ng the exchange of the active kni ght,
si nce if 5 . . . td7 Bl ack has to reckon wi th
6. txf7 cxf7 7. Wh5+ ce6, when White
can choose between 8. c4 and 8. g3 with
an attack on the ki ng.
At a tender age Magnus preferred 5 . . .
g6, as, for exampl e, agai nst l an Nepom
ni achtchi i n the Worl d Youth Champi on
shi p (Herakl i on 2002) . The game conti nued
6. Ac4 c6 7. tc3 Ae6 8. 0-0 td7 9. Wf3 Ag7
1 0. le1 0-0 1 1 . Wg3 txe5 1 2. dxe5 txc3
1 3. Wxc3 Axc4 1 4. Wxc4 Wd5 1 5. We2
!adS, and Bl ack mai ntai ned the bal ance.
6 . .d3
At the Worl d Bl i tz Champi onshi p ( Mos
cow 2007) other conti nuati ons were tri ed
agai nst Carl sen:
Shi rov - Carl sen: 6. Ac4 td7 7. tf3
t7f6 8. h3 Af5 9. 0-0 e6 1 0. Ag5 Ae7
1 1 . tbd2 h6 1 2. Axf6 txf6 1 3. c3 0-0
14. Ab3 c5 1 5. Ac2 Axc2 1 6. Wxc2 lc8
1 7. Wb3 We? wi th an equal game;
Gri schuk-Carl sen: 6. Ae2 Af5 7. 0-0
td7 8. tg4 e6 9. c4 t5f6 1 0. te3 Ag6
1 1 . tc3 Ad6 12. b3 Wc7 13. h3 0-0 14. Ab2
!adS with compl i cated pl ay.
6 . . . d7
a b c d e f 9 h
-
-
t
t
6
6
5
_
5
4
:
4
3
3
:
::: :::
:
_
_
a b c d e f 9 h
7. xd7
Fi ve years earl i er, pl ayi ng agai nst the
1 2-year-ol d Carl sen (Rethymnon 2003),
Emi l Sutovsky di d not bother to argue and
he agreed to an endgame wi th 7. 0-0 txe5
8. dxe5 tb4 9. Ae4 Wxd1 1 0. lxd1 f5 1 1 . a3
ta6 1 2. Af3 g6 1 3. td2 Ae6 14. Ae2 tc7
1 5. tf3 Ad5 1 6. td4 Ag7 1 7. c4 Af7 1 8. f4,
in whi ch White had the better chances.

At the Moscow Bl i tz tournament Mi
chael Adams retreated hi s kni ght - 7. !f3,
but al so wi thout success: 7 . . . !7f6 8. h3
!b4! 9. Ac4 AfS 1 0. !a3 (1 0. Ab3 aS! =)
1 0 . . . e6 1 1 . c3 !bdS 1 2. !c2 Ae7 1 3. !e3
Ag6 1 4. !eS 0-0 1 S. 0-0 !xe3 1 6. Axe3
!dS 1 7. Ad2 cS. The game is equal .
7 .xd7 8. 0-0 g6 9. d2
9. le1 Ag7 1 0. c3 0-0 1 1 . AgSiooks pref
erabl e.
9 B . . .g7 1 0. f3 0-0 1 1 . Ie1
A sound move, made on general grounds,
but for gai ni ng an advantage general
grounds al one are i nsuffi ci ent, as Carl sen
emphasi ses wi th hi s subsequent pl ay.
Meanwhi l e, the presence of the bi shop
on g7 demands that attenti on be pai d
to the d4-pawn, whi ch coul d have been
rei nforced by 1 1 . c3 or at l east the pi n
on t he kni ght prevented - 1 1 . h3. I n the
game Kul aots-Hei m (Gausdal 2003) White
solved hi s devel opment probl ems in ori gi
nal fashi on: 1 1 . Wd2! ? aS 1 2. a3 a4 1 3. WgS
lc8 1 4. ld1 bS 1 S. Wh4 e6 1 6. AgS. I t is
probabl e that Bl ack' s pl ay here can be
i mproved, but the main thi ng i s the i nnova
ti ve thi nki ng.
11 . . . .g4 12. c3 c5!
a b c d e f 9 h
W
-
&&
]
&
6
&
6
5 5
4 4
3 3
a b c d e f 9 h
I n contrast to Topal ov, Carl sen' s pl ay i s
speci fi c and purposeful . Wi th thi s bl ow
at the centre he casts doubts on the op
ponent 's openi ng concepti on.
1 3 . .e4?!
After the capture of the pawn 1 3. dxcS there
i s the unpl easant 1 3 . . . !xc3! 14. bxc3 Axc3
1 S. Ah6 Axe1 1 6. Wxe1 Wxd3 1 7. !eS
Wd4! ? 1 8. c6 (the pri miti ve 1 8. Axf8 xf8
1 9. !xg4 Wxg4 1eaves White a pawn down)
1 8 . . . bxc6 1 9. !xc6, and here there i s a
choi ce: 1 9 . . . Wd6 20. !xe7 h8 21 . Axf8
lxf8 22. Wc3+ f6 23. le1 Ae6 24. We3
Af7 when the pawn capt ure 2S. Wxa7
is ri sky because of the pi n 2S . . . le8, or
1 9 . . . Wf6 20. !xe7+ h8 21 . !dS Wd4
22. Axf8 lxf8. In both cases Bl ack has
a good game. But the deci si on to go in
for a posi ti on with an i sol ated d4-pawn is
al so i l l ogi cal : wi th the bl ack pi eces bei ng
very acti ve, thi s pawn comes under attack.
1 3. Ae2 came i nto consi derati on, pro
voki ng 13 . . . Axf3 (1 3 . . . cxd4 14. !xd4 Axe2
1 S. !xe2 1eads to si mpl ificati on favourable
to Whi te) 1 4. Axf3 cxd4 and at the l east
White can try to ' muddy the water' - 1 S. c4
!b6 1 6. Axb7 lb8 1 7. Aa6 Wc7 (1 7 . . . e5
1 8. b4) 1 8. AgS eS 1 9. lc1 .
1 3 . . . cxd4 14. cxd4
More cunni ng was 14. h3 Axf3 1 S. Wxf3 e6
(Bl ack i s better after 1 6. c4?! WaS 1 7. Ag5
!e3 or 1 7. 1d1 fS) 1 6. cxd4 Axd4 1 7. Axd5
WxdS 1 8. WxdS exdS when, compared with
the posi ti on in the game, White has opened
an escape square for hi s ki ng.
14 . . . e6 1 5. Wb3?!
1 S. h3 Axf3 1 6. Wxf3 was better, transpos
i ng i nto the vari ati on consi dered earl i er.
But i t was al so possi bl e to pl ay 1 6. Axf3
164
V. Topal ov M. Carl sen
'b6 (1 6 . . . Wd6! ?) 1 7. Axd5 exd5 1 8. Ae3! ? 20 . . Jfd8
'xb2 19. Wd3 Wb6 20. gab1 Was 21 . Wb5
'xb5 22. gxb5, regai ni ng the pawn.
15 . . . Axf3! 1 6. xf3 xd4 1 7. xd5
White takes pl ay i nto an endgame, si nce
i f he keeps the queens on wi th 1 7. Wxb7
the game cl earl y goes i n Bl ack' s favour:
1 7 . . . Wa5 1 8. gd1 gabS 1 9. Wc6 gfc8
20. Wd6 gda 21. Wg3 Axb2. 17 . . . gba
18. Wa6 Wf6 1 9. gb1 gfc8 i s al so good.
17 . 'xd5 1 8. 'xd5 exd5 1 9. :d1 Jg7
6
5
4
3
a b c d e
2
/ /
l f1
a b c d e f 9 h
8
6
5
4
3
Whi te is a pawn down, and he must re
gret that he di d not go i n for the vari a
ti on gi ven i n the note to hi s 9th move.
Hi s dark- square bi shop i s not devel
oped, and i n vi ew of t he weakness of
hi s back rank he i s unabl e to regai n t he
pawn: 20. gxd5 gfd8 21 . gxd8+ gxd8
22. Ae3 (22. <f 1 gd1 + 23. <e2 gh1 ) 22 . . .
b6 23. gb1 Axb2.
20. <f1
20. Af4 gfd8 21. gac1 gd7 22. b3 d4
23. gd3 gea 24. *f1 h6 25. ge1 gxe1+
26. <xe1 f5 27. f3 <f7 28. h4 <e6 29. <e2
6
5
4
3
a b c d e
2
__
- )
a b c d e
21 . Jg5?!
f 9 h
8
@
@
@ 6
5
4
Si nce Bl ack' s pl ans i ncl ude the . . . d5-d4
advance, White must base hi s pl ay on the
bl ockade of the d-pawn. The move i n the
game not onl y does not solve thi s probl em,
but al so al l ows Bl ack to carry out the ad
vance wi th gai n of tempo. I n thi s respect
straightforward development i s i nsuffi ci ent:
21 . Af4 gd7 22. gd2 gca 23. gad1 d4, and
Bl ack advances hi s d-pawn: 24. <e2 Af6
25. <d3 g5! 26. Ag3 gc3+! 27. <e2 (i n the
event of 27. bxc3 dxc3+ 28. <c2 gxd2+
29. gxd2 cxd2 30. <xd2 <f8 31 . <d3 <e7
32. <e4 <e6 Bl ack has wi nni ng chances
i n the bi shop endi ng) 27 . . ,ge7+ 28. <f1
gc6, swi tchi ng the rook to the queensi de
(vari ati ons by Shi pov).
By al l the rul es of endgame pl ay, it i s
useful to central i se the ki ng - 21 . <e2, aim
ing not onl y for the bl ockade of the pawn,
but al so the exchange of bi shops, si nce
i n a rook endgame Whi te's chances of a
draw are improved. For exampl e: 21 . . ,gac8
22. <d3 gd6 23. Ae3 Axb2 24. gab1 d4
25. Ad2 gb6 26. Aa5 gbs 27. gd2 gxa5
d5 30. gd1 , bl ocki ng the pawn, was more 28. gbxb2, transposi ng i nto a rook endi ng.
resi l i ent, although i t i s hard to bel i eve that Stronger is 21 . . ,gd7! ? 22. <d3 gea 23. gb1
this posi ti on can be saved. gde7 24. Ae3 b6 25. gd2 ge4 26. gc1 d4!
165
Chapter 3
o
Life at the Top
27. Ag5 h6 2S. f3 4e6 29. Af4 g5 30. Ac7
e3+, when Bl ack shoul d wi n.
21 ... l: d7 22. d2 h6 23. Je3 d4
24. d3
The attempt to expl oi t the c-fi l e by 24. c1
proves i neffecti ve: 24 . . . adS 25. Af4 g5
26. Ag3 f5 27. f3 d3! . The subsequent wi n
ni ng pl an i s as fol l ows: . . . f5-f4, . . . Ae5,
. . . c7, and after the exchange of a pai r of
rooks the ki ng comes i nto pl ay.
24 ... c8 25. Ad2?!
25. c1 was more resi l i ent: 25 . . . ddS!
( i n the event of 25 . . . xc1 + 26. Axc1 f5
27. *e2 the ki ng bl ockades the pawn on the
d3-square) 26. cd1 c2 27. 3d2 deS!
(the exchange of rooks 27 . . . xd2 i s j usti
fi ed after 2S. xd2 f5 29. f3 *f7 30. Af2
d3! 31 . *e1 b6, when after . . . d5 Bl ack
transfers hi s ki ng to the queensi de, but
2S. Axd2! wi th the i dea of c1 i s stronger,
and it i s not apparent how to breach White's
defences) 2S. Axd4 Axd4 29. xd4 xb2
30. 4d2 xd2 31 . xd2 b5 32. *e2 c3
The bl ack pi eces occupy i deal posi ti ons,
control l i ng al l the most i mportant l i nes on
the battl efi el d. The techni que for convert
i ng the advantage is hi ghl y i nstructi ve.
27. a4 f5 28. b3 ec7 29. Je1 f7
30. d2 c1 31 . xc1 xc1 32. e2
l: b1 33. l: d3 e6 34. h4 d5 35. Ad2
e4 36. l: g3 f4! 37. l: d3
37. xg6 d3 mate woul d have been a pretty
fi ni sh!
37 ... Je5 38. f3+ d5 39. Ae1 .d6
40. Ad2 g5 41 . hxg5 hxg5 42. Ae1 g4
43. fxg4 e4 44. g5?
And White resi gned, wi thout wai ti ng for
44 . . . xe1 +.
Game36
Morel i a/Li nares 200S
Ruy Lopez [ CSB]
1 . e4 e5 2. f3 c6 3. Ab5 a6 4. Aa4
f6 5. 0-0 Ae7 6. l: e1 b5 7. Ab3 0-0
33. d3 c2+ 34. d2 c4! , after whi ch
8. a3
Bl ack takes hi s ki ng to the centre wi th real
wi nni ng chances.
25 ... l: c2 26. l:b1 l: e7!
6
5
4
a b c d e
a b c d e f g h
5
4
3
a b c d e f g h
Carsl en' s favouri te way of avoi di ng the
Marshal l Attack.
8 ... Ac5
166
M. Carl sen - L. Aroni an
For a l ong t i me the mai n conti nuati on
was the cl assi cal 8 . . . d6 (as Shi rov pl ayed
agai nst Carl sen in Wij k aan Zee 2007) .
But the move i n the game i s al so l ogi cal :
Bl ack fi rst bri ngs out hi s bi shop to an ac
tive posi ti on.
9. c3 d6
I n the event of 9 . . . d5?! 1 0. exd5 txd5
1 1 . d4 exd4 1 2. cxd4 Ab6 13. tc3 Bl ack
has a poor pawn structure on the queen
si de.
10. d4 .b6 1 1 . h3
To mai ntai n the pawn tensi on i n the centre
it is i mportant to prevent the pi n on the
kni ght at f3.
11 . . . le8!?
Aroni an' s refi nement compared wi th the
game Carlsen-Svi dl er (Wij k aan Zee 2007).
Bl ack does not consi der i t necessary to
spend ti me on . . . h7-h6. That game de
vel oped as fol l ows: 1 1 . Ae3 h6 1 2. h3 l: e8
1 3. tbd2 Ab7 1 4. dxe5 dxe5 1 5. Axb6
cxb6 1 6. th2 Ye7 1 7. tg4 l:ad8 wi th
roughl y equal chances.
12 . .g5
With the bi shop cut off from its wi ng by the
d6-pawn, thi s pi n may cause Bl ack prob
l ems. He i s forced to concede the centre.
12 . . . h6 13 . .h4 exd4
13 . . . g5 i s ri sky i n vi ew of 1 4. Axg5 hxg5
1 5. txg5 l:f8 (1 5 . . . d5?! 1 6. Yf3 exd4
1 7. Axd5 te5 1 8. Yg3) 1 6. l:e3 Ye7
1 7. l: g3.
14. cxd4 g5
After qui et devel opment wi th 1 4 . . . Ab7
1 5. tc3 White has a smal l but enduri ng
spati al advantage.
15 . .g3
Now in the event of 1 5. Axg5 hxg5 1 6. txg5
the move 1 6 . . . d5! gai ns i n strength.
1 5 . . . g4
The e4-pawn is taboo: 1 5 . . . l:xe4? 1 6. l:xe4
txe4 1 7. AdS Ye8 1 8. Yc2 txg3 1 9. Yg6+
(1 9. Axc6? Af5) 1 9 . . . Cf8 20. Yxh6+ g8
(20 . . .ie7 21 . tc3) 21. Yxg5+ f8 22. Yxg3
txd4 23. tc3! and, despi te the materi al
equal i ty, Bl ack' s posi ti on l ooks broken.
1 6. hxg4 xg4
a b c d e f g h
-
g
W
}
-

-
s
s
-
@
-

v
! `
a b c d e f g h
1 7 . .h4!
White has l ost the openi ng battl e, and wi th
hi s kni ght undevel oped he i s unabl e to hol d
the d4-pawn. Therefore Carl sen renews the
pi n, not hesi tati ng to sacri fi ce the pawn.
1 7 . . . txd4 1 8. c3 Axf3
I t i s hard to condemn thi s move, made after
a l ong thi nk. Aroni an opens the g-fi l e for an
attack on the ki ng, but carri es out the i dea
i ncorrectly. He shoul d have taken control
of the d5-square - 1 8 . . . c6! , and i f White
neverthel ess i nsi sts on pi nni ng the kni ght
- 1 9. e5?! dxe5 20. te4, then hi s ki ng is as
sai l ed by the powerful group of black pi ec-
167
es concentrated i n the centre: 20 ... xe4!

21 . Axd8 laxd8 22. lxe4 (the queen has
to be returned, si nce nei ther 22. Axf7+
xf7 23. g5+ xg5 24. Wxg4 gf3+! nor
22. Vb1 Axf3 wi l l do) 22 . . . xf3+ 23. gxf3
lxd1+ 24. Axd1 Af5 25. Je2 Ad4, reach
i ng an endgame wi th real wi nni ng chances
for Bl ack. However, Whi te i s not obl i ged
to throw cauti on to the wi nds and he can
swi tch to defence - 19. Aa2 g7 20. Vd3.
1 9. gxf3
a b c d e f 9 h
-
@
W

-
s
s
-
3
-
+
+
:

:
_
W
a b c d e f 9 h
1 9 . . . h8?
20. d5 g8+ 21 . f1
Of course, 21. h1? woul d have been
crazy - the l one ki ng si mpl y cannot hold
out agai nst the bl ack army: 21 . . . g4!
22. Vxd4+ Axd4 23. Axd8 xf2+ 24. h2
laxd8 with the terri bl e threat of . . . lg5.
21 . . . g4 22. Wxd4+!
Here i s the di fference compared wi th
19 . . . h7! ? -the exchange of queens takes
pl ace wi th check, and the assessment of
the posi ti on changes radi cal ly.
22 . . . .xd4 23. Axd8 h2+ 24. e2
axd8
s
-
a b c d e
a b c d e f
-
s
-
+
:
9 h
Here the vari ati on 19 . . . c6 20. e5 dxe5
21 . e4 can no l onger sati sfy Bl ack, whi l e
the attempt to i nvade wi th the queen by
20 . . . Yc8 21. Axf6 Vh3 22. Je3 xb3
25. Jad1 !
23. Je4 does not promi se anythi ng real ,
The kni ght on h2 is doomed, but the bi sh
apart from perpetual check after 23. e . Vg3+
op' s posi ti on must be cl ari fi ed, si nce if
24. h1 Yh3+.
25. Jh1 there fol l ows 25 . . . lg2.
However, the i dea carri ed out i n the
game woul d al so have been practi cabl e,
but wi th appropri ate refi nement: 19 . . . h7!?
20. d5 lg8+ 21. f1 g4! 22. Vxd4
(22. Axd8?? h2 mate) 22 . . . Vxh4
23. xb6 cxb6 24. fxg4 (or 24. e2 e5
25. Jh1 Vf6 26. Jh3) 24 . . . Vh3+ 25. e2
Vxb3 26. f3 Jac8 27. Jac1 Jc2+ 28. lxc2
Wxc2+ 29. e3 and the storm di es down.
25 . . . Axb2
Now White wi ns a pi ece, practi cal l y wi th
out compensati on, but al so after 25 . . . c5
26. lh1 lg2 27. lxd4! cxd4 28. f4 Jg7
29. lxh2 Bl ack is doomed.
26. h1 c6
168
M. Carl sen - V. Topal ov
:
26 . . . Ae5 27. f4 or 26 . . . fg2 27. !e3 was

no better.
27. f4 Ae5 28. d3 xf3 29. xf3
Ag7 30. !h5!
Pl ayi ng to restri ct the opponent' s mobi l ity.
Bl ack has three pawns for a kni ght, but the
white pi eces are so active that he has no
hopes of savi ng the game.
30 . . . d5
I f 30 . . . fd7 there fol l ows 31. !eS, whi l e
after 30 . . . c5 Whi te captures the pawn -
31. Axf7 fgf8 32. ff5 fd7 33. Ae6.
31 . exd5 Jd6 32. Jf5 cxd5
a b c d e f 9 h
-
-
s
-
:
a b c d e f 9 h
33. Jc1 !
Excel l ent techni que for converti ng the ad
vantage - the pawns wi l l not run away, but
it i s al ways useful to acti vate a pi ece.
33 Jf6 34. Jxf6 .xf6 35. Jc6 g7
36. f4 Ag5 37. h5+ h8 38. Jxa6
d4 39. e4 Jg6 40. Ja7
Bl ack resi gned.
1 . c4
Game37
M. Carlsen V. Topalov
A rare move for Carl sen, wi th the psycho
l ogi cal i dea of forci ng the opponent to pl ay
wi thout home preparati on. But Topal ov i s
a tough customer!
1 . . . e5 2. c3 f6 3. f3 c6 4. d3!?
Provoki ng the opponent i nto a Si ci l i an De
fence wi th col ours reversed. More usual l y
White fi anchettoes hi s bi shop - 4. g3, keep
i ng the advance of the d-pawn i n reserve.
4 d5
Topal ov accepts the chal l enge.
5. cxd5 xd5 6. e4 b6
The al ternati ve i s 6 . . . !f6 7. Ae2. The game
Morozevi ch -Gri schuk (Worl d Champi on
shi p, Mexi co 2007) conti nued 7 . . . Ag4
8. 0-0 Axf3 9. Axf3 !d4 10. g3 Ac5
1 1 . Ag2 0-0 12. !a4 Ab6 1 3. Ae3 Wd6
1 4. f4 !d7 1 5. ch1 fad8 16. fc1 wi th com
pl i cated pl ay.
7. Ae2 Ae7
69
a b c d e f 9 h
-

W

@
- @@
s
-
s
-
:
-
:
:: :::
:
W
a b c d e f 9 h
A positi on, typi cal of the Bol esl avsky Vari
ati on wi th col ours reversed, has ari sen. I t
shoul d be remembered that i n Si ci l i an-type
posi ti ons the val ue of a tempo i s quite hi gh.
8. 0-0 0-0 9. a4
I n ful l accordance wi th the i deas of the
afore-menti oned vari ati on - to dri ve the
kni ght from b6.
9 Ae6!?
9 . . . a5 suggests i tsel f, but Topal ov ap
parentl y di d not want to concede the bS
poi nt to the kni ght, whi ch woul d assi st the
d3-d4 advance. For exampl e, the game
Agdestei n - l vanchuk (Ti l burg 1 993) con
ti nued 1 0. Ae3 fS 1 1 . c1 f4 1 2. Ad2 Ab4
1 3. ebS Axd2 14. exd2 <h8 1S. h3 Ae6
1 6. tf3 Ag8, and here 1 7. d4! i s good.
1 0. Ae3
The threat is stronger than its executi on!
For the moment a4-aS i s kept i n reserve,
especi al l y si nce the di rect 1 0. aS ed7
1 1 . d4 exd4 1 2. exd4 exd4 1 3. Wxd4
ecS, emphasi si ng the weakness of the
b3-square, l eads to a posi ti on favourabl e
for Bl ack.
The kni ght i s wi thdrawn not onl y for the
sake of prophyl axi s agai nst a4-aS, but
al so wi th the ai m of transferri ng i t to b3.
1 1 . d4
Thi s i s the si gni fi cance of an extra tempo
i n a Si ci l i an structure. At one ti me, when
the Si ci l i an was j ust begi nni ng to become
establ i shed, the battl e for equal ity was as
soci ated wi th the preparati on of the freei ng
advance . . . d6-dS. There was no real poi nt
in i nsi sti ng on 1 1 . aS in vi ew of 1 1 . . . ecS.
For exampl e, Mi hai l Mari n consi ders the
fol l owi ng variati on: 1 2. b4!? exb4 (1 2 . . . eb3
1 3. b1 tbd4 1 4. bS txf3+ 1 S. Axf3 td4
1 6. Ag4 b6 1 7. Axe6 fxe6 i s also possi bl e)
1 3. exeS f6 1 4. b1 fxeS 1 S. xb4 b6, i n
both cases wi th a sound posi ti on for Bl ack.
11 exd4 12. txd4 txd4 1 3. 'xd4 c6
a b c
-
g
-
s
-
s
-
_
\/
-
/ / / /
_
~
a b c d e f g h
Bl ack has safel y got through the openi ng.
White's sl i ght superi ori ty i n the centre i s
of a temporary nature, whereas Bl ack' s
pawn maj ori ty on the queensi de i s a real
posi ti onal factor. I f he shoul d succeed in
pl ayi ng . . . Wa5 and . . . d8, Bl ack wi l l be
abl e to sei ze the i ni ti ati ve.
14. a5 tc5
Thi s offer to go i nto an endgame i s based
on posi ti onal factors: apart from hi s pawn
maj ority on the queensi de, Bl ack can i n
vade at the weak b3-poi nt.
1 5. 'e5
Magnus i s happy to pl ay an endgame, but
in the gi ven speci fi c si tuati on he prefers to
retai n hi s queen for an attack on the ki ng.
1 5 tb3 1 6. Ja4
A not al together sui tabl e post for the rook,
but otherwi se the aS-pawn cannot be de-
170
fended. After the i nterposi ti on 1 6. gfd1

Bl ack forces the exchange of queens by
1 6 . . . 'lb8, transposi ng i nto a favourabl e
endgame.
16 . . . .d6 1 7. YhS
a b c d e f g h
-
W A
8

6
@@
6
17 B g6
a b c d e f g h
A cool -headed defence. The threat of e4-
eS with the swi tchi ng of the rook to h4 i s i n
the ai r, but Bl ack has ti me to transfer hi s
bi shop to g7, cementi ng together hi s cas
tl ed positi on. The other way of defendi ng
i nvolves 17 . . . 'lc7. However, i t i s not easy
to work out the consequences of the at
tack after 1 8. eS! ? AxeS 1 9. f4 (the frontal
attack 1 9. gh4 h6 20. Axh6 gxh6 21 . 'lxh6
i s parried by 21 . . . gfe8 22. ghs Ag7 23. ggs
WeS! ). For exampl e: 1 9 . . . Af6 20. te4 We?
21 . fS AdS 22. txf6+ 'lxf6 23. gh4 h6
24. gg4 etc. 1 9 . . . Axc3 20. bxc3 gfe8 21 . fS!
WeS 22. fxe6 Yxe3+ 23. h1 fS 24. gh4
h6 2S. Ac4 i s al so uncl ear.
18. 'lh6 .es
White's threats are vi vi dl y i l l ustrated by the
vari ati on 18 . . . txaS? 1 9. eS! Ae7 20. te4.
Now 20 . . . tb3 i s met by a combi nati on
on the theme of di vert i ng the queen -
21 . Ab6! axb6 22. gxa8 Yxa8 23. tf6+
Axf6 24. exf6 and mate next move, and
Bl ack al so fai l s to save the game wi th 20 . . .
f6 21 . exf6 Axf6 22. txf6+ gxf6 23. AgS.
19 .gS?!
This i nconsi stency i s not typical of Carlsen.
True, after 1 9. h4 Ag7 20. Wf4 the offensive
woul d have come to a standsti l l , si nce he
woul d have had to reconci l e hi msel f to the
exchange of queens: 20 . . . 'lb8 21 . Yxb8
gfxb8 22. gd1 gda wi th good pl ay for
Bl ack. But, apparentl y, there was no l onger
anythi ng better - the aS-pawn i s too weak.
For exampl e, if 1 9. gd1 there can fol l ow
1 9 . . . 'lc7 20. f4 Ag7 21 . 'lgS h6 22. 'lg3
txaS, wi nni ng the pawn.
1 9 Wc7 20 .e3
The abi l i ty to admi t your mi stakes is an
i mportant qual ity for a professi onal . Carl s
en returns hi s bi shop to the same square
and, al though he l oses a pawn, as if noth
i ng has happened he conti nues l ooki ng
for chances on the ki ngsi de. Meanwhi l e,
20. Wh4! ? txaS 21 . f4 Ag7 22. fS al so
came i nto consi derati on.
20 xaS 21 . f4 .g7 22. Wh4 .b3
22 . . . bS! was more vi gorous, si nce now
23. gd4 woul d not have been such a pro
ducti ve i dea: 23 . . . tc4 24. Axc4 Axc4
2S. gfd1 Axd4 26. Axd4 fS.
a b c d e t g h
@ 8
@
6
6
a b c d e f g h
171
23. Jd4!
An excel l ent move i n the psychol ogi cal
sense. One can understand Topal ov's feel
i ngs. I t i s not easy for an attack-mi nded
pl ayer to deci de on the wi n of the exchange
by 23 . . . Axd4 24. Axd4, openi ng the flood
gates in the di recti on of hi s ki ng.
23 . . . Jad8?!
A human i s afrai d of thi ngs that a com
puter works through wi thout hesi tati on:
23 . . . Axd4 24. Axd4 fS 2S. exfS d8!
26. Yf2 fxfS 27. Ag4 ff7 and Rybka does
h6 32. fg3 h7 33. hS wi th the threat
of 34. Axh6 Axh6 3S. fg6), and now after
29. AxeS fS 30. f2 ff7 31 . Axa7 White
regai ns the pawn, si nce 31 . . . Axb2?! i s dan
gerous because of 32. Ab6 d2 33. fd1
b4 34. fd8+ g7 3S. Acs a4 36. faB.
28 . . . fxe5
The capture 28 . . . gxfS 29. fxfS woul d si g
ni fy a l ack of ambi ti on.
29. AgS b6 30. f6 C4+ 31 . h1
An automat i c move i n t i me-t roubl e.
31 . Jf2! ? Axf6 32. Axf6 'xbS 33. AhS! was
not see any di rect conti nuati on of the at- stronger, when the bi shops gai n scope:
tack. I t parries the obvi ous 28. te4 wi th 33 . . . 'e8 34. Af3 'e6 3S. Ae4.
28 . . . fxf4! 29. tf6+ xf6! .
24. e5!
Here i t is, the tri umph of spi ri t over matter!
Whi te's attack acqui res a fresh i mpetus.
The way i s opened for the kni ght to f6.
24 . . . xd4 25. Axd4 cS
There was al so a strategi c sol uti on to the
posi ti on: 2S . . . fd8 26. f2 b6 27. te4
cS wi th the switchi ng of the kni ght to d4:
28. Ac3 tc6.
26. Ae3 f6
The desi re to acti vate the g7-bi shop i s un
derstandabl e, but 26 . . . b6! ? 27. te4 Ac4
28. Yf2 fd8 was also not bad, with the
i dea of pl ayi ng the kni ght to d4.
27. bS 'd8 28. fS! ?
The pawn makes a breakthrough, al though
no l i ght i s apparent at the end of the tunnel .
Si nce if 28. AxeS Bl ack had prepared 28 . . .
fxeS! , White coul d have prepared i t by fi rst
pl ayi ng 28. e6! ? Axe6 (if 28 . . . e7 White
attacks by 29. fS gxfS 30. Jf3 Axe6 31 . fh3
31 . . . 'xb5 32. fxg7 Jxf1 + 33. Jxf1
a b c d e f g h
8
8
/
6
3
s
-
-
3 3
2
_ _
2
3 =
a b c d e f g h
33 . . . xg7?!
I n ti me-troubl e Topal ov deci des agai nst
l eavi ng hi s ki ng in front of the ' mi ne' on
g7. Even so, the pawn coul d have wai ted.
Bl ack shoul d have consol i dated hi s forces,
si nce the aS-kni ght i s cl earl y out of pl ay.
True, he has to return one of the pawns
and the posi ti on i s not compl etel y cl ear.
Here are some vari ati ons:
a) 33 . . . dS 34. Ah6 tc6 3S. Ae2 f7
36. g4 fS (36 . . . td8 37. 'c8 'e7
172
M. Carl sen V. Topal ov
38. Af3) 37. Axc4+ Axc4 38. 'Wxc4+

'f7 39. 'd3! (39. 'Wc1 td8) 39 . . . e4
40. 'd1 and then h2-h3;
b) 33 . . . 'd7 34. Ah6 tc6 35. Ae2! ?
(35. Axc4+ Axc4 36. 'xc4+ Wf7 37. Wc1
td8) 35 . . . 'f5 36. h3 e4 37. Ag4 'f1 +
38. h2 'f7 39. Ad?! 'xd7 40. 'f6,
34. AdS! c6??
A bl under i n ti me-troubl e. Now Black gets
mated. He coul d have hel d the posi ti on
by 34 . . . 'd5 35. 'e?+ g8 or 34 . . . g8
35. 'e? Wd5, when Whi te has nothi ng
more than perpetual check.
and the threat of mate on f8 ti es Bl ack
down (4o . . . 'c?+ 41 . h1 'f? 42. 'd6
35. Wf6+ mga 36. We6+ mta 37 . .g5
We? 43. 'f4 'f7) . Bl ack resi gned.
After hi s successes in Wi jk aan Zee and Morel i a/Li nares, the appearance of Carl sen' s
name among the pri ze-wi nners of the strongest tournaments was no l onger regarded
as a sensati on. He al so enhanced hi s reputati on at the el ite ' Mel ody Amber' Tourna
ment, whi ch had changed i ts constant venue from Monte Carl o to Ni ce. Magnus shared
2nd-5th pl aces, performi ng equal l y sol i dl y in both di sci pl i nes (bl i ndfol d and rapi d).
At the fi rst tournament of the Grand Pri x seri es i n Baku (FI DE category 1 9) Carl sen
started as the rati ng favouri te. Therefore i t was somewhat unusual to see hi m keepi ng
i n the background and pl ayi ng second fi ddl e. But Magnus came to the fore i n the l ast
two rounds - he won agai nst Adams and Bacrot and shared 1 st-3rd pl aces. True, few
real i sed that the turni ng poi nt in hi s pl ay had occurred back in the 7th round, when in hi s
game wi th Radj abov Carl sen took the ri sk wi th Bl ack of goi ng i nto the Dragon Vari ati on
of the Si ci l i an Defence. Thi s was not a one-off acti on, but a change of concepti on. The
hitherto typi cal l y Whi te-bi ased pl ayer began al so pl ayi ng for a wi n wi th Bl ack. Magnus,
as usual , was modest: ' I si mpl y l ooked at the mai n l i nes i n the Dragon Vari ati on and I
coul dn' t understand where Bl ack had probl ems. The posi ti ons appeal ed to me, and I
deci ded to i ncl ude thi s openi ng in my repertoi re. '
The success of the Aeroflot Open festi val i n Moscow drew the attenti on of Ukrai ni an
patrons. Starti ng i n 2006 they began organi si ng presti gi ous al l -pl ay-al l tournaments
i n Foros in the Crimea. The resort area, whi ch in not so di stant ti mes used to greet
the l eaders of the USSR, and then by i nheri tance those of the Ukrai ne, was sel ected
by the Aerosvit Company, presenti ng an opportuni ty for Ukrai ni an professi onal chess
pl ayers to earn some money. In 2008 the organi sers were also able to i nterest Carl sen,
by assembl i ng a FI DE category 19 fi el d. The outcome of the tournament was effectively
deci ded i n the very fi rst round, when Magnus confi dentl y outpl ayed l vanchuk and took
the l ead, not al l owi ng his rivals the sl i ghtest chance. Cl ear fi rst pl ace wi th a score of +5
i n 1 1 rounds cannot be cal l ed anythi ng but a tri umph. On the current rati ng l i st Magnus
moved up to second pl ace and cl osed ri ght up on Anand.
Chapter 3
o
Life at the Top
Game38-
T. Radjabov - M. Carlsen
Grand Pri x, Baku 2008
1 . e4 c5 2. f3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. xd4
f6 5. c3 g6 6 .e3 .g7
So, the Dragon Vari ati on, a never-endi ng
di spute i n whi ch pl ayers of al l ti mes and na
ti ons have engaged! However many ti mes
i t has been buri ed, i t has al ways cl i mbed
back onto its feet. Not so long ago (after the
mi l l enni um), one of the authors of thi s book,
i n col l aborati on wi th the unforgettabl e Ed
uard Gufel d, whose tremendous l ove for
the g7-bi shop was l egendary, had to rai se
the enti re Dragon i n the process of wri ti ng
a book about thi s openi ng. Thi s was by no
means a l abour of Si syphus, and rumours
about the tami ng of the Dragon proved
exaggerated. And the fact that the bri ght
est representatives of the chess young are
prepared to demonstrate thi s (Radjabov
al so happi l y pl ays thi s variati on wi th Bl ack)
is the best confi rmati on.
7. f3 c6 8. 'd2 0-0 9. Jc4
The mai n conti nuati on i n the Rauzer At
tack, where the most recent research has
been made. White devel ops hi s bi shop i n
an acti ve posi ti on, preventi ng . . . d6-dS,
whi ch i s possi bl e after 9. 0-0-0.
9 . . . .d7
A flexi bl e move, l eavi ng Bl ack a wi de range
of opti ons. I n parti cul ar, he can carry out
one of the mai n counterpl ay resources -
the . . . tc6-eS-c4 manoeuvre - wi thout
fi rst devel opi ng hi s queen, thereby savi ng
a tempo.
10 .b3
Thi s prophyl acti c bi shop retreat i s part of
the ' compul sory program' of thi s vari a
ti on. After 1 0. 0-0-0 wi th 1 0 . . . fb8! ? Bl ack
can transpose i nto the so-cal l ed ' Chi nese
Dragon' , whi ch Radjabov empl oyed in hi s
game wi th Carl sen from the Grand Sl am
tournament i n Bi l bao 2008. 1 0 . . . fc8 or
10 . . . teS l eads to the mai n l i ne of the vari
ati on.
10 Ec8
a b c d e t g h

-
& &
-
5 5
1 1 . h4
An i mportant branch. White does not hurry
to castl e, but fi rst tests Bl ack's reacti on. I n
recent ti mes the more restrai ned devel op
ment 1 1 . 0-0-0 teS 1 2. b1 has been i n
fashi on, where White i s not i n a rush to
di scl ose hi s attacki ng pl ans on the ki ng
si de, retai ni ng the opti on of pl ayi ng both
h2-h4 and g2-g4. For exampl e: 1 2 . . . tc4
1 3. Axc4 fxc4 14. g4 b5 1 5. b3! . 1 t i s i mpor
tant to di srupt the coordi nati on of the rooks
- now 1 5 . . . fcS? 1 6. te6! l eads to the l oss
of the exchange, and 1 5 . . . fc8 1 6.tdxb5
'aS 1 7. a4 i s al so i n White's favour. But i t
turns out that the rook does not have to
move. The game Socko-Stocek (Bundes
l i ga 2006) conti nued 15 . . . b4! 1 6. bxc4 bxc3
1 7. Vxc3 'c7 1 8. gS thS 1 9. c1 fc8
20. 'd3 AeS wi th suffi ci ent counterpl ay
for the sacri fi ced exchange.
1 74
T. Radjabov - M. Carl sen
Apart from the standard pl an, al so i n
teresti ng i s 1 2 . . . .e8! ? (wi th the i dea at an
appropri ate moment of pl ayi ng . . . e7-e5),
which Carlsen tri ed two rounds l ater in hi s
game wi th Karjaki n: 13. h4 h5 14. Ah6 &c4
1 5. Axc4 .xc4 1 6. Axg7 xg7 1 7. &d5
e5! ? 1 8. txf6 Wxf6 1 9. te2 fc6 20. tc3
Ae6 21 . &d5 Axd5 22. Wxd5 Wf4! 23. d2
Wxd2 24 . .xd2 f5, and Bl ack mai ntai ned
the bal ance.
11 . . . h5!
For Dragon devotees thi s is the standard
reacti on to h2-h4, si nce if 1 1 . . . &e5 Bl ack
has to reckon wi th the pawn sacrifice 12. h5
txh5 1 3. g4 tf6 1 4. Ah6 Axh6 1 5. xh6
with a dangerous i ni ti ati ve for Whi te.
12. 0-0-0 te5 1 3. Ag5
The most usual cont i nuati on. Whi te at
tacks the kni ght whi ch i s preventi ng g2-g4,
and he restri cts Bl ack's possi bi l iti es. The
di rect attack 1 3. Ah6 &c4 1 4. Axc4 .xc4
15. Axg7 xg7 1 6. g4 hxg4 1 7. h5 does
not achi eve i ts ai m. For exampl e, the game
Sax-Ki r. Georgi ev (Burgas 1 992) conti nued
1 7 . . . fh8 1 8. hxg6 fxg6 1 9. f4 e5 20. fxe5 (or
20. &de2 .xh1 21 . .xh1 &xe4 22. &xe4
and now 1 5. h5 or 1 5. f4 1 eads to very sharp
pl ay.
14 . . . :e8!
A prophyl acti c move, after whi ch the sac
rifi ci al attack, possi bl e after 14 . . . b5 1 5. g4
hxg4 1 6. h5 txh5 1 7. &d5 when Bl ack i s
forced to pl ay 1 7 . . . .e8, i s now consi d
ered i nsuffi ci ent, si nce i n the vari ati on wi th
14 . . . .e8 the rook i s al ready i n the ri ght
pl ace and Bl ack saves an i mportant tempo.
However, even i n the fi rst case he has ad
equate defensive resources: 1 8. fxh5 gxh5
1 9. Wh2 fxd5 20. Axd5 b6 21 . tf5! Axf5
22. exf5 gxf3 23. Wxh5 and now i nstead of
23 . . . fc8, whi ch has occurred in practi ce,
consi derati on shoul d be gi ven to 23 . . . Wf2! ?
24. fh1 Wg3 wi th sharp pl ay.
a b c d e f g h
8
WA
8

3
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-
&
-
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_
/
-
3
_
3
/ / /\
l
_
.xe4 23. fxe5 .xe2! 24. Wxe2 Wg5+ wi th a b c d e f g h

roughl y equal chances - Stohl ) 20 . . . dxe5
21 . &de2 fh3! wi th doubl e-edged pl ay.
1 5. g4?!
13 . . . :c5
Thi s move has the ai m of prepari ng the
pawn attack . . . b7-b5. I n additi on, the rook
takes control of a number of i mportant
poi nts al ong the 5th rank. I f 13 . . . &c4, then
14. We2 &a5 1 5. b1 i s good, fol l owed by
an attack on the ki ngsi de.
14. b1
A useful prophyl acti c move. 14. g4 hxg4
After the game Radj abov admi tted that
he had mi xed up two l i nes. Now Whi te
i s forced to throw cauti on to the wi nds.
15 . .he1 i s regarded as the mai n conti nua
ti on. But what White had prepared i n repl y
to 15 . . . Wa5 remai ned a mystery, si nce ex
tensi ve practi ce has not demonstrated any
thi ng si gni fi cant. For exampl e, the game
Bel i avsky- Ki r. Georgi ev (Wi j k aan Zee
1 985) went 1 6. f4 &c4 (after 16 . . . &eg4?
1 7. e5! dxe5 1 8. Axf7+ xf7 1 9. &b3 Black
loses material) 1 7. Axc4 xc4 1 8. Axf6 (the
1 8. eS breakthrough does not achi eve its
ai m: 1 8 . . . tdS! 1 9. txdS 'xdS or 1 8. tb3
'a6 1 9. eS tg4 20. exd6 Axc3 21 . bxc3
e6! ) 18 . . . Axf6 1 9. tdS 'xd2 20. txf6+
exf6 21 . xd2 fS! with an equal endgame.
1 S. Ah6! ? tc4 1 6. Axc4 xc4 1 7. Axg7
xg7 1 8. tdS l eads to a posi ti on whi ch
occurred i n the afore-menti oned Karjak
i n -Carl sen game.
15 . . . hxg4 1 6. h5
The al ternati ve i s to create a breakthrough
i n the centre: 1 6. f4 tc4 1 7. Axc4 xc4
1 8. Axf6 Axf6 1 9. eS Ag7 (weaker i s 19 . . .
dxeS?! 20. fxeS AxeS 21 . tde2 and then
h4-hS) 20. hS dxeS 21 . fxeS Ac6 wi th un
cl ear pl ay.
1 6 . . . txh5 1 7. xh5
I f 1 7. f4 Bl ack has several possi bl e con
ti nuati ons: 17 . . . tc4 1 8. 'd3 bS, 17 . . . tc6
1 8. eS 'c8 or 17 . . . tf3 1 8. txf3 Axc3
1 9. bxc3 gxf3.
After 1 7. tdS Mi khai l Gol ubev consi ders
the best to be 1 7 . . . xdS! 1 8. AxdS 'b6
wi th dynami c pl ay.
1 7 . . . gxh5 1 8. Wh2
a b c d e f g h
8
W
.. . . .
7
6
s
Z
4
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:

a b c d
e f
W
g h
8
7
6
s
4
3
2
:
note to 1 4 . . . e8, the white kni ght is at c3,
and Bl ack has a wide choi ce of defensi ve
measures.
1 8 . . . tg6!?
Now i f 1 9. tdS there i s 1 9 . . . h4. In Radja
bov's opi ni on 1 8 . . . Wb6! ? 1 9. WxhS e6 is
al so good.
1 9. Wxh5 Was
Black i s obl i ged to reckon with the threat
ened capture on g6 (for the moment thi s is
unfavourabl e - 20. 'xg6? e6), and Carl sen
deci des to return the exchange, but wi th a
more active posi ti on for hi s queen. Before
thi s 1 9 . . . xgS 20. WxgS e6 21 . Wxg4 Wf6
had been pl ayed.
The i mmediate 1 9 . . . e6! ? i s also i nterest
i ng: 20. tfS! 'aS! 21 . h1 (21 . xd6 Ac6)
21 . . . xfS 22. exfS WxfS 23. fxg4 'eS with
a sound posi ti on for Bl ack (Stohl).
20. f4!
If 20. tdS there can fol l ow 20 . . . e6 21 . h1
exdS 22. Wh7+ f8 23. Ah6 Axh6
24. 'xh6+ e7 2S. 'gS+ f6 26. 'xg6
dxe4, and White does not have suffi ci ent
compensati on for the exchange.
20 . . . xg5
After 20 . . . xc3 21 . bxc3 'xc3 there i s the
counter-sacri fi ce 22. Axf7+ xf7 23. fS.
21 . fxg5 e6
8
6
a b
s
W
4
3
c d e f g h
8
7
6
4
3
2
I n contrast to the posi ti on exami ned in the
a b c d e t g h
176
T. Radjabov - M. Carl sen
22. tf5?
Youth strives onl y to go forward, but thi s
l eads merel y to a reducti on i n White's at
tacki ng potenti al . He shoul d have restricted
hi msel f to 22. 'xg4, al though, objecti vely
speaki ng, the spearhead of hi s attack has
been consi derabl y bl unted.
22 . . . exf5 23. xg6 Ae6 24. h5
a b c d
8
6
5
4
3
-

e f 9 h
8
3
7
6
5
4
3
2
The rook endgame ari si ng after the ex-
a b c d e t 9 h
changes 24. Axe6 xe6 25. xf5 Axc3!
26. bxc3 xf5 27. exf5 e4 i s i n Bl ack' s
31 . . . e2?
favour (2B. xd6? i s not possi bl e because
of 2B . . . g3).
24 . . . fxe4 25. f1
After 25. ed5 Carl sen gi ves thi s vari a
ti on: 25 . . . e3! 26. g6 fB 27. gxf7 Axf7
(or 27 . . . e7 2B. g5 Axd5 29. f1 ! dB
30. xd5 e2 31 . e1 ) 2B. f1 'e1 +!
29. xe1 Axh5 30. f1 + Af7 31 . <xe3 xe3
32. xf7+ eB wi th an obvi ous advantage
to Bl ack, who has an extra pawn whi ch is
also passed.
25 . . . We5!
With thi s i mpul si ve move Carl sen coul d
have rui ned the resul ts of hi s work. He
shoul d fi rst have secured t he posi ti on of
hi s ki ng: 31 . . . e7 32. f3 e2! 33. xb7+
(33. xe2 xe2 34. exe2 g2 35. c3 Ah6)
33 . . . f6 34. exe2 xe2 35. f7+ g5
36. xg7 a6+ 37. b1 g2 and the pawn
cannot be stopped. How, however, by
pl ayi ng 32. d7! , White woul d have suc
cessful l y ' terrori sed' the ki ng: 32 . . . gB
(32 . . . e7 33. cB+ WeB 34. f5+ etc.)
33. WeB+ AfB 34. xb7 Ae7 35. 'h1
fB 36. h7 eB 37. exe2 xe2
Bl ack pi ns hi s hopes on the passed g- 3B. g7.
pawn - 25 . . . Axb3 26. axb3 e7 27. xg4
32. f3+?
promi ses l ess.
26. xf7 Axb3
White mi sses hi s chance, and the ki ng es
capes from the checks.
26 . . . fB! ?, si mpl i fyi ng the posi ti on, i s even
..
32 . . . -e8 33. f7+
stronger.
White loses after 33. xe2 xe2 34. <xe2
27. axb3 g3 28. a2
g2 fol l owed by the manoeuvre of the bi shop
Wi th a rather transparent trap: 2B . . . g2? to d4 or e3.
29. f2! g1 30. f7+ h7 31 . h5+ wi th
33 . . . d8 34. Wg8+ d7 35. Wf7+ We7
a draw.
36. Wf5+ d8 37. Wa5+ b6 38. Wd5
28 . . . Ef8 29. xf8+ xf8 30. Wg4 e3
31 . g6
e1W 39. Wa8+ d7 40. Wb7+ e8
White resi gned.
177
Game39
M. Carlsen - V. lvanchuk
Foros 2008
King's Indian Defence [E97}
Thi s game, whi ch was annotated by earl s
en, enabl es us to understand to a certai n
extent the l ogi c of the deci si ons he takes,
based not so much on cal cul ati ng abi l
i ty (whi ch some experts consi der to be
the mai n reason for hi s achi evements), as
on hi s depth of understandi ng of chess.
Thi s, i n our vi ew, i s Carlsen's mai n strength,
pl aci ng hi m on a par wi th the great chess
pl ayers i n the worl d.
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 Jg7 4. e4 d6
5. f3 0-0 6 . .e2 e5 7. 0-0 c6 8. d5
e7 9. b4
a b c d e f 9 h
8
3W
w
8

3
&
6
5
&
5
4

4
3
: :
3
2
_

2
1
_

a b c d e f 9 h
In the Cl assi cal Vari ati on thi s move is the
most popul ar. Thi s i s not surpri si ng. The
characteri sti cs of the pawn structure i mpl y
the c4-c5 attack by White and . . . f7-f5 by
Bl ack. The move 9. b4 enabl es White to
get goi ng wi thout beati ng about the bush.
9 . . . h5 1 0. !e1
The modern conti nuati on. At one ti me they
preferred to ' take the bul l by the horns' with
1 0. c5, but i t was real i sed that there were
sound arguments for 1 0 . . . tf4. Therefore,
before l aunchi ng the attack wi th c4-c5,
White neutral i ses thi s possi bi l ity: the rook
vacates the f1 -square for the bi shop. Mark
Tai manov, the founder of the Cl assical Vari
ati on, used to parry the threat of . . . th5-f4
wi th the radi cal 1 0. g3, but ever si nce the
effecti veness of the counterpl ay wi th . . .
f5-f4 was demonstrated, Whi te has pre
ferred to defer thi s move unti l better ti mes.
10 . . . f5 1 1 . g5
The kni ght is ai mi ng for e6, wi th White di s
pl ayi ng hi s readi ness to sacri fi ce a pawn
for the sake of i ncreasi ng the acti vi ty of
hi s pi eces.
11 . . . f6
a b c d e f 9 h
8 g
3W w
8

3
&
6
5

Q
5
4

4
3
:
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2
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2
1

a b c d e f 9 h
12. f3
'Thi s has become the mai n l i ne after a l ot
of van Wel y- Radj abov games' (Carl sen).
In thi s sentence Magnus expressed the
sum total of knowl edge, accumul ated i n
ChessBase - for hi m the opi ni on of mod
ern experts i s i mportant. But thi s i s al so
the fruit of the decades of l abour by such
mi ghty Ki ng's I ndi an pl ayers as Yefi m Gel
l er, Eduard Gufel d, Garry Kasparov and
Bori s Gel fand - the l i st coul d be extended.
178
M. Carl sen V. l vanchuk
When conducti ng pl ans wi th an attack
on pawn chai ns, your own chai n shoul d
be rei nforced. I f 1 2. Af3 Bl ack can repl y
by undermi ni ng the spearhead of the pawn
chai n - 1 2 . . . c6! ?.
12 . & . h8
A useful prophyl acti c ki ng move, i ntro
duced i nto modern practi ce by Radjabov.
Bl ack prepares for the possi bl e openi ng of
the a2-g8 di agonal in the event of 1 3. e6
Axe6 1 4. dxe6, assumi ng that i t i s danger
ous for hi s ki ng to remai n on i t.
13. b5?!
' For some reason I deci ded agai nst pl ayi ng
the mai n l i ne - wi th 1 3. e6 - and came
up wi th thi s move i nstead, whi ch cl amps
down on the bl ack queensi de. It l ooked
i nteresti ng to me duri ng the game, but now
I don't l i ke i t any more: i t' s probabl y j ust
too sl ow' (Carl sen). A typi cal admi ssi on.
Magnus i s not i ncl i ned to thi nk dogmati
cal l y, al though he undoubtedl y knew the
prospects for White i n the event of 13. e6
Axe6 1 4. dxe6.
Analysis diagram
The di spute i n thi s posi ti on between van
Wely and Radjabov began in 2005 at the
Worl d Cup i n Khanty- Mansi ysk, when
Tei mour tri ed t o pi ck up t he pawn wi th hi s
e7-kni ght , whi ch i s passi vel y pl aced, by
transferring it to c6 - 1 4 . . . fxe4 1 5. fxe4 c6.
I t onl y remai ned to pl ay . . . Cd4, but Leek
prevented thi s wi th 1 6. Cd5! (1 6 . . . d4?
1 7. e7) and after t he forci ng cont i nua
ti on 16 . . . xe4 1 7. Af3 f6 18. b5 Cxd5
1 9. bxc6! Whi te retai ned the i ni ti ative. There
fol l owed 1 9 . . . b6? 20. cxb7 b8 21 . c5! e4
22. xe4! dxc5 23. Wxd8 fxd8 24. Ag5
e8 25. d1 Ad4+ 26. exd4! cxd4 27. e7
and the e-pawn deci ded the game. But
al so after the better 19 . . . c3! 20. cxb7 b8
21 . Wc2 We8 22. Ad2 a4 (wi th the i dea
of . . . c5) 23. Ae3 Whi te, wi th hi s pai r of
passed pawns, has an obvi ous advantage.
The duel conti nued i n Wi j k aan Zee
2007, when Radj abov went for the e6-
pawn wi th hi s other kni ght : 14 . . . Ch5
1 5. g3 Af6 (wi th t he i dea of . . . g7) 1 6. c5
f4 1 7. g4 g7 1 8. Ac4 c6 1 9. cxd6 cxd6
20. e2 c8 21 . AdS xb4 22. b1 c2,
after whi ch Bl ack hel d the i ni ti ati ve and
won the game. At Monaco 2007 i n thei r
bl i ndfol d game van Wel y began wi t h
1 5. c5 and after 1 5 . . . f4 1 6. Ac4 fxe4
1 7. xe4 f5 1 8. Axf4?! exf4 1 9. Cd5
e8 Bl ack safel y got t hrough the open
i ng. And fi nal l y, i n Bi el 2007, van Wel y
corrected Whi te' s pl ay: 1 8. g3! ? Ch3+
1 9. <g2 g5 20. g4 xf3 21 . <xf3 e4+
22. xe4 Axa1 23. Ag5 te7+ 24. <g2
Ae5 25. f4 Axf4, when after the faul ty
26. gxf4? wi th 26 . . . d5 Bl ack sei zed the
i ni ti ati ve and went on to wi n the game.
Meanwhi l e, 26. Axf4! woul d have guar
anteed a draw: 26 . . . d5 27. Wa1 + <g8
28. Ah6 Cf5 29. e7 Wxe7 30. Axd5+ f7
31 . f6+ <h8 32. h5+.
1 3 . . . e8
Wi th the same i dea of attacki ng the e6-
pawn i n the future from g7 (after . . . Af6).
Of course, it is also possi bl e to achi eve the
same ai m after 1 3 . . . h5.
179
- -------
14. Ae3 wi th opposi te-col our bi shops is cl early to
I n the event of 1 4. c5 dxc5 1 5. Ae3 Bl ack
White's advantage.
i s not obl i ged to defend the pawn - 1 5. . .
1 9 . . . 1xc5
b6, si nce here 1 6. te6 Axe6 1 7. dxe6
'After thi s the kni ght wi l l be somewhat
takes pl ace in a si tuati on favourabl e for
Whi te. Stronger i s 1 5 . . . Ah6! 1 6. tf7+
xf7 1 7. Axh6, exchangi ng the ' bad' dark
square bi shop (vari ati ons by Carl sen).
14 . . . .f6 1 5. e6 .xe6 1 6. dxe6 g7
1 7. Ah6
The possessi on of the two bi shops in the
cl osed type of posi ti on after 1 7. td5 txe6
1 8. txf6 xf6 i s not an advantage.
1 7 . . . xe6
Otherwise the kni ght manoeuvre to g7 does
not make sense. In the event of 1 7 . . . tg8
1 8. Axg7+ Axg7 1 9. c5! White succeeds
i n defendi ng hi s e6-pawn.
1 8. Axf8 Wxf8
a b c d e f g h
8
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6
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4
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:
l
1 9. c5!
a b c
l
d e
f g h
8
7
6
5
4
3
:
:
' I thi nk thi s is basi cal l y the onl y move, as
the hi ghest pri ori ty is to acti vate the bi sh
op' (Carl sen). Thi s comment shows the
essence of Magnus' s concrete thi nki ng.
The mai n thi ng for hi m i s the i deal pl ac
i ng of hi s pi eces, for the sake of whi ch he
does not begrudge gi vi ng up a pawn. Wi th
the acti vati on of the bi shop, the si tuati on
si del i ned. 1 9 . . . dxc5 was probabl y bet
ter. I i ntended to conti nue 20. Wd7 Wc8
21 . Wxc8+ xc8 22. Ac4 wi th an about
equal endi ng' (Carl sen). A confi rmati on of
the previ ous comment. Magnus i s objec
tive not onl y with respect to hi s pi eces. Let
us conti nue the vari ati on wi th 22 . . . td4, i n
order to see the difference i n the pl aci ng of
the kni ght: at d4 it is ' eternal ' , whereas at
c5 it is merel y tradi ti onal and has no future.
But l et us be honest regardi ng the natural
reacti on to 1 9. c5 -to whom woul d it occur
to vol untari l y spoi l hi s pawn structure i n a
si mi l ar si tuati on, i f i t di d not even occur to
the non-tri vi al l y thi nki ng l vanchuk?
20 .c4 .g5
The onl y way of activati ng the ' bad' bi shop.
21 . We2 'h6 22. lad1
White has managed to restrai n the dark
square bi shop, by not al l owi ng it to go to e3
or d2. But otherwi se White's achi evements
are sl i ght: an attack on the queensi de for
hi m is j ust as unreal i sti c as one on the
ki ngsi de for Bl ack. The posi ti on i s one of
dynami c bal ance.
22 . . . 1f8
a b c d e f g h
8 8

7
& &A
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7
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6 6
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y
5 5
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2 2

a b c d e f g h
180
23. a4
'I was not quite sure if i ncl udi ng a4 and . . .
b6 was a good i dea, as the a4-pawn wi l l
requi re constant attenti on now, but it has
to be sai d that . . . b6 is al so quite a conces
si on here, as i t gi ves up any dream of ever
advanci ng the pawn centre' (Carlsen). One
cannot hel p agreei ng wi th the eval uati on
of 23 . . . b6, but as regards 23. a4 Magus
is understati ng somethi ng, and he most
probabl y pl ayed t hi s i ntui ti vel y. Thi s i s
somethi ng we wi l l be abl e to ascertai n.
23 . . . b6?!
It was safer to sti ck to a wai ti ng course,
as i n the game - 23 . . . Wh4 24. g3 'h3 etc.
24. g3 'h3
An unpl easant move, preventi ng the con
sol i dati ng g2.
25. Wg2 Wh6 26. We2 Wh3 27. h1
The avoi dance of the repeti ti on has the
ai m of dul l i ng the veteran' s vi gi l ance. How
otherwi se can hi s repl y be expl ai ned?
27 . . . d7?!
Why not sound out the opponent' s i nten
ti ons wi th 27 . . . Wh6 ?
28. !a1 !
' I bel i eve that the rook is a l ittl e better off
on a2 than on d1 , as i t can now support a5,
and al so go to c2 i n some l i nes' (Carl sen).
Here it i s, that amazi ng i ntui ti on! Magnus
coul d not have known Eduard Gufel d, and
had probabl y not read hi s book on the
Ki ng' s I ndi an publ i shed i n 2002, but he
exactl y reproduced an i dea of Ti gran Pet
rosi an in a si mi l ar si tuati on with a bi shop on
the h6-c1 di agonal , whi ch he carried out i n
thei r game from the USSR Champi onshi p
Fi nal i n 1 960. Here i s the admi ri ng com
mentary by the l oser: ' Whi l e I was marki ng
ti me, Petrosi an gave me an obj ect-l esson
on the theme that ti me i n chess, as i n l ife, i s
i rreversi bl e. Hi s geni us was reveal ed i n the
fact that he avoi ded the ' mi ned' square c1 (
a2-a4, b2-b3, ga1 -a2-c2, gf1 -b1 -b2) and
succeeded in setti ng up a deci sive bi nd
on the queensi de. Such a pl an was hard
to fi nd and hi ghl y i nstructi ve. " I ron Ti gran"
si mpl y reduced the board to seven ranks,
after whi ch i t transpi red that my bi shop
was i ndeed fi ri ng i nto empty space. ' Here
you have the young Norwegi an' s l ack of
' school i ng' ! Not wi thout reason do they
say that he absorbs i deas l i ke a sponge.
28 . . . Wh6 29. !a2 f6?!
181
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: :
a b c d e I 9 h
31 . d5! xd5 32. xd5 f4 33. Wf2
Was the kni ght's run worth such effort, if
i t can be parried in one move?
33 . . . fxe4 34 . .xe4 Wg5 35. Jc2 d5?
Bl ack' s pl ay has come to a standsti l l , but
why vol untari l y gi ve up materi al ? 35 . . . f7
was more resi l i ent, al though after 36. Ab7!
with the idea of Ac8-g4 White neverthe
l ess wi l l force hi m to decl are hi s i ntenti ons.
36. xd5 xg3 37. hxg3 f4+ 38. 'f1
xd5
-
-
-
:
:
a b c d e I 9
a b c d e I 9 h
39. Jce2!
-
-
:
:
Si mpl e and busi ness-l i ke! The e5-pawn
cannot be hel d: if 39 . . . f5 there i s 40. g4,
whi l e i f 39 . . . e8 there fol l ows 40. f4.
39 . . . Wf6 40. Jxe5 Wxf3 41 . Wxf3
Jxf3+ 42. 'e2 Jf5 43. Jxf5 gxf5
44. 'd3 c5 45. Je5 b4+ 46. 'd2
Bl ack resi gned.
The uni nterrupted seri es of successes created another wave of i nterest in the rapi dl y
progressi ng 1 7-year-ol d Norwegi an. Carl sen' s name was regul arl y among the first
pri ze-wi nners at such presti gi ous tournaments as Wi jk aan Zee, Li nares, Ni ce, Baku
and Foros - onl y successes, not a si ngl e fai l ure. I t appeared that to conquer the sum
mi t - a rati ng of 2800 - onl y one l ast effort was needed. Magnus' s confi dence i n his
own potenti al was i mpressi ve: he bel i eved that he was capable of anythi ng, and that the
l i mit of his possi bi l i ti es l ay far ahead. However, among the chorus of eul ogi es, doubts
were al so expressed about the qual ity of hi s pl ay, and it was sai d that hi s tal ent was
onl y of a cal cul ati ng nature. Numerous cock-and-bul l stori es were whi pped up, such
as his l ack of ' school i ng' wi th a substitute knowl edge of computer dogmati sm, and
the surpri se at how Carl sen had contri ved, wi thout readi ng a si ngl e cl assi cal chess
book, to l earn everythi ng.
What can we say? One can merel y feel sympathy for the i l l -wi shers. As for hi s love
of chess, thi s questi on is i ndeed one that appeal s onl y to basi c i nsti ncts. Questions
about the qual ity of his pl ay al so sound rhetori cal , si nce the appreci ati on of Magnus's
masterpi eces depends on your own l evel of chess, and stori es about hi s lack of school -
182
ing had l ong ago been refuted by hi s father. Hi s school i ng was at the l evel of a hi gh
qual ity expert, and pri zes at super-tournaments testify to the marks of the exami ners.
And besi des, can one tal k about a l ack of school i ng, when you have such a mentor as
Simen Agdestei n? The famous Russi an trai ner Yuri Razuvaev l i ked to remember the
introductory sentence by Mi khai l Botvi nni k at a sessi on of hi s school : ' I must i mmedi
ately warn you that you cannot be taught t o pl ay chess, you can onl y l earn! ' Magnus
had learned. I ndependentl y. There were countl ess exampl es of thi s.
I t i s cl ear that the ti mes of the ol d chess stars are l ong si nce gone. Ti me has
moved forward, and techni cal possi bi l i ti es have al so changed. And whereas i n the l ast
century new i deas and concepti ons were tracked down l i teral l y pi ecemeal in chess
peri odi cal s, i n the computer age i t woul d be si l l y not to use databases wi th mi l l i ons
of games, processed accordi ng to certai n cri teri a. ' I t i s suffi ci ent si mpl y to cl i ck on
a few keys, ' compl ai ns Al exander Khal i fman, whose mai n successes coi nci ded wi th
the start of mass computer usage. ' Based on thi s, i t i s compl etel y di fferent qual i ti es
that are cal l ed for: cal cul ati on, memory and energy. Moreover, the key word here i s
memory! What becomes i mportant i s not the abi l i ty to l ook at many posi ti ons from
vari ous openi ngs, but that al l thi s shoul d be i n your head. ' One can argue wi th thi s.
From the exi sti ng work wi th j uni ors i t transpi res that many tal ented pl ayers possess
such qual i ti es as a good memory and excel l ent cal cul ati on, but onl y a few make i t
to the top. I t i s i mportant not onl y to be abl e to cal cul ate, but al so to know what to
cal cul ate. The mai n thi ng here i s graspi ng the depth of chess, understandi ng the
essence of a posi ti on, enabl i ng a number of vari ati ons to be i mmedi atel y di scarded
and not consi dered. I t i s not possi bl e to cal cul ate everythi ng. A pl ayer' s cl ass i s
determi ned by hi s abi l i ty to chop off branches of the cal cul ati on ' tree' and fi nd the
correct conti nuati on. Thi s comes easi l y to onl y a few, among them Carl sen. ' I prob
abl y have qui te a good understandi ng of chess, ' he l et sl i p i n one of hi s i ntervi ews.
Thi s the where the root of the questi on l i es.
As regards memory, i t i s worth dwel l i ng on thi s factor i n more detai l . Here Carl sen
i s undoubtedl y superi or to many of hi s contemporari es. Duri ng hi s apprenti ceshi p,
Agdestei n wrote an i ntroductory l etter to Garry Kasparov, extracts from whi ch were
publ i shed i n the magazi ne 64 Shakhmatnoe obozrenie. Thi s was how he assessed
the potenti al of hi s pupi l : ' Fi rst of al l , Magnus has an i ncredi bl e, photographi c type
of memory, when a page i s not read, but i mmedi atel y i mpri nted on the brai n and
i nstantl y assi mi l ated. He remembers not onl y the game i tsel f, but al so where, when
and who pl ayed i t. He i s capabl e of readi ng a book on a sharp openi ng duri ng the
course of one eveni ng (usual l y wi thout usi ng a board and pi eces) and of pl ayi ng i t
the fol l owi ng day even agai nst a strong grandmaster. Thi s expl ai ns why he has such
a broad openi ng repertoi re. I t often seems to me that he can pl ay everythi ng and
that i n the openi ng he knows everythi ng. I t i s wel l known that i n the Si ci l i an Defence
there are several i ncredi bl y sharp l i nes, where Whi te unexpectedl y sacri fi ces a cou
pl e of pi eces, and i t al l ends wi th a better endgame - but suddenl y Magnus tel l s
me that al l these compl i cati ons are theory, and he knows about them! Thi s i s not
183
surpri si ng - he l i teral l y swal l ows al l chess materi al . ' We shoul d remi nd the reader
that Al exander Al ekhi ne and Mi khai l Tal al so had such a memory. And i f to Carl sen's
phenomenal memory you add thi s staggeri ng i ntui ti on, pl us hi s absol ute l ack of fear
of the strongest in the worl d - two i mportant qual i ti es remarked on by the famous
trai ner Mark Dvoretsky - thi s says a great deal . Magnus' s potenti al al l ows hi m to
hope for a worthy pl ace at the chess summi t.
Carl sen was sel f-suffi ci ent; he acknowl edged the strength of the l eaders of the
chess worl d, but he real i sed that he coul d beat any of them. The onl y one that Magnus
had not yet got hi s ' teeth' i nto was the worl d champi on Anand - he was the onl y one
whom he had not managed to beat (not counti ng bl i tz games) . Therefore thei r cl ash i n
Mai nz, even i n a rapi d event, was of parti cul ar i nterest. There was no real battl e. After
sufferi ng a fi asco in hi s favourite ' Dragon' in the fi rst game, Magnus al so conducted
the second game weakly. The 1 -3 defeat was undoubtedl y a bl ow to hi s self-esteem.
However, there was nothi ng surpri si ng about thi s, as rapi d-pl ay comes natural l y to
the qui ck-acti ng Anand; here he i s the acknowl edged l eader. As for Carl sen's fai l ure,
there i s a l i mit to everythi ng, and a pl ayer can only do so much. The conti nuous bat
tl es at the top level , and wi th the bar rai sed hi gh, demanded far more expendi ture of
energy than earl i er.
Magnus arri ved in Germany from Swi tzerl and, where he had j ust pl ayed an i ntense
tournament, and he l ooked very ti red. I t appeared that the battl e in Bi el di d not herald
any sensati on. What for Carl sen, a regul ar parti ci pant in super-tournaments, was a
FI DE category 1 8 tournament wi th a far from stel l ar fi el d of si x grandmasters! He set the
pace: he won the fi rst half, and consol i dated hi s success by al so wi nni ng hi s second
game agai nst the undoubted outsi der Pel l eti er. But when i t appeared that the fate of
the fi rst pri ze was deci ded, Magnus was l et down by hi s maxi mal i sm: he deci ded to
wi n wi th White agai nst Al ekseev. He fai l ed to fi ni sh off a sl i ghtl y better positi on, and
the protracted battl e ended wi th the bl under of a pawn on the 75th (!) move and a l oss.
Thi s game was the deci di ng poi nt of Carl sen's performance i n Bi el , si nce a desperate
attempt to hal t the l eader Domi nguez wi th the hel p of the ri sky ' Dragon' al most led to
a second defeat. The outcome was 3rd pl ace wi th 6 poi nts out of 9. For the ti me bei ng
the stormi ng of the 2800 summi t had to be deferred.
Game 40
V. Pel l eti er - M. Carl sen
Bi el 2008
1. d4 tf6 2. tf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. g3 Ja6
5. b3 Jb4+ 6. Jd2 Ae7 7 .g2 d5
7 . . . c6 i s consi dered the mai n conti nuati on,
but the move of the central pawn al so oc-
curs quite often. By turni ng onto a si del i ne,
Carlsen was hopi ng to outpl ay the Swiss
grandmaster, who was performi ng badly
i n the tournament.
8. cxd5 exd5 9. tc3 0-0 1 0. 0-0 Ab7
1 1 . c1
(see next diagram)
184
Y. Pel l eti er - M. Carl sen
a b c d e f g h
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1 1 . . . bd7
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In thi s posi ti on the more tradi ti onal way of
devel opi ng is consi dered to be 1 1 . . . ta6
fol l owed by pl ayi ng the kni ght to c7 after the
c-pawn has moved. Of course, White can
counter this. Here the game Aroni an -l van
chuk (Morel i a/Li nares 2006) i s of i nterest:
1 1 . . . ta6 1 2. Af4 l:e8 1 3. &eS h6 1 4. tbS! ?
cS 1 S. tc4 (1 S. dxcS bxcS 1 6. tc4 Ac6
17. tbd6 i s possi bl e) 1S . . . Ac6 1 6. tcd6
l:f8 1 7. dxcS bxcS, and after 1 8. d2! ? (the
game went 1 8. td4 cxd4 1 9. l:xc6 tb4
20. tb7 e8 21 . l:c7 ta6=) the hangi ng
pawns are i n need of defence.
But after the cl assi cal kni ght manoeu
vre . . . tb8-d7-f8-e6 (i n the styl e of the
Carl sbad Vari ati on of the Queen' s Gambit)
the kni ght al so assi sts the undermi ni ng of
the centre.
12. Jf4 c6
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14. lcd1?!
Pel l eti er fol l ows i n the footsteps of Aroni an,
taki ng i nto account the experi ence of the
game van Wel y- Leko (Dortmund 2008),
where the attempt to stop the c-pawn
di d not work: 14. b2 tf8 1 S. b4 te6
1 6. Ae3 Ad6 1 7. a4 e7 1 8. l:b1 a6 1 9. Ad2
l:ab8 20. e3 cS 21 . bxcS bxcS 22. a2 g6
23. dxcS AxeS 24. te2 te4 2S. l:fd1 Aa8
26. l:xb8 l:xb8 wi th equal pl ay. However,
what he was hopi ng for is not cl ear. After
Bl ack's repl y i t transpi res that White has
si mpl y wasted a tempo - an obvi ous hol e
i n hi s home preparati ons. Carl sen does
not forgi ve such thi ngs.
14 . . . Ab4!
Wi th the unequi vocal threat of 1 S . . . Axc3
1 6. xc3 l:xe2. The probl ems are not re
l i eved by 1 S. &eS?! txeS 1 6. AxeS td7! .
After t he devel opment of t he kni ght at d7 1 5. Jd2 c8 1 6. 'b2 'e7 1 7. fe1 'f8
Bl ack is forced to support hi s dS-pawn.
1 3. 'c2 le8
(see next diagram)
(see next diagram) As Carl sen hi msel f thi nks, in pri nci pl e thi s
queen retreat i s not essenti al , si nce the
The same posi ti on was reached by trans- threat of e4 wi th the i dea . . . Axc3 exdS i s
posi ti on i n the game Aroni an - Huzman not real i sti c. But he sensed that the op
(Warsaw 200S). ponent was agoni si ng over hi s choi ce of
185
Chapter 3
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Life at the Top
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I d f h
22 . . . xc3!?
p an, an so or t e moment he i mproves
the pl aci ng of hi s pi eces.
18 . .h3 Jcd8 1 9. 'c2 h6!?
Cont i nui ng the same wai ti ng tacti cs. Ac
ti vi ty wi th 1 9 . . . 'e4 l eads to mass ex
changes: 20. txe4 dxe4 21 . Axd7 xd7
22. Axb4 'xb4 23. 'eS xd4 24. txc6
Axc6 2S. Wxc6 ed8 26. xd4! wi th the
si mpl i fi cati on of the posi ti on and a prob
abl e draw, whi ch di d not sui t Carl sen,
who was ai mi ng for vi ctory i n the tour
nament.
20. h4
Magnus's tacti cs have worked. How can
White refuse the i nvi tati on to go to fS? But
wi th thi s creepi ng out of the ' l ai r' the pl ay
becomes much more l i vely, whi ch in vi ew of
the di fference i n moti vati on is to Carl sen' s
advantage.
20 . . . cs 21 . f5 a6
The bS-square has to be covered agai nst
the possi bl e i nvasi on of the kni ght.
22. 'b2
(see next diagram)
When pawn tensi on exi sts i t is never easy
to make a choi ce as regards the further
transformati on of the pawn structure.
Shoul d Bl ack go i n for an ' i sol ani ' - 22 . . .
cxd4 23. txd4 'eS, whi ch stabi l i ses the
posi ti on wi th the prospect of protracted
pl ay, or deci de on hangi ng pawns? Carlsen
prefers to compl i cate matters.
23. Jxc3 e4 24. dxc5 xc3
25. 'xc3 bxc5 26. 'aS f6
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A typi cal posi ti on wi th hangi ng pawns.
Bl ack's pi eces are ready to support thei r
acti vi ty wi th . . . dS-d4 and . . . 'f6-e4, which
demands energeti c counter-acti on from
White such as 27. c1 !? or 27. Ag2.
27. 'b6?
186
L. Domi nguez M. Carlsen
A strange move for a grandmaster. White
provokes a pi n, whi ch i s advantageous for
his opponent.
21 . . . .c8! 28. g2
Onl y now di d Pel l eti er see that the i ntended
28. txh6+ gxh6 29. AxeS does not work
i n vi ew of the i nterposi ti on 29 . . . d6! , when
White l oses a pi ece. If 28. f3 there fol l ows
28 . . . Ae6 with the threat of 29 . . . g6.
28 e4!
Wi th the threat of . . . tg5. Now Whi te' s
game goes downhi l l .
29. f3 g5
36 Se3?!
There was a qui ck wi n by 36 . . . c8! 37. Wa3
xe2+! 38. txe2 Wh3+ 39. f2 Wf3+
40. g1 We3+ 41 . g2 Ah3+ wi th mate
in three moves (vari ati on by Carl sen).
37. Wd4?
A ti me-troubl e mi stake, l eadi ng to a rapi d
defeat. 37. g1 was more resi l i ent, al
though even here after 37 . . . c8 38. Wa3
ce8 White woul d al so have been unabl e
to resi st the pressure.
37 Wh3+ 38. g1 Sxg3+ 39. hxg3
Wxg3+ 40. h1 f5
29 . . . tc3 30. d3 (no better is 30. d2 d4
wi th the threat of . . . td5) 30 . . . txe2 31 . e3
White resi gned.
Axf5 32. 3xe2 xe2+ 33. xe2 Ad3 leads
to the l oss of a pawn.
30. g4 h5! 31 . Ec1 g6
31 . . . txh3 32. xh3 hxg4+ 33. fxg4 g6
34. tg3 Wh6+ 35. g2 Axg4 was more
accurate, in the end l eadi ng to a posi ti on
whi ch occurred i n the game.
32. g3 xh3 33. xh3 hxg4+
34. fxg4?!
34. g2 was more resi l i ent.
34 . . . Wh6+ 35. g2 xg4 36. Vxc5?
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Game 41
L. Domi nguez - M. Carl sen
Bi el 2008
1. e4 c5 2. f3 g6 3. d4 Ag7 4. c3
cxd4 5. xd4 c6 6 . .e3 f6 7. Ac4
0-0 8 . .b3 d6 9. f3 Ad7 1 0. Vd2 Ec8
1 1 . 0-0-0 e5 12. b1
A useful prophyl acti c move, wi thout whi ch
White cannot get by i n most branches of
the Dragon Vari ati on. White takes hi s ki ng
i nto safety, i nvi ti ng Bl ack to decl are hi s
i ntenti ons. For exampl e, i n the event of
1 2 . . . tc4 1 3. Axc4 xc4 White can begi n
an attack wi th 1 4. g4! ?.
1 2 a6
Thi s move i n combi nati on wi th 9 . . . Ad7
was Carl sen's mai n weapon i n 2008, one
whi ch he empl oyed i n fi ve games. If 1 3. g4
Bl ack can pl ay 1 3 . . . b5.
Chapter 3
o
Life at the Top
1 3. h4 h5
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14. g4
Thi s fl ank pawn breakthrough i s nowadays
a standard pl an of attack. Bl ack' s defence
i s eased by the earl y exchange of the dark
square bi shops: 1 4. Ah6 tc4 1 5. Axc4
xc4 1 6. Axg7 cxg7, and here 1 7. g4 i s
not so dangerous - 1 7 . . . hxg4 1 8. h5 h8.
I n the rapi d game Anand-Carl sen (Mai nz
2008) White preferred 1 7. he1 , and after
1 7 . . . e8! ? 1 8. tde2 (1 8. td5 e5! 1 9. tb3
txd5 20. 'xd5 Ab5=) 1 8 . . . 'aS 1 9. tf4
ec8 20. tcd5 'xd2 21 . xd2 txd5
22. txd5 e8 he sati sfi ed hi msel f wi th
an equal endgame. 14. Ag5 i s exami ned i n
the game Radjabov-Carl sen (Baku 2008).
14 . . . hxg4 1 5. h5 txh5
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1 6. Ah6
I n thi s vari ati on Domi nguez was a pi o
neer, and i t turned out that the exchange
of the dark-square bi shops was prema
t ure. Subsequentl y the more dangerous
cont i nuat i on 1 6. dg1 was empl oyed
agai nst Carl sen, and hi s fi rst attempt was
a fai l ure. I n hi s rapi d game agai nst Anand
( Mai nz 2008) Magnus pl ayed 1 6 . . . 'a5
and after 1 7. Ah6 xc3? 1 8. Axg7 cxg7
1 9. xh5! it was t i me for hi m to resi gn.
True, aft er 1 9 . . . x b3 Anand sat i s
fi ed hi msel f wi th t he wi n of t he queen
- 20. 'xa5, but he coul d al so have
pl ayed more forceful l y: 20. 'h6+! cf6
21 . 'g5+ cg7 22. txb3 'e? 23. 'h6+
cf6 24. xe5.
The experi ment wi th 1 6 . . . c5, as pl ayed
agai nst Topal ov in the Grand Sl am tour
nament ( Bi l bao 2008), al so ended i n fai l
ure. The game cont i nued 1 7. Ah6 ch7
1 8. Axg7 cxg7 1 9. f4 tc4 20. Axc4
xc4 21 . f5 e5 22. tde2 h8 23. b3 c6?
24. xg4 tf6 25. gg1 xh1 26. xh1
tg4 27. tg3 wi t h an obvi ous advantage
to Whi te. And al t hough an i mprovement
was found - 23 . . . c8! 24. xg4 (24. 'xd6
Axf5! ) 24 . . . tf6 25. xh8 (25. gg1 'e?!)
25 . . . 'xh8 26. g1 c6, when Bl ack
hol ds the posi ti on (A. Kuzmi n), Magnus
di d not tempt fate any further. But the
Dragon had once agai n demonstrated
i ts vi abi l i ty!
The mai n events occurred i n the vari
ati on 1 6 . . . 'a5 1 7. Ah6 (where Carl sen
suffered a di saster after 17 . . . xc3?). At
the Grand Pri x tournament i n Sochi 2008
Radj abov shocked Karj aki n (and al l con
noi sseurs of the Dragon) wi th a fantasti c
doubl e exchange sacri fi ce.
(see next analysis diagram)
188
L. Domi nguez - M. Carl sen
Analysis diagram
17 . . . Af6! ! 1 8. fxg4 Axg4 1 9. Axf8 xf8
20. e3 gxc3! 21 . 'xc3 xc3 22. bxc3
e6 and Bl ack gai ned excel l ent compensa
ti on. Perhaps not suffi ci ent for a wi n, but
the psychol ogi cal effect was so powerful
that Karjaki n was unabl e to save the game.
16 . . . e6?!
Thi s al l ows White to devel op a dangerous
i niti ative. Black shoul d have cl arified the si t
uati on by exchangi ng the dark-square bi sh
ops: 1 6 . . . h7! 1 7. Axg7 xg7 1 8. f4 ec4
19. Axc4 gxc4 20. f5 e5, when he woul d
have achi eved a good game (A. Kuzmi n) .
17. idg1 'f6
a b c d e f 9 -
i mpunity, whi ch woul d not be the case wi th
hi s ki ng on c1 on account of the exchange
of queens after 1 8 . . . Axh6 1 9. 'xh6 f4+.
1 8 . . . .xh6
Not 18 . . . ec4?! 1 9. Axc4 xd4 20. Ad3
Axh6 21 . xh6 'g7 22. e3 tf6 23. g5
eh5 (after 23 . . . teS 24. gg4 wi th the threat
of ggh4 Bl ack is forced to make a further
weakeni ng of hi s ki ng's defences) 24. Ae2
fol l owed by Axh5.
1 9. 'xh6 g7 20. 'e3 f6 21 . g5 h5
22. de2
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Whi te's pl an of attack is 23. gxh5 gxh5
24. ef4 wi th the threat of ef4xh5-f6+.
Bl ack' s counterpl ay i s associ ated wi th the
advance of hi s queensi de pawns and the
exchange sacri fi ce on c3.
22 . . . a5
Thi s move i s more l ogi cal i n repl y to
22. ece2, whereas here 22 . . . b5 i s more
appropri ate. But i n that case too Whi te
carri es out the same pl an of attack as
i n t he game: 23. gxh5 gxh5 24. tf4
h8 25. gh1 wi t h t he t hreat of tf4x
18. fxg4!
h5-f6+, whereas Bl ack' s counterpl ay i s
Thi s i s where the val ue of 1 2. b1 shows too l ate: 25 . . . h4 26. 'f2 gxc3 27. bxc3
itself - White can capture the pawn wi th ec4 28. e5! , bl ocki ng the communi ca-
189
ti ons to the ki ng. Now al l capt ures on
eS are bad: 28 . . . t xeS 29. gxh4, 28 . . .
dxeS 29. gxh4, o r 28 . . . xeS 29. 'xh4.
However, there i s sti l l the possi bi l i ty of
28 . . . gca, attempti ng to evacuate the ki ng
to the queensi de.
23. xh5! ? gxh5 24. f4 g4
The alternative 24 . . . 'h8 2S. gh1 h4 26. 'f2
gfd8 27. gxh4 'g7 28. gh3 gcs (wi th the
i dea of 29. &hS &g4 30. 'f4 'xgS) l ooks
more attracti ve.
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Carl sen does not mi ss such opportuni ti es.
Now he i s abl e to cover hi s ki ng.
31 . 'h4 .e4! 32. c3
Of course, not 32. 'xg4?? Axc2+ 33. c1
(33. a1 gas mate) 33 . . . AfS+.
32 . . . .f5 33. h5 f6!
In amazi ng fashi on Bl ack has acti vated his
positi on. Wi th the i ncl usi on of the rooks in
the defence after 34. &xf6+ &xf6 3S. gxf6
f7 White's attack peters out.
34. g3 c7 35. xf5 exf5 36. gxf6
xf6 37. 'g5+ ct7!
A rare i nstance of Carlsen pl ayi ng i mpul -
The fol l owi ng was a fal se trai l : 37 . . . gg7?!
si vel y. 2S . . , gxc3 26. bxc3 &eS 27. &xhS
38. 'xfS gg1 + 39. a2 ga8+ 40. &a4 f7
'g6, i ntendi ng . . . gda, was essenti al .
41 . 'bS.
26. ce2! 'xe4 27. Wxh5?!
38. 'xf5
It is not cl ear why Domi nguez rejected the
themati c 27. txhS! . After al l , even ' by eye' it
i s obvious that the vari ati on 27 . . . fS 28. gxf6
f7 29. thg3 'g6 30. tf4 is unabl e to
save Bl ack. He preferred to wi n the queen,
thi nki ng that the ki ng woul d not run away,
but he underesti mated Bl ack's defensi ve
resources.
27 . . . a4 28. h1 'xh1 + 29. Wxh1 axb3
30. axb3
190
a
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:
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d e f 9 -
38 . . . ie7
Bl ack begi ns erecti ng a ' fortress'.
39. b4
re7 45. Vd3 rt7 46. b5 re7
47. d4 rf7 48. 'f3 h5 49. f5 re6
50. d4+
Not 39. d5?? because of mate in two
Havi ng fai l ed to find the key to the fortress,
moves.
39 . . . ie5 40. 'f2 id8 41 . b3 id7
42. rb2 ide7 43. 'b6 id7 44. 'd4
Domi nguez forces a draw by repeti ti on.
50 . . . rf7 51 . f5 re6 52. d4+
Draw.
A new tournament - the Grand Sl am in Bi l bao (FI DE category 21 ) occupi ed a speci al
pl ace i n the chess cal endar. I t was organi sed wi th a record prize fund for tournaments
wi thout the status of a worl d champi onshi p - 400, 000 Euros. The i dea of the organi s
ers was that those pl ayi ng i n it shoul d be the wi nners of the mai n super-tournaments
of the year. Those taki ng part in the fi rst tournament were the wi nners in Wijk aan Zee,
Li nares and Sofi a - Aroni an, Anand and l vanchuk, together wi th the personal l y i nvited
Carl sen, Topal ov and Radjabov. A speci al feature of the tournament was the ' footbal l '
system of scori ng (3 poi nts for a wi n, 1 poi nt for a draw).
The battl e of the ' bi g si x' proved hi ghl y uncompromi si ng. Thi s was a benefi t perfor
mance by Topal ov, who was stri vi ng to demonstrate the ri ghtful ness of hi s parti ci pati on
i n the current worl d champi onshi p cycl e (he was faci ng a match wi th Kamsky). Vesel i n
won four games, two of them agai nst Carlsen, gai ni ng revenge for the ' doubl e' i n Li nares.
The bl ow to Magnus's sel f-esteem was softened by second pri ze i n the tournament:
on the ti e-break he fi ni shed ahead of Aroni an. I n l ast pl ace, to general surpri se, was
the world champi on Anand.
Game42
Grand Sl am, Bi l bao 2008
1. e4 c5 2. f3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. xd4
f6 5. c3 g6 6. Je3 g7 7. f3 0-0
8. 'd2 c6 9 . .c4 Jd7 1 0. 0-0-0 ib8
(see next diagram)
Thi s is the co-cal l ed ' Chi nese Dragon' .
The author of thi s brand name i s the Bel -
a b c d e f g h
8
W
8
t
A A
@

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t
6
5
4
3

5v
: 5
6
5
4
3
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:
[
1
a b c d e f g h
gi an master Luc Henri s, who under thi s poi nt of thi s move i s to expl oi t the b-fi l e
ti tl e publ i shed an anal ysi s of 10 . . . .b8 i n after the exchange of the kni ght on c4.
2002 i n the New i n Chess Yearbook. The At the same ti me, the mai n trump of the
191
Chapter 3
o
Life at the Top
' Chi nese' is to i mmedi atel y react to the
wi ng attack 1 1 . h4 or 1 1 . g4 wi th the pawn
sacrifice 1 1 . . . b5! . I t i s dangerous to accept
i t. For exampl e, the game Stanford-Anka
( McMi nnvi l l e 2004) conti nued 1 1 . h4 b5!
1 2.tdxb5 te5 1 3. Ae2 \a5 1 4. td4 1fc8
1 5. tb3 1xb3! 1 6. cxb3 (1 6. axb3? l oses
to 1 6 . . . txe4 1 7. fxe4 \a1 + 1 8. tb1 tc4! )
1 6 . . . \xa2 1 7. \c2 \aS wi th an attack for
Bl ack. However, 1 2.tcxb5! ? ta5 1 3. ta3
is not so cl ear.
11 . .b3 ta5 12. cb1
Thi s prophyl acti c move i s best made i m
medi atel y. After t he di rect attack 1 2. h4
b5 1 3. h5?! (1 3. b1 tc4 1 eads t o a posi
ti on from the game) 1 3 . . . tc4 1 4. Axc4
bxc4 1 5. Ah6 'b6 Whi te i s forced to
weaken hi s ki ng' s defences. A game
Echevari a - da Costa (correspondence
2003) cont i nued 1 6. b3 Axh6! 1 7. \xh6
'aS 1 8. b2 1fc8 1 9. tde2 Ae6 wi th
the i ni ti ati ve for Bl ack.
12 . . . b5 1 3. h4
The effect of the move . . . ta5-c4 can be
weakened by 1 3. Ah6 Axh6 1 4. \xh6,
but, as often happens i n the Dragon, the
earl y exchange of bi shops does not gi ve
anythi ng. For exampl e, the game Berg-Ev
domi kov (Moscow 2007) conti nued 1 4 . . .
e5! ? 1 5. tde2 txb3 1 6. cxb3 b4 1 7. ta4
(or 1 7. td5 txd5 1 8. 1xd5 Ae6 1 9. 1d2
1b6=) 17 . . . 'e7 1 8. tg3 Ae6 1 9. h4 1fc8
20. hS 1c7 21 . 'g5 te8 22. 'd2 1c6 wi th
equal pl ay.
1 3 . . . tc4 14 . .xc4 bxc4 1 5. ma1 h5!
Essenti al prophyl axi s agai nst the h4-h5
attack.
1 6. !b1
a b
8
6
5
4
3
c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
8
7
6
3
2
The posi ti on reached is typi cal of the
' Chi nese Dragon' structure. The l ast two
moves are necessary for the defence of the
ki ng. Despite the enti re power of Bl ack's
heavy arti l l ery, its defences are not easi l y
breached.
1 6 . . . Wa5
Bl ack must act energeti cal l y to counterbal
ance White's possi bl e attack. I nstructive,
for exampl e, i s the game Efi menko-Char
bonneau ( Montreal 200S), whi ch conti n
ued 1 6 . . . !e8 1 7. Ah6 Ah8 1 8. g4 hxg4
1 9. h5 'a5 20. hxg6 fxg6 21 . 1h4 gxf3
22. txf3 txe4? 23. txe4, and al l Bl ack' s
subsequent efforts proved i n vai n: 23 . . . c3
24. txc3 !xb2 25. xb2 Axc3+ 26. 'xc3
!b8+ 27. 'b3+ !xb3+ 28. axb3 e5 29. 1d1
Ac6 30. tg5 d5 31 . !f1 1 -0.
But there are questi ons. Apart from
1 9 . . . 'a5, the capture 1 9 . . . txh5 shoul d
al so be exami ned. Now 20. !xh5 i s parried
by 20 . . . Axd4! (20 . . . gxh5? 21 . 'g5+ h7
22. 'xh5 with a mati ng attack) 21 . Wxd4 e5.
Also 20. fxg4 tf6 21 . Ag5 txg4 22. td5
i s uncl ear. And fi nal l y, i n the game Whi te
woul d hardl y have felt so carefree i f i nstead
of 22 . . . txe4? Bl ack had pl ayed 22 . . . tg4!
23. td4 Af6.
17 . .h6
192
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a
e
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a
d
a
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b
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v
The speci fi c nature of the posi ti on is such

that the typi cal pawn attack 1 7. g4 hxg4
1 8. h5 txh5 does not have the strength to
break through, both after 1 9. fxg4 Axg4,
and i n the event of 1 9. Ah6 gxf3! . I n the
game Kul aots-Papp (Hungary 2008) White
stuck to central strategy: 1 7. tde2 l:fc8
1 8. l:hd1 l:b4 1 9. a3 l:cbB 20. Ad4 1:4b7
and di d not achi eve anythi ng si gni fi cant.
We shoul d add that al so nothi ng i s gi ven by
the typi cal tacti c 1 7. td5 \xd2 1 8. txe7+
h7 1 9. Axd2 txe4, when Bl ack regai ns
hi s pawn wi th the better positi on.
17 . . . Axh6! 1 8. 'xh6
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
18 . . . lb6
Note thi s manoeuvre. Bl ack i ntends to dou
bl e rooks and at the same ti me he restri cts
the mobi l i ty of the kni ght on c3 - if White
removes the defence from the a2-pawn he
gets mated ( . . . \xa2+! and . . . l:a6) .
19. g4
Usual l y thi s thrust i s fol l owed up wi th h4-
h5, but wi th the queen on h6 thi s does not
work. But what el se can be suggested for
Whi te? After al l , 1 9. Wg5 l:a6 i s too passive.
19 . . . hxg4 20. We3
After the game Magnus admitted that he
had forgotten about the typi cal i dea 20. h5
g5! , cutti ng off the queen. I ts release by
21 . tf5 Axf5 22. \xg5+ <h7 23. fxg4
txe4! 24. \xf5+ (24. txe4?? Wxa2+! )
24 . . . Wxf5 25. gxf5 tg3 l eads to an end
game favourabl e for Bl ack.
20 . . . lfb8 21 . h5 g5
21 . . . txh5 22. fxg4 (22. tf5 gxf5 23. lxh5
f4! i s not good for Whi te) 22 . . . Axg4 i s
stronger, when the kni ght on c3 sti l l cannot
move, si nce after 23. td5 l:a6 24. a3 c3!
25. \xc3 (25. txc3? \xa3+! ) 25 . . . Wxc3
26. txc3 White fi nds hi mself a pawn down.
8
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g h
22. fxg4 xg4 23. Wd2 16 24. f3 la6
Radj abov i s l ooki ng for a way to approach
the ki ng, but he fai l s to fi nd one. He shoul d
have central i sed hi s queen - 24 . . . Wc5! ,
when he i s i n control of the si tuati on.
For exampl e, i n t he event of 25. td5 c3
26. xc3 \e3 Bl ack transposes i nto a
favourabl e endgame ( Notki n).
25. lhg1 lb4 26. a3
Parryi ng the threatened doubl e sacri fi ce
on a2.
26 . . . Ae6
193
After the game Radjabov suggested the
promi si ng queen sacri fi ce 26 . . . !a4! ?
27. txa4 xd2 28. txd2 !xa4.
a b c d e f 9 h
8
s g s
s @
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2
a b c d e f 9 h
27. e5!
Sensi ng the somewhat ponderous nature
of Bl ack' s manoeuvres, Carl sen resol utel y
opens up the posi ti on, forci ng the oppo
nent to sol ve concrete probl ems.
27 . . . dxe5
The combi nati on 27 . . . xa3+ 28. bxa3
!xa3+ 29. ta2 c3 i s refuted by 30. xg5+!
fxg5 31 . !xb4.
28. xg5! .f5
If 28 . . . fxg5 there woul d have fol l owed
29. xg5+ f8 30. h6 and a pi ece has to
be gi ven up for thi s pawn.
29. ge4 mh7
fai l s to achi eve hi s ai m wi th 30. e2 th6
31 . g2, after whi ch, apart from 31 . . . Ag4
32. d2 f5, Bl ack has an i nteresti ng com
bi nati on: 31 . . . Axe4! 32. xe4 xa3+!
33. bxa3 !xa3+ 34. ta2 !xa2+! 35. xa2
!a4+ 36. b2 c3+ 37. xc3 !xe4, trans
posi ng i nto an uncl ear endgame.
30. 'e2 h6
The trappy 30 . . . !ab6?! (wi th the i dea of
31 . !xg4? !xb2! ) is dubi ous i n vi ew of
31 . f3 Ae6 (31 . . . th6 32. td5) 32. tg5+!
fxg5 33. te4, when Whi te breaks through
to t he ki ng. The expi atory sacri fi ce
33 . . . !b3 also does not hel p: 34. cxb3 !xb3
35. txg5+ h6 36. f8+ g5 37. xe7+.
31 . g3
a b c d e f 9 h
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a b c d e f 9 h
31 . . . .e6?
I t was essenti al to hel p the ki ng - 31 . . . b8!
32. g2 h8 (33. !g1 b6), si nce now
after 32. g2 tf5 33. g7+! Bl ack woul d
have had no defence. But i s there any need
to comment on ti me-troubl e pl ay? Perhaps
onl y for the sake of establ i shi ng the truth.
On general grounds it woul d be useful
to remove the ki ng from the danger zone
- 29 . . . f7! ?. The attempt to dri ve back
the kni ght wi th 30. g3 woul d be refuted
by supporti ng i t with the rook: 30 . . . !b8!
31 . e2 th6 32. e3 tg4 33. g1 th6,
and White has to curb hi s ambi ti ons - si nce
32 lgS? fS?
34. g6? Axe4 moves the ' poi nter' towards At thi s speed of pl ay it is no wonder that
hi s own ki ng: 35. txe4 xa3+. He al so a combi nati on exami ned i n the notes to
194
L. Aroni an M. Carl sen
Bl ack' s 29th move was mi ssed: 32 . . . Af5!
33. g2 Axe4! 34. xe4 xa3+! etc. , al
though here the di fference i n the pl aci ng
of the ki ngs ti ps the eval uati on i n favour
of Whi te.
33. 'g4!
Now Carlsen i s in charge!
33 . . . h4 34. g5+! fxg5
After 34 . . . rh8 White gi ves a l i near mate -
35. tf7+ Axf7 36. lh6.
35. 'xg5 xg6 36. 'xg6+ Wh8
37. g1
Bl ack resi gned.
Game43
L. Aroni an - M. Carlsen
1. c4 c5 2. f3 f6 3. d4 cxd4 4. xd4
e6 5. g3 b4+ 6. d2
Before thi s Aroni an had pl ayed 6. Ad2,
i ncl udi ng agai nst Carl sen i n thei r famous
2007 Candi dates match i n El i sta. True, thi s
occurred i n the 1 1 th, bl i tz game: 6 . . . Ac5
7. tb3 Ae7 8. Ag2 tc6 9. tc3 b6 1 0. Af4
Ab7 1 1 . 0-0 0-0 1 2. Ad6, where Magnus
pl ayed the superfi ci al 1 2 . . . ta5?! (1 2 . . . te8
is sounder) 1 3. txa5 Axg2 1 4. rxg2 bxa5
1 5. e4 lc8 1 6. b3 and ended up in an i n
feri or posi ti on. But si nce that t i me more
than a year had passed - a gi ganti c di s
tance for the swi ftl y-i mprovi ng Carl sen.
By defendi ng agai nst t he check wi th hi s
kni ght, Leven i nvi tes Magnus t o go i n for
a ' hedgehog' structure.
6 . . . c6 7. c2 e7 8. g2 0-0 9. 0-0
a b c d e f g h
8 8
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a b c d e f g h
After compl et i ng hi s ki ngsi de devel op
ment Bl ack has to deci de on hi s sub
sequent pl an, taki ng i nto account t he
features of the posi ti on. I t i s cl ear that ,
wi t h hi s bi shop on g2, Whi te wi l l ai m to
coordi nate i t wi th hi s kni ghts, for whi ch
the natural posts are c3 and d4, but for
the transference of t he kni ght from d2
ti me i s requi red. I n the spi ri t of the posi
ti on i s 9 . . . d5 1 0. cxd5 exd5 1 1 . tb3 Af5
1 2. tcd4 Ae4, when wi th hi s i sol ated d
pawn Bl ack' s pi eces are acti vel y pl aced
for the forthcomi ng battl e. Another pl an
i nvol ves the sett i ng up of a ' hedgehog' :
9 . . . b6 1 0. b3 Ab7 1 1 . Ab2 c7 1 2. e4
d6 1 3. te3, where Whi te has a spati al
advantage.
9 . . . b8!?
A new i dea. Bl ack i s i ntendi ng to undermi ne
the c4-pawn.
1 0. e4
White i s i ntendi ng to sei ze control of the
weak d6-poi nt. Another route for the kni ght
comes i nto consi derati on - 1 0. tb3 wi th
the i dea of 1 0 . . . b5 1 1 . c5. I t i s true that thi s
al l ows Bl ack to devel op pawn acti vi ty on
the queensi de, but, wi thout the support of
the pi eces, thi s does not come to anythi ng:
195
1 1 . . . a5 1 2. tcd4 Yc7 (1 2 . . . txd4 1 3. Yxd4)
1 3. Ad2! ? (1 3. a4 bxa4 expands the scope
of the rook on b8) 13 . . . a4 1 4. txc6 dxc6
1 5. ta5 (nothi ng i s gi ven by 1 5. Aa5 Ye5
1 6. Ac3 Yc7) 15 . . . Ad? 1 6. Yc2, and after
1 7. b4 White bl ocks the queensi de, freei ng
hi s hands for pl ay i n the centre.
10 . . . b5 1 1 . cxb5 xb5 12. td6 Axd6
After the rook retreat 1 2 . . J b8 Whi te
consol i dates hi s hol d on d6 - 1 3. b3 Aa6
1 4. Aa3 Ya5 1 5. le1 lfd8 1 6. e4 wi th the
i dea of 1 6 . . . te8 1 7. e5, and 17 . . . txe5?
i s not possi bl e i n vi ew of 1 8. tc4! txc4
1 9. Axe?, wi nni ng the exchange.
1 3. Wxd6 Ab7 14. ta3
14. b3 te7 1 5. Axb7 lxb7 1 6. Ab2 came
i nto consi derati on, retai ni ng pressure on
the dark squares.
14 . . . b6
8
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7
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6
A
5
a b c d e f g h
1 5. Ae3?!
8
7
6
5
The ambi ti ons of the two pl ayers have con
verged on the d6-poi nt. For the sake of
thi s Aroni an is ready to sacri fi ce a pawn,
although ful l compensati on i s not apparent.
1 5. tc4 la6 1 6. Ad2 (preventi ng . . . ta5)
1 6 . . . te7 1 7. Yd3 Axg2 1 8. cxg2 i s more
natural , wi th the prospect of converti ng
the queensi de pawn maj ority.
15 . . . xb2 1 6. Ac5 e8 1 7. ab1
Whi te coul d have won t he exchange:
1 7. tc4 lxe2 (not 17 . . . lb5?! 1 8. a4 lb3
1 9. Yd1 lc3 20. td6, wi nni ng materi al )
1 8. Yd3 Aa6 1 9. Yxe2, but after 1 9 . . . d5
fol l owed by . . . Axc4 Bl ack woul d have
gai ned adequate materi al compensati on.
17 . . . xb1 18. xb1 Aa6
1 8 . . . Aa8 was weaker: 1 9. tb5 Yb8
20. lb3! ? wi th the i dea of 20 . . . ta5
21 . Axa7, regai ni ng the pawn.
1 9. tb5 Axb5 20. xb5 Wc8 21 . a4 h6
I t i s useful to open an escape square for the
ki ng, prepari ng . . . Ya6, whi ch for the mo
ment does not work because of 21 . . . Ya6
22. Axc6 dxc6? 23. lb8.
a b c d e f g h
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6
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5
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a b c d e f g h
22. Aa3
The l ogi cal compl eti on of White's strategy
was 22. e4! ? Ya6 23. e5, when the advan
tage of the two bi shops i s more apparent.
Now the bl ack queen comes out i nto the
open.
22 . . . Wa6! 23. Ab2 Wxa4 24. Axc6
196
L. Aroni an - M. Carl sen
dxc6 25. b4
Si nce 25. 'xc6 a6 26. c5 'xc6 27. xc6
a8 28. Axf6 gxf6 l eads to a rook end
game a pawn down, Aroni an prefers to
keep the queens on, wi th prospects of
an attack agai nst the somewhat exposed
bl ack ki ng.
25 . . . 'a5 26 . .xf6 gxf6 27. g4+ h7
28. Wxc6
The suggesti on of Mi khai l Gol ubev was
more subtl e: 28. 'd7 f8 29. f4! ? and if
29 . . . h5 (cutti ng off the rook from g4), onl y
now 30. 'xc6.
a b c d e f 9 h
8
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5

a b c d e f 9 h
29. 'c2+?
A cri ti cal moment. Whi te qui te l ogi cal l y
ai ms to provoke the weakeni ng . . . f6-f5,
but he carri es i t out i naccuratel y, al l owi ng
an i mportant transposi ti on of moves. I t
was correct to begi n wi th 29. a4! . Si nce
29 . . . 'e1 + 30. g2 d1 is i neffecti ve on
account of 31 . We?! , the queen woul d
have t o move off the i mportant di agonal
- 29 . . . 'b6, and now 30. 'c2+ f5 31 . e4!
fxe4 32. xe4 exposes the ki ng, forci ng
Bl ack to concern hi msel f wi th i ts defence.
Chess hi story knows many exampl es of
the conversi on of an outsi de passed pawn
with the same number of heavy pi eces - re
member the famous 34th game of the Al e
khi ne-Capabl anca match (Buenos Ai res
1 927). But there the ki ng was covered by
a conti nuous pawn chai n.
29 . . . f5 30. a4?
Too l ate, as now the i ni ti ati ve passes con
cl usi vel y to Bl ack. 30. g2 was better,
wi th the fai nt hope of 30 . . . We1 ?! 31 . 'e?,
but Bl ack pl ays 30 . . . d2! 31 . a4 'd5+
32. e4 fxe4 33. 'xe4+ 'xe4+ 34. xe4
a2, transposi ng i nto a rook endgame wi th
an outsi de passed pawn and real wi nni ng
chances.
30 'e1 + 31 . g2 d1 32. Wc7
32. xa7? 'h1 + 33. h3 g1 l eads to
mate .
32 . . . g6!
Pl ayed i n the styl e of Stei ni tz - the ki ng
can defend i tsel f.
33. f3!
Aroni an i s not l acki ng in i ngenui ty, and
withi n a coupl e of moves Carl sen' s ambi
ti ons wi l l be curbed somewhat.
33 Wh1 + 34. e3 a1 !
The ki ngs have succeeded i n defendi ng
themsel ves. Magnus offers to take pl ay
i nto a queen endgame.
35. Wc2
Whi te cannot refuse: 35. c4? a3+
36. d2 'd5+ 37. e1 a2.
35 . . . xa4 36. Wxa4
197
Chapter 3
o
Life at the Top
a b c d e f g h
8 8
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3
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/ / /
.
a b c d e f g h
36 . . . 'c1 +
The transi ti on i nto a pawn endgame by
36 . . . 'e4+ 37. 'xe4 fxe4 38. <xe4 is for
l overs of pai nstaki ng home anal ysi s, but,
speaki ng on general grounds, it i s unreal
to hope to save thi s endi ng where the op
ponent has an outsi de passed pawn.
37. f3 Wc3+ 38. g2 a5 39. g4
39. e4 was obj ecti vel y somewhat strong
er.
39 . . . We5 40. gxf5+ xf5 41 . We8 g6
42. 'f8 a4 43. e3 'e4+ 44. g3 Wd3
45. h4
I t is poi ntl ess to pl ay 45. 'g8+ <t6
46. Wh8+ <e7, when the ki ng escapes
from the checks.
45 . . . a3 46. h2 'f5
Bl ack al so wi ns by 46 . . . a2 47. h5+ <t6
48. 'xh6+ <e7 49. Wg5+ <ta 50. Wf6
'd1 .
47. Wxa3 Wxf2+ 48. h3 'f3+ 49. h2
h5 50. 'f8 'f2+ 51 . h1 g4
White resi gned.
Game44
Semi-Slav Defence [ 047]
1 . d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. f3 f6 4. c3 e6
5. e3 bd7 6. Jd3 dxc4 7. Jxc4 b5
8. Jd3 Jb7
a b
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a b c d e f g h
Currentl y the mai n conti nuati on, whi ch has
suppl anted the cl assi cal 8 . . . a6 9. e4 c5
1 0. e5 cxd4 1 1 . &xb5 axb5 1 2. exf6 gxf6
1 3. 0-0 'b6 1 4. 'e2. Of the recent battles
on thi s theme, menti on shoul d be made
of the Kramni k-Anand duel in the match
for the worl d champi onshi p (Bonn 2008),
where Bl ack was able to demonstrate an i n
tegrated pl an of attack on the ki ng si de. The
5th game of the match conti nued 1 4 . . . Ab7!
1 5. Axb5 l:g8! (the most accurate move
order) 1 6. Af4 Ad6 1 7. Ag3 f5 1 8. l:fc1 ! f4
1 9. Ah4 Ae7 20. a4 Axh4 21 . &xh4 <e?!
wi th compl i cated pl ay.
9. a3! b4 1 0. e4 xe4 1 1 . Jxe4 bxa3
12. 0-0 f6
Bl ack' s pl ay is based on nuances. By de
l ayi ng the devel opment of hi s dark-square
bi shop, he hopes to save a tempo i n com
pari son, for exampl e, wi th the game Aro
ni an -Gri schuk (Grand Pri x, Sochi 2008),
1 98
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whi ch cont i nued 1 2 . . . Ad6 1 3. b3 f6 1 6. Ab5+ d7 1 7. e5 wi th a mortal pi n)

14. d2 Yc7 1 5. Af3! Axh2+ 1 6. <h1 Ad6 1 6. d4! Ae7 1 7. f5, and now i n the event
1 7. c4 Ae7 1 8. Axa3 0-0 1 9. Ac5! )fd8 of castl i ng - 1 7 . . . 0-0? Bl ack comes under
20. b4 wi th a spati al advantage for Whi te. a mati ng attack: 1 8. xg7! <xg7 1 9. Yg4+
I f 1 2 . . . Ae7 there can fol l ow 1 3. b3 0-0 <h8 20. Axf6+ Axf6 21 . Yf5.
1 4. Axa3 Axa3 1 5. lxa3 Ye7 1 6. b4 wi th
1 6. te5 tfS 1 7 Ya4 .b4 18. txc6
pressure for White on the queensi de.
.xcS 1 9. YxcS+ me7 20. fd1 c8
13 . .d3 axb2 14 . .xb2 a5 21 . 'f3 'b6
Bl ack i s ready to devel op hi s bi shop on b4, Vacati ng the square for the rook.
neutral i si ng White's pressure on the open
22 . .d4 'bS 23 . .as cdS 24 . .b7!?
fi l es on the queensi de.
a b c d e f g h
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By bl ocki ng the queen, Whi te prepares
an exchange sacri fi ce on b4, after whi ch
the bl ack ki ng wi l l come under the dan
gerous cross-fi re of the bi shops. I n t he
event of the di rect 24. lab1 wi th the i dea
of 25. Ac5+ Bl ack can ei ther sacri fi ce
hi s queen: 24 . . . lhe8 25. Ac5+ Axc5
26. lxb8 lxd1 + 27. Yxd1 .xb8 wi t h
a defensi bl e posi ti on, or mechani cal l y
forestal l Whi te' s threat: 24 . . . ld6 25. Ab7
.hd8, prepari ng the evacuati on of the
ki ng.
15. d5! a b c d e f g h
A pawn sacri fi ce, whi ch characteri ses
Carl sen' s concrete t hi nki ng styl e. I t re
sembl es hi s pawn sacri fi ce agai nst l v
anchuk (Foros 2008) . Whi te opens the
di agonal for hi s dark-square bi shop, and
now t he ki ng wi l l be unabl e to cast l e.
Before thi s the game Gelfand - Kramni k
(Worl d Champi onshi p, Mexi co 2007) went
1 5. Ya4 Ab4 1 6. Aa3 d5 1 7. e4 b6
1 8. Yb3 Ye7 1 9. lab1 Axa3 20. Yxb6
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Ab4 21 . e1 0-0, and Bl ack mai ntai ned
2 h ? 4 . . . 5 .
the bal ance.
15 . . . txd5
The mai n i dea of the pawn sacri fi ce i s
reveal ed after 15 . . . exd5 (not 15 . . . cxd5?
Bl ack has succeeded i n coordi nati ng hi s
forces, but thi s move gi ves a new i mpe
tus to Whi te's i ni ti ati ve. Correct was 24 . . .
e5! 25. Ab6 .d6 26 . .xd6 Yxd6 (not
199
Chapter o Life at the Top
26 . . . Axd6 27. l:xa5 wi th the threat of !:a?) I t is hard to comment on thi s type of care-
27. Ax aS Ax aS 28. l:xa5 l:d8, and Bl ack l essness wi thout taki ng the precedi ng pl ay
compl etes hi s devel opment. i nto account. I t seems i ncredi bl e that such
25. h3
a powerful grandmaster as Aroni an was
unabl e to assess the consequences of
I f 25. l:ab1 there fol l ows 25 . . . tg4 26. g3 f6,
Whi te's attack after the obvi ous 28. Ac5+.
prepari ng an escape square for the ki ng.
But si mi l ar ' bl ack-outs' often occur wi th
25 . . . h4
Here too 25 . . . e5 shoul d have been pl ayed.
26. Sab1 ! e5
Too l ate!
27. Sxb4!
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Carl sen' s opponents, who are unabl e to
wi thstand the prol onged tensi on, when
they have to fi nd a seri es of onl y moves.
Now the bl ack ki ng ends up in a mati ng net
and the game concl udes qui ckly. 27 . . . exd4
28. l:bxd4 'c7 was essenti al , parryi ng the
di rect threats, al though the i l l -consi dered
advance of the h-pawn has seri ousl y com
promi sed Bl ack' s posi ti on. For exampl e:
29. AdS txd5 30. l:xd5 l:xd5 31 . 'xd5,
and i n vi ew of the threat of 'g5+ he can
hardl y avoi d a further weakeni ng of hi s
posi ti on - 31 . . . f6.
28. Ac5+ e6 29. Sa1 !
The game is deci ded.
29 . . . Sd6 30. Axd6 xd6 31 . 'c6+
e7 32. Sa8! 'd6 33. 'xd6+ xd6
34. Sxh8 b3 35. Aa6 td7 36. Sxh4
tc5
Bl ack resi gned.
At the Ol ympi ad i n Dresden Carl sen performed as a genui ne l eader. He confi dentl y l ed
the Norwegi an team in al l el even matches, in whi ch he contri buted 71 poi nts. The enti re
team al so pl ayed wel l and fi ni shed i n 1 9th pl ace, its most successful in recent hi story.
Among the young pl ayer's games, speci al note shoul d be made of the one with the
veteran Al exander Bel i avsky, in whi ch Magnus was gi ven another master cl ass by one
of the outstandi ng grandmasters from the ' gol den age' of chess.
d
M. Carl sen - A. Bel i avsky
Game 45
M. Carlsen
w
A& B el i avsky
Ol ympi ad, Dresden 2008
Ruy Lope z [ C84]
1 . e4 e5 2. f3 c6 3 . .b5 a6 4 . .a4
f6 5. 0-0 .e7 6. d3 d6 7. c3 0-0
8. I e1
Al exander Bel i avsky i s known for be
i ng fai thful to the openi ngs he empl oys.
Therefore i n hi s preparati ons for the game
Carl sen was probabl y expecti ng the vari
ati on wi th 8 . . . td7, whi ch Bel i avsky had
empl oyed agai nst hi m i n the ' Ri si ng Stars'
tournament i n Amsterdam 2006 i n repl y to
8. tbd2, and also in thi s Ol ympi ad agai nst
Bachman, who i n fact pl ayed 8. l:e1 . But
the experi enced grandmaster changes
course. Besi des, the game wi th Bach
man, whi ch devel oped i n very unusual
fashi on - 8 . . . td7 9. d4 exd4 1 0. cxd4
tb6 1 1 . Axc6 bxc6 1 2. tc3 aS 13. Ae3
f5 1 4. e5 f4 1 5. Ac1 d5, l eft some questi ons
unanswered.
8 . . . .g4 9. h3 .h5 1 0. bd2 d7
1 1 . f1 c5
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1 2 . .xc6
I t i s hard to surpri se Carl sen i n the openi ng.
He undoubtedl y knew that after the bi shop
retreat 1 2. Ac2 wi th 12 . . . te6 1 3. tg3 Axf3
14. xf3 Ag5 Bl ack can exchange hi s ' bad'
dark-square bi shop and obtai n the bet
ter game. I ndeed, in the i mmedi ate future
Whi te cannot advance d3-d4, whereas
Bl ack has a cl ear pl an - . . . g7-g6, . . . fg7,
. . . g5 and the preparati on of . . .f7-f5.
1 2 . . . bxc6 13. g4
The mai n l i ne i s consi dered to be 1 3. tg3
Axf3 1 4. xf3 te6 1 5. Ae3 c5, where
Bl ack has a comfortabl e game.
13 . . . .g6 14. g3 e6 15. mg2
Whi te del ays wi th the l ogi cal 1 5. d4, and
after Bl ack' s repl y i t i s no l onger a real i ty.
1 5 . . . c5 1 6. I h1 f6 1 7. h4 d5
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18. c4
Carl sen recogni ses i n good ti me that he has
not achi eved anythi ng from the openi ng and
has even ended up i n an i nferi or posi ti on.
Therefore he fi xes the pawn structure i n
the centre, real i si ng that otherwi se Bl ack
hi msel f wi l l pl ay . . . c5-c4 and gai n control
of the i mportant d3-poi nt. But now the d4-
poi nt becomes weak, and i t may prove an
excel l ent outpost for the bl ack pi eces.
dT
1 8 dxe4
There i s no poi nt i n Bl ack avoi di ng the
exchange of queens (1 8 . . . c6), si nce after
1 9. tfS Whi te has active pl ay on the ki ng
si de. I n the endgame Bl ack gai ns control
of the d-fi l e, and the attracti veness of the
d4-poi nt i s not reduced.
1 9. dxe4 'xd1 20. !xd1 !fd8
Thi s rook, si nce the f8-square has to be
freed in the event of tfS.
21 . .e3 ed4 22. !d2 .f7 23. !c1
IabS 24. ee1
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24 a5!
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Bel i avsky gi ves the young grandmaster

a good l esson i n strategy. Havi ng estab
l i shed control of the b-fi l e wi th . . J !ab8 and
. . . a7-aS, he at the same ti me weakens the
dark squares i n Whi te's posi ti on.
25. ed3 .e6! 26. f3 a4 27. ef5 .f8
28 . .f2
I n the event of the exchange on d4 -
28. txd4 cxd4 29. Af2 g6 30. Ecc2 cS
Bl ack strengthens hi s centre, and after
. . . Ad6 he prepares . . . f6-fS.
28 ec6 29. !cc2 .f7!
The bi shop makes way for the kni ght, ex
pl oi ti ng the fact that the cS-pawn i s ta
boo: 30. AxeS Exd3 31 . Exd3 AxeS; or
30. txcS tb4 31 . Exd8 Exd8 32. Ec1 Ed2
33. txa4 Exf2+ 34. xf2 td3+ 3S. e3
txc1 , and White has to make consi derable
efforts to regai n the kni ght.
30. ee3 ed4 31 . !c1 ee6 32. !cd1
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A move i n t he styl e of t he ni nth worl d

champi on Ti gran Petrosi an. Bl ack di s
pl ays hi s readi ness to sacri fi ce the ex
change: in the absence of his dark-square
bi shop, White wi l l have nothi ng wi th whi ch
to defend the dark squares. 32 . . . Exd3?!
woul d have been a fal se trai l : 33. Exd3
tf4+ 34. g3 txd3 3S. Exd3 Exb2
36. Ed8 g6 37. td1 !, and i n vi ew of the
threat of AxeS Bl ack i s forced to gi ve up
the exchange: 37 . . . Exf2 38. xf2 Axc4
39. tc3 f7 40. Ea8, when he has a di f
fi cul t endgame.
33. h2
Removi ng the threat of . . . Exd3.
33 !bd8 34. ed5 !xc4 35. b3 axb3
36. axb3 !d4!
dd
M. Carl sen- A. Bel i avsky

Neverthel ess forci ng the acceptance of
the exchange sacri fi ce, as otherwi se af
ter . . . c7-c6 the pi n on the d-fi l e goes i nto
operati on.
37. Axd4 xd4 38. g2 xb3 39. fb2
c6 40. e3 c4 41 . f2 d4 42. fb7
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The 37-year handi cap neverthel ess means
somethi ng! After safel y reachi ng the ti me
control , the ti red Bel i avsky conti nues pl ay
i ng 'automati cal l y' and bl unders a pawn.
After 42 . . Ja8! he woul d have had a stra
tegi cal l y won posi ti on.
43. fd3 c2 44. xc2 c5
A materi al advantage, al though a mi ni mal
one, i s now on Whi te's si de. Bel i avsky faces
a di ffi cul t struggl e for a draw, in whi ch he
successful l y demonstrates hi s defensi ve
mastery.
45. fd2 fa8 46. e3 c4 47. fd1 e6
48. fdb2
48. d5! ? was more energeti c, wi th the
i dea after 48 . . . d4 of pl ayi ng 49. fdb2,
i ntendi ng the exchange of rooks, and in the
event of 49 . . . Axd5 50. exd5 Bl ack has to
reckon wi th the passed d-pawn.
48 . . . h5 49. fb8
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49 . . . fa3!
I n an endgame the exchange down, i t
i s i mportant to retai n the rook to create
counterpl ay.
50. fc8 hxg4 51 . fxg4 h7 52. fb7
Ag6 53. fxc4 c5
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54. fbb4
54. fb8! Ad6 55. fc8 was stronger. For
exampl e, 55 . . . Axe4+?! does not work i n
vi ew of 56. g3 wi th t he threat of fxc5.
55 . . . fa2+ 56. f3 (56. g1 fa5 57. f2
e6 58. f5 is al so i nteresti ng) 56 . . . b3
i s safer, but here White can return the ex-
O
change by pl ayi ng 57. c3 (57. cg3 d2
58. fk2 !xc2 59. !xc2 xe4+ l eads to a
reduction in the material) 57 . . . d2+ 58. ce2
!b2 59. cd3 wi th dangerous threats.
54 . . . ia2+
54 . . . Af7 55. !c3 !a1 was stronger.
55. mg3
Bl ack' s defence woul d have been more
di ffi cul t after 55. cf3! ? e6 56. c3 !h2
57. !b8 (57. h5? g5+) 57 . . . !h3+ 58. ce2
Ac5 59. f5.
55 . . . id2 56. h5 .f7 57. ic2
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57 . . . id4!
An accuratel y-cal cul ated exchangi ng op
erati on wi th a reducti on i n the number of
pawns, i n whi ch by some mi racl e the d3-
pawn survives. 57 . . . !d3! ? 58. !e2 g61ooks
more prosai c, but perfectl y sound.
58. ixd4 exd4 59. f5 d3 60. ib2
xe4+ 61 . mt4 c5 62. f2 g6
The number of pawns i s i nexorabl y re
duced.
63. hxg6+ mxg6 64. me3 Je6
s5. h4+ mg5 ss. t3+ mgs s1. ibs
mt7
After 67 . . . Ah6+ 68. cd4 d2 the passed
d- pawn conti nues to survi ve: 69. !c6
(69. fb1 d7 70. cd3 C5+ 71 . cd4
d7) 69 . . . b3+ 70. cc3 Ad5 71 . h4+
cg5 72. !d6 Ab7! 73. f5 (73. !b6 c5)
73 . . . Af8 74. !d7 c5, and now 75. !xd2
e4+ 76. xe4+ Axe4 l eads to the l oss
of the l ast pawn.
68. ic6 .d7 69. ic7 mea 70. d4
Ah6+ 71 . mt3 e6 12. xe6 Axe6
73. xd3 f5 74. gxf5 Axf5
Al ready here peace coul d have been con
cl uded.
75. e5 Af8 76. ia7 Ad6 77. c4 Ah2
78. e3 .d7 79. me4 Ag1 so. ia8+
mt7 81 . ia7
Draw.
The year 2009 began i n an unusual way for Carl sen. The Norwegi an' s admi rers
were surpri sed by hi s peaceabl eness at the super-tournament i n Wi j k aan Zee
(FI DE category 1 9) . I t seemed that t hi s was the very t i me to bui l d on the success
of the previ ous year, si nce for vari ous reasons the mai n favouri tes for the chess
crown had decl i ned to pl ay in the tournament: Anand, Kramni k and Topal ov. But
al ongsi de Carl sen' s name i n the tournament tabl e a depressi ng seri es of ' hal f
poi nts' appeared. However, it was cl ear to the experts that the reasons were of a
personal nat ure. It is wel l known that Carl sen never pl ays del i beratel y for a draw,
as i ndi cated at the l east by the l ength of hi s games. One of the reasons for such
M. Carl sen - L. Domi nguez

an occurrence was hi s greatl y i ncreased presti ge: opponents began pl ayi ng more
cauti ousl y agai nst hi m. But there were al so some notabl e set- backs. Pl ayi ng ' by
techni que' i n the endgame di d not al ways work, as, for exampl e, i n heavy pi ece
endi ngs wi th Radj abov and Karj aki n, whi ch by thei r protracted nature resembl ed
i ndi vi dual games. Neverthel ess, by wi nni ng i n rounds 1 0 and 1 2 agai nst Domi nguez
and Smeets, Carl sen j oi ned the battl e for the fi rst pri ze. But hi s strength was on
the wane, and i n the l ast round he was outpl ayed by Wang Yue. Compared wi th the
fai ry-tal e previ ous year, hi s fi nal score of + 1 wi th ten draws and a share of 5th-6th
pl aces l ooked very modest i ndeed.
Game 46
M. Carlsen - L. Domi nguez
Wi j k aan Zee 2009
G runfeld Defence [ 081]
1 . d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. 'b3
dxc4 5. 'xc4 .g7 6. e4 0-0 7 . .e2
fd7 8 . .e3 b6 9. 'd3
9 . . . f5
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Domi nguez tri es to carry out thi s i dea more
accuratel y than i n hi s game wi th Kramni k
from t he Ol ympi ad i n Dresden, where he
pl ayed 9 . . . &c6 1 0. l:d1 f5.
1 0. l:d1 f4 1 1 . .c1 e5 12. d5
The cri ti cal conti nuati on. Thi s pawn has the
prospect of becomi ng passed. The feature
less 1 2. &f3 exd4 1 3. &xd4 c5 1 4. &db5
Wxd3 1 5. l:xd3 &c6 1 6. 0-0 &eS gi ves
Bl ack an easy game.
12 . . . c6 13. f3
For the moment i t i s too early to separate
the d-pawn from its base. I n the event of
1 3. d6 Ae6 14. &f3 Wf6 Bl ack is threateni ng
to surround i t: 1 5. Wc2 l:d8 1 6. 0-0 &eB.
13 . . . cxd5 14. xd5 xd5 1 5. 'b3
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Thi s was undoubtedl y prepared at home.

The exchange of queens, carri ed out i n
the game Jakovenko-Mamedyarov (Grand
Pri x, El i sta 2008), di d not gi ve Whi te any
t hi ng: 1 5. Wxd5+ Wxd5 1 6. exd5 Af5
1 7. 0-0 &d7. Carl sen i s not agai nst the
queen exchange, but i n a better versi on.
For exampl e: 1 5 . . . Wb6 1 6. Ac4 Wxb3
1 7. Axb3 &c6 1 8. Axd5+ h8 1 9. h3.
15 . . . h8
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Chapter o
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Life at the Top
The pawn sacri fi ce 1 5 . . . Ae6 1 6. exd5 Af7
1 7. 'xb7 td7 l ooks promi si ng, but after
Carl sen' s meteori c ri se the psychol ogi cal
approach of hi s opponents was al ready
di fferent. For exampl e, after 1 8. d6 Axa2
1 9. 0-0 Ae6 20. ffe1 the whi te pi eces co
ordi nate very harmoni ousl y, and the d6-
pawn may cause Bl ack certai n probl ems.
Domi nguez sensi bl y prefers not to throw
cauti on to the wi nds and to retai n a stabl e
posi ti on.
1 6. Ac4 c6 1 7. Axd5 Ye7 18. h3 b4
The al ternati ve was 1 8 . . . td4 1 9. txd4
exd4 20. fd3 (20. 0-0? f3) 20 . . . Af5
21 . 'xb7 'e5! with good compensati on
for the pawn. For exampl e: 22. 0-0 (22. ff3
g5 l ooks unnatural ) 22 . . . fab8 23. 'fxa7
Axe4 24. Axe4 'xe4 25. fa3 fa8 etc.
1 9. Ac4
Carl sen avoi ds the exchange of hi s ac
ti ve bi shop, overl ooki ng Bl ack' s repl y.
Meanwhi l e, after the si mpl e 1 9. 0-0 txd5
20. exd5 'ff7 21 . ffe1 (otherwi se there fol
l ows the bl ockadi ng tf3-g5-e4) 21 . . . Wf5
22. d6 thi s pawn causes Bl ack consi d
erabl e probl ems. For exampl e: 22 . . . fb8
23. 'c3 (23. Ad2 e4 24. Ac3! exf3 25. fe7
is tempti ng, but Bl ack can pl ay 23 . . . Ae6)
23 . . . Ae6 24. fxe5! Axe5 25. txe5 <g8
26. d7 Wf6 27. 'fc7.
a O O O O I g h

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1 9 . . . b5!
Now Bl ack sol ves hi s openi ng probl ems.
20. Axb5
Al so after 20. Ad2 bxc4 (weaker is 20 . . . a5
21 . Axb4 axb4 22. Ad5) 21 . 'xb4 'c?! ?
(21 . . . Wxb4 22. Axb4 fe8 23. 0-0) 22. Ac3
Ab7 23. tg5 fae8 Bl ack has nothi ng to
fear.
20 . . . xa2 21 . Ad2 b8 22. Ya4 Yb7
23. 0-0 Yxb5 24. Yxa2 Yxb2 25. Yxa7
Yb7 26. Yc5
The posi ti on has stabi l i sed. The weakness
of the e5-pawn i s compensated by the
weakness of the e4-pawn.
26 . . . Ae6
26 . . . 'fxe4 i s also possi bl e, but Bl ack has to
wi thstand some i ni ti ati ve by White: 27. Ac3
Ab7 28. Axe5 Axe5 29. ffe1 fbc8 30. Wa3
fa8 31 . Wb3 Wa4. From the practi cal poi nt
of vi ew, wi th ti me-troubl e approachi ng, the
move i n the game i s safer.
27. Yd6 Ab3 28. b1 Yxe4 29. Ac3
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29 . . . bd8?!
I t i s from such tri fl es that the precondi ti ons
for an attack are created. I f one l ooks at the
di fference i n the defences of the ki ngs, i t
i s obvi ous that after exchanges on e5 the
bl ack ki ng wi l l to subj ect to a ' draught'
al ong the adjacent a1 -h8 and a2-g8 di
agonal s, whi ch i s dangerous wi th the
d
M. Carl sen L. Domi nguez
queens on the board. Meanwhi l e, after

the si mpl e 29 . . . dS the threat of . . . eS-e4
woul d have forced Whi te to exchange the
queens - 30. AxeS AxeS 31 . xeS+ xeS
32. txeS AdS wi th an i mmi nent draw.
30. 'a3 Ac2?
Taki ng i nto account what was sai d earl i er,
the bi shop shoul d have been kept on the
a2-g8 di agonal , for exampl e 30 . . . AdS.
Carl sen i mmedi atel y expl oi ts Bl ack' s mi s
take.
31 . gb5! 'a4?
Another i naccuracy. The queen coordi
nates better wi th t he other pi eces after
31 . . . c6, and al t hough Whi te can sti l l
torment hi s opponent, there i s no di rect
wi n: 32 . .xeS! ? (or 32. b2 c8 33. AxeS
AxeS 34. txeS c3 3S. a2 .c7) 32 . . . a8
33. b2 Ae4! (after 33 . . . .fc8 34. Ad4
Whi te i s domi nant on the l ong di agonal :
34 . . . .ab8 3S . .e7! ,xb2 36 . .xg7 wi th
the wi n of a pawn - 37 . .xg6) 34. td4
b7 3S . .bS f7 etc.
32. Wb2
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Over the l ast three moves the si tuati on has
changed sharpl y.
32 . . . .d3?
The bi shop shoul d have been urgentl y
swi tched to the a2-g8 di agonal - 32 . . . Ae4
33. AxeS a? 34. tgS AdS 3S . .d1 h6
36 . .bxdS ,xdS 37 . .xdS hxgS. Bl ack has
a broken pawn structure, but the wi n i s sti l l
a l ong way off. One gai ns the i mpressi on
that Domi nguez fai l s poi nt-bl ank to see
the vi tal di agonal .
33. gb7! Wc2
There i s no l onger any way of savi ng the
game. Thi ngs are hopel ess after both
33 . . . Axf1 34. AxeS .d7 3S. Axg7+ and
33 . . . .d7 34. C xeS AxeS 3S. AxeS+ g8
36 . .xd7 xd7 37. b3+ ,f7 38 . .c1 ,
when the threats of .c7 or Ab2 and c3,
wi th an attack on the l ong di agonal , are
i rresi sti bl e.
34. 'b4 gfe8 35. ge1
3S. AxeS! AxeS 36. txeS .xeS 37. xf4
was more energeti c .
35 Ae2
3S . . . Aa6 36 . .a? .a8 37. AxeS woul d
merel y have del ayed Bl ack' s i nevi tabl e
defeat.
36. xe5 Axe5 37. Axe5+ gxe5
38. Wxf4 Wf5 39. Wh6
Bl ack resi gned.
I n Li nares (FI DE category 21 ) Carl sen as though by i nerti a conti nued hi s ' Wij k' drawi ng
seri es and began the tournament wi th fi ve draws. But the essence i s not i n the number
of draws - i n such stel l ar company thi s i s natural - but i n the qual i ty of the pl ay. And
here openi ng preparati on comes to the fore. Gi ven the modern state of theory, i t i s onl y
d!
Chapter o
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Life at the Top
wi th the white pi eces that i t is real i sti c to hope to wi n agai nst a pl ayer of equal cl ass.
But thi s demands pai nstaki ng work and searches i n the l abyri nths of theory, whi ch i s
not to Magnus' s taste. Typi cal , for exampl e, i s thi s admi ssi on i n one of hi s i nterviews:
'I have never l i ked studyi ng openi ng theory. For me a normal posi ti on i s suffi ci ent. If
I have an advantage in an endi ng, I can pl ay for a long ti me, tryi ng to force the oppo
nent to make a mi stake. ' But in super-tournaments i t i s na"l ve to rel y on pl ayers maki ng
mi stakes. And the defi ci enci es of Carl sen' s openi ng preparati on were seen al ready i n
the second round, when wi th Whi te he was obl i ged to force a draw i n hi s game wi th
Domi nguez after mi ssi ng a tri ck.
1. c4 c5 2. tf3 tc6 3. d4 cxd4
4. txd4 tt6 5. tc3 e6 6. g3 'b6
7. tdb5 te5 8 . .f4 tfg4 9. 'a4 (9. e3
i s more often pl ayed) 9 . . 8 g5! 10 .xe5.
a O O O O I
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1 0 'xf2+! (i n the game Aroni an - Leko,
Morel i a/Li nares 2008, 10 . . . txe5 was
pl ayed) 1 1 . d1 txe5 12. tc7+ d8
1 3. txa8 'd4+ 14. c2 txc4, and
Carl sen went i n for a repeti ti on of moves:
1 5. b3 td2+ 1 6. c2 tc4 1 7. b3
td2+ 18. c2 11-1.
However, i n the 6th round Magnus nev
erthel ess managed to achi eve what he
wanted - he gai ned a mi ni mal endgame
advantage and i n a drawn-out game he
defeated Anand for the fi rst ti me. But thi s
proved to be a ' pyrrhi c' vi ctory. Magnus
began the second hal f of the event wi th
two successi ve l osses, to Aroni an and
Wang Vue, i n whi ch, pl ayi ng Whi te, he
not onl y fai l ed to extract anythi ng from
the openi ng, but even ended up in i nferi or
posi ti ons. And onl y an i mportant wi n i n
the 1 Oth round over the l eader Gri schuk
enabl ed hi m to fi ni sh the tournament wor
thi l y in 3rd pl ace.
Game 47
M. Carl sen - V. Anand
Li nares 2009
Semi -Sla v Defence [ 045]
1 . d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. tc3 tt6 4. e3 e6
5. tf3 tbd7 6. 'c2 .d6 7. g4 txg4
8. lg1 'f6 9. lxg4 'xf3 1 0. lxg7 tf6
1 1 . h3
a O O O O I g h
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d
Begi nni ng a chase of the queen - lgS
and Ag2 i s threatened. I f Whi te begi ns
wi th 1 1 . lgS, t hen 1 1 . . . le4 1 2. txe4
(1 2. Ag2 'f6) 1 2 . . . dxe4 1 3 . Ag2 'f6
14. lg4 eS i s possi bl e, wi th roughl y equal
chances.
11 . . . Wf5
It is hard to expl ai n Anand's deci si on to go
i nto an obvi ousl y i nferi or endgame (possi
bl y the reasons were of a personal nature),
where the presence of the pawn i sl ands
dS, fS, f7 and h7 condemns Bl ack to a
cheerl ess defence. Apparentl y he doubted
whether i t was possi bl e to break open such
a fortress. But i t i s wel l known that Carl sen
i s not afrai d of hard work, and he i s ready
to pl ay an endgame with a stabl e posi ti onal
advantage.
The pl ay was more l i vel y i n the game
Aroni an - Morozevi ch ( Morel i a/Li nares
2007): 1 1 . . . h6 (preventi ng lgS wi th the
threat of trappi ng t he queen by Ag2)
12. Ad2 eS 1 3. g3 'hS 14. cxdS exd4
1S. te4 txe4 1 6. 'xe4+ 'eS 1 7. 'xeS+
AxeS 1 8. f3 cxdS 1 9. AbS+ e7 20. exd4
Ad6 (20 . . . Axd4? 21 . Ab4+ e6 22. 0-0-0
AeS 23. le3 l eads to the l oss of the bi shop)
21 . f1 Ae6 wi th equal chances.
1 1 . . . eS i s ri sky: 1 2. dxeS AxeS 1 3. lgS
td7 1 4. cxdS cxdS 1 S. lfS wi th advantage
to Whi te, Ti sdaii-Si dsel rud (Norway 2002) .
12. Wxf5
Of course, if 1 2. Ad3 Bl ack wi l l happi l y
capture the pawn - 12 . . . 'xh3.
1 2 . . . exf5 1 3. cxd5 cxd5
The exchange of kni ghts came i nto consi d
erati on: 13 . . . txdS 1 4. txdS cxdS 1 S. Ad3
e7 fol l owed by . . . Ae6 and . . . lag8.
14. tb5 Ab4+ 1 5. Ad2 Axd2+
1 6. xd2 e7 1 7. Ad3 Ae6
a O O O O I g h
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An i ndi cati on of a deep understandi ng of
t he endgame. Few woul d have concei ved
the i dea of exchangi ng the kni ght for the
' bad' bi shop. But Carl sen observed that
the bi shop was ful fi l l i ng the i mportant task
of defendi ng the fS- and dS-pawns. For
the sol vi ng of a strategi c obj ecti ve Whi te
uses a tacti cal feature of the posi ti on: the
presence of the rook on g7 forces Bl ack
to capture the kni ght wi th hi s ki ng, whi ch
wi l l be ti ed to the defence of the fS- and
dS-pawns.
1S . . . lagS 1 9. txe6 xe6 20. lxgS
txgS
Bl ack does not want to concede the c-fi l e
after 20 . . . 1xg8 21 . lc1 .
21 . e2
I f 21 . lc1 there fol l ows 21 . . . te7 22. lc7
lb8 and then . . . d6.
21 . . . te7 22. f3 lcS 23. a4 lc7
24. a5 h6 25. h4 f6 26. h5 tcS
27. f4
Whi l e Bl ack has been forced to adopt a
wai ti ng posi ti on, Whi te has been sei zi ng
space.
27 . . . td6 2S. lg1 lcS 29. f3 e6
I t was hard to deci de on the further weak
eni ng 29 . . . a6, but thi s was possi bl y the
d
onl y way of not al l owi ng the rook i nto
the rear. Whi te woul d have had to l ook
for other ways to strengthen hi s posi ti on:
30 . .e1 (both 30. Ab1 e6 and 30. fa1
.g8 31 . .a3 .g5 are i nsuffi ci ent) 30 . . . fg8
31 . Ac2 tc4 (weaker i s 31 . . . fg2 32. Ab3
.xb2 33. Axd5 .b5 34. e4) 32. Axf5
(32. b4 .g5 33 . .h1 e6 34. Ad3 td6)
32 . . . txa5 33 . .c1 tc6 34 . .c3 tb4
(34 . . . fg2 35. Ac8) 35. Ag4 etc.
30. g7
With the threat of .h7.
30 . . . h8
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31 . Ac2!
A subtl e manoeuvre of the bi shop to b3,
creati ng the threat of e3-e4.
31 . . . c8 32. Ab3 h8 33. g1 c8
34. g7 h8 35. g2 c8
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36. g1 !
Whi te gi ves hi s opponent the move (com
pare thi s posi ti on wi th the one after Bl ack's
33rd move) . Si nce Bl ack cannot concede
the c-fi l e, he is forced to move hi s kni ght.
36 . . . e8
I n the event of 36 . . . tc4 Bl ack has to reck
on wi th the possi bi l i ty of White transposi ng
i nto a favourabl e rook endgame: 37. Axc4
.xc4 (or 37 . . . dxc4 38 . .g7 .h8 39. e4)
38 . .g7 .a4 39. b4 .xb4 40 . .h7 .a4
41 . .xh6+ e7 42 . .h8 .xa5 43 . .b8. He
can al so consi der 37. e4! ? fxe4 38. fxe4,
putti ng the d5-pawn under pressure, si nce
38 . . . dxe4? fai l s to 39 . .c1 , transposi ng
i nto a won pawn endgame: 39 . . . d5
40. Axc4+ .xc4 41 . .xc4 xc4 42. xe4.
At the same ti me the manoeuvre Ab3-d1-
g4+ i s threatened.
37. e4!
White changes the pawn structure, gai ni ng
access to the h-pawn.
37 . . . fxe4 38. fxe4 f6 39. e5 e4
I n the event of 39 . . . txh5+? 40. e3 Bl ack
coul d have l ost hi s kni ght.
40. e3
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40 . . . b6
I f 40 . . . tg5 Bl ack has to reckon wi th the
threat of sacri fi ci ng the exchange for
two pawns: 41 . f1 te4 42. xf7! ? xf7
43. Axd5+ e7 44. Axe4! (44. Axb7 b8
45. Axe4 xb2 i s i nsuffi ci ent) 44 . . . c1
(44 . . . c4 45. d5 a4 46. f4) 45. d5 and
the pawns, ' taken by the hand' , advance
towards the queeni ng square: 45 . . . f1
(or 45 . . . b6 46. axb6 axb6 47. f4 f1 +
48. Af3 d7 49. d6 e6 50. b4! b5
51 . e4 and the ki ng goes to c5) 46. d6+
e6 47. Af3 e1 + 48. d4 g1 49. Ad5+
d7 50. Axb7 etc.
41 . axb6 axb6
Another posi ti onal achi evement by Whi te:
hi s rook obtai ns new manoeuvri ng pos
si bi l i ti es.
42. d3 f2+ 43. e2 e4 44. e3
Agai n gi vi ng the opponent the move by
the ' tri angul ati on' method. Bl ack has to
deci de whether to al l ow the rook i nto hi s
rear or bl ock the g-fi l e.
44 . . . f6
44 . . . tg5 was more resi l i ent: 45. a1 (here
45. f1 te4 46. xf7 xf7 47. Axd5+ e7
48. Axe4 e6 is now i nsuffi ci ent) 45 . . . f6! ?
(weaker i s 45 . . . te4 46. a6 b8 47. Ad1
wi th the threat of Ag4+) 46. exf6 te4 47. f7
f8 48. a6 xf7 49. xb6+ td6, setti ng
up a new defensi ve l i ne.
45. Eg6 Ec1 46. Exh6 Eh1 47. Ac2
Eh3+
47 . . . e1 +! 48. d3 h1 was stronger.
48. f4 Eh4+ 49. f3 d2+ 50. e2
50. g3! xd4 51 . xf6+ xe5 52. f5+
e6 53. h6 was stronger, when the h-pawn
must deci de the game.
50 . . . Eh2+ 51 . d1 c4 52. Exf6+ e7
53. Ag6 Ed2+
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54. c1
54. e1 was more accurate: 54 . . . fxd4
55. h6 h4 56. Af5 d4 57. e6+ f7 58. b3!
te3 59. ff6+ e7 60. Ac8! fh2 61 . fd6
e8 (i n the event of 61 . . . f8 62. h7 Whi te
exchanges the rooks and wi ns the d4-
pawn) 62. Aa6 tf5 63. Ab5+ e7 64. fxb6
txh6. White wi ns by coordi nati ng the ac
ti ons of hi s pi eces and the e-pawn: 65. Ac4
tf5 66. fb7+ e8 67. Ab5+ f8 68. e6
te7 69. Ac4.
54 . . . Exd4 55. b3 xeS 56. Exb6 Eh4
57. Ats
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Chapter o
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57 e tf3?
Thi s was obvi ousl y not one of Anand' s best
days. By 57 . . . .h1 + he coul d have hi ndered
the advance of the h-pawn. 58. b2 tc4+!
59. bxc4 .xh5 60. Ag6 .h2+ 61 . c3 dxc4
l eads to the theoreti cal l y drawn endi ng rook
and bi shop agai nst rook. After 58. c2
tf3 59. Ag4 tg5 Bl ack somehow hol ds
on, and wi thout the passed b-pawn White
cannot get by.
58. h6 td4 59. h7!
A wel l -known techni que. Now the h-pawn
wi l l cost the exchange.
59 . . . txf5 60. b8 td4 61 . mb2 md6
62. h8' xh8 63. xh8
The game enters the techni cal conversi on
phase.
63 e mc5 64. h5 tc6 65. h4 tb4
66. ma3 d4 67. h5+ td5 68. mb2
mc6 69. ma3 mc5 70. h4 tb4
71 . h8 tc6 72. h5+ md6 73. b4 d3
74. h3 te5 75. mb3 d2 76. mc2 tc6
n. h4 md5
Bl ack resi gned.
Game 48
L. Dominguez - M. Carl sen
Li nares 2009
1 . e4 c5 2. tf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. txd4
tt6 5. tc3 g6 6 .e3 .g7 7. f3 tc6
8. 'd2 0-0 9 .c4 .d7 1 0. 0-0-0 lbS
1 1 . .b3 ta5 1 2 . .h6
(see next diagram)
The exchange of bi shops depri ves . . . tc4
of much of i ts strength. But i t al so has
drawbacks: i n certai n l i nes Bl ack can dri ve
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away the kni ght by . . . e7-e5. I n thi s case
the d6-pawn is not so vul nerabl e, si nce
after . . . b7-b5 Bl ack has the mul ti -purpose
manoeuvre . . . .b6, when the rook defends
the pawn whi l e al so taki ng part in an attack
on the ki ng ( . . . .a6, . . .<aS) . True, al l the
same the shadow of td4-f5 hangs over
the ki ng's posi ti on.
12 .xh6
I t i s useful to di vert the queen from the
centre - in the event of the wi ng attack
h2-h4-h5 there i s the repl y . . . g6-g5.
1 3. 'xh6 b5 14. g4
I t i s an eternal di l emma i n the Dragon-with
whi ch pawn to begi n the assaul t? White
begi ns wi th the g-pawn, not al l owi ng 14 . . .
e5 i n vi ew of 1 5. tf5! , but now Bl ack suc
ceeds i n i ni ti ati ng counterpl ay.
The al ternati ve is 1 4. h4 e5! ? 1 5. tde2
b4 1 6. td5 txb3+ 1 7. axb3 (there i s no
parti cul ar poi nt in 1 7. cxb3 txd5 1 8. xd5
Ae6 19 . .d2 .b6, when apart from the
attack with . . . .a6 and . . .<as Bl ack has
the di stant prospect of a favourabl e end
game, LAmi -Ti vi akov (Leeuwarden 2004)
1 7 . . . txd5 1 8 . .xd5 Ae6 (1 8 . . . .b6 i s al so
good, wi th the i dea of 1 9. h5 g5!) 1 9. d3
(1 9. h5 i s not dangerous i n vi ew of 19 . . . We?!
dTd
L. Domi nguez- M. Carl sen
20. hxg6 fxg6 21 . .xd6 .fc8 22. c4 bxc3
23. exc3 .b6 wi th a good game for
Bl ack, Lasti n -B. Savchenko, Sochi 2007)
19 . . . .b6 20. f4 Ag4 21 . h5 Vc7 22 . .g3
.c8 wi th chances for both si des, Bol o
gan - B. Savchenko (Sochi 2007).
14 . . . xb3+
I t i s poi ntl ess pl ayi ng 14 . . . ec4 1 5. h4 e5?
1 6. edxb5.
15. xb3
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Wi th thi s move White effecti vel y abandons
the potenti al threat of ed4-f5, for the sake
of whi ch g2-g4 was pl ayed. 1 5. axb3! ?
b4 1 6. ece2 came i nto consi derati on,
and now i f 1 6 . . . e5?! there i s t he good re
pl y 1 7. tf5! gxf5 1 8. gxf5 h8 19 . .hg1
.g8 20 . .xg8+ exg8 21 . Wxd6 and then
22. Vxe5, obtai ni ng three pawns for the
kni ght. Apparentl y the best for Bl ack i s
16 . . . .b6, defendi ng the pawn beforehand
i n the event of 1 7. h4 e5 1 8. ef5 gxf5
1 9. gxf5 h8 20 . .hg1 .g8.
1 5 . . . b4 1 6. d5 xd5 1 7. exd5 !b6!
The best square for the ' Chi nese' rook.
From here i t i s ready for an attack on the
ki ng, and i n the gi ven speci fi c case i t al so
supports the . . . e7-e5 advance.
18. !he1
Abandoni ng the fl ank strategy - 1 8. h4 e5
1 9. dxe6 fxe6 20. h5 g5 .
1 8 . . . e5 1 9. dxe6 fxe6
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Objecti vel y speaki ng, Bl ack' s posi ti on i s
al ready the more promi si ng. Whi te' s f3-
pawn is weak, and at the same ti me the
d6/e6 ' smal l centre' i s ready to take up
more active posi ti ons. I n addi ti on, an at
tack on the ki ng l ooks more real for Bl ack
than for Whi te.
20. !e3 !f7
Al exey Kuzmi n recommends 20 . . . e5! ?
21 . h4 Vc7 22. h5 Ae8 wi th good pl ay for
Bl ack .
21 . d2 d5 22. b3
The e6/d5 pawn pai r - whi ch i s usual l y a
headache for Bl ack i n the cl assi cal vari a
ti on of the French Defence - does not con
sti tute a probl em here, si nce i t cannot be
bl ockaded by the kni ght. On the contrary,
in a number of vari ati ons i t can become
mobi l e. For exampl e, Whi te cannot fi x thi s
pai r wi th 22. f4. By pl ayi ng 22 . . . Vf6 23 . .f3
Ab5 (wi th the threat of . . . Ae2) 24 . .f2 e5
Bl ack breaks through i n the centre.
dTO
22 . . . Wc7 23. b1 lbS 24. lde1
I t i s obvi ous that Whi te's pl ay on the ki ng
si de has come to a standst i l l , whereas
Bl ack' s threats on the opposi te wi ng are
real . Therefore i t was l ogi cal to bri ng back
the queen to support the other pi eces:
24. h4 .:c8 25. f2, goi ng onto the de
fensi ve.
24 . . . lc8
26 . . . d4!
Bl ack cl ears the approaches to the ki ng.
27. le5 d3 28. cxd3 lxf3 29. d4?
Carl sen' s energy has had i ts effect.
Domi nguez, as though hypnoti sed, watch
es the opponent' s acti ons. The queen
shoul d have been urgentl y brought back
to the defence - 29. d2.
29 . . . Ab5 30. l2e3 Ad3+ 31 . a1
Whi l e Whi te has been seeki ng t he re-
qui red regroupi ng, Bl ack has taken fi rm
possessi on of the c-fi l e and i s ready for
acti on.
25. l1e2 Wb6
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26. h4
A poi ntl ess move. The advance of the d
pawn shoul d have been prevented, but thi s
i s not easi l y done. For exampl e, after 26 . .:d2
.:c4 27 . .:ed3 .:cf4 Bl ack switches to a si ege
of the f3-pawn - 28. d4 c7 and prepares
. . . e6-e5 (the di rect 28 . . . e5 29. e2 l eads
to si mpl i fi cati on of the posi ti on), retai ni ng a
seri ous i ni ti ati ve.
Possi bl y the best for White was 26. c1 ,
setti ng up a di stant defensi ve l i ne: 26 . . . .:cf8
(26 . . . d4) 27. h4.
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31 Wxd4!?
The consequence of the back rank be
i ng undefended. I t i s hard to resi st such
a move, but the ruthl ess Rybka poi nts out
that 31 . . . .:f2! , with the same threat, i s more
effecti ve. 32 . .e1 al l ows a mati ng attack:
32 . . . .:xb2! 33. xb2 .c2+ 34. a1 c6!
35 . .c5 .xa2 36. xa2 a4+ 37. b2
a3#.
32. lxe6 lf1 + 33. le1 Wxg4
Wi th the threat of 34 . . . d1 + .
34. lxf1 Wxe6 35. c5 We2 36. lc1
At5
Whi te has somehow pl ugged the hol es i n
hi s posi ti on. But Bl ack has an extra pawn
dT
M. Carl sen- A. Gri schuk
and prospects of a pawn storm agai nst 49. 'e3 Ee8 50. 'c3 Ee2
the ki ng's resi dence.
50 . . . Wd4! was more forceful .
37. Wf4 aS 38. h5 51 . b3 Exc2 52. Wxc2 We5+
With the fai nt hope of 38 . . . Yxh5? 39. Yc4+
cf8 40. Wd4.
38 We7 39. Wc4+?
In ti me-troubl e Domi nguez fai l s to expl oit
hi s l ast chance. The preparatory openi ng
of the h-fi l e by the exchange 39. hxg6 hxg6
woul d not have done White any harm. After
40. Wc4+ the repl y 40 . . . Ae6 is now i nsuf
fi ci ent in vi ew of 41 . 'd4 wi th the threat
of h1 . Bl ack woul d have had to restri ct
hi msel f to 40 . . . g7 41 . Wd4+ Wf6, reduc
i ng the tempo of the attack. However, thi s
woul d not have saved the game for Whi te.
39 .e6 40. Wc2 Wg5!
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Now White is ti ed, as they say, hand and
foot. Domi nguez coul d have cal ml y re
si gned, but he was as though i n a l ethargi c
sl eep. The rest i s al l Bl ack.
41 . hxg6 hxg6 42. a3 bxa3 43. Wc3
A pi ece i s l ost after 43. bxa3 'e5+ 44. 'b2
xc5.
43 axb2+ 44. xb2 Wd5 45. Ec2 a4
46. a1 a3 47. We3 .f7 48. Wc3 g5
The trap 52 . . . Yxb3?? 53. Yg6+ i s onl y
for begi nners.
53. b1 g7 54. Wd2 xb3
Whi te resi gned.
Game 49
M. Carl sen -A. Grischuk
Li nares 2009
1 . e4 c5 2. f3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. xd4
f6 5. c3 a6 6 .e2 e6 7. 0-0 .e7
8. a4 c6 9 . .e3 0-0 1 0. f4 Wc7
1 1 . h1 Ee8 12. At3 At8 1 3. Wd2 Eb8
14. Wf2
Thi s vari ati on was wel l known to Gri schuk
from hi s Candi dates match wi th Rubl evsky
(Eii sta 2007), where he uphel d the white
side. In the 8th game of the match Gri schuk
pl ayed 1 4. ad1 and after 1 4 . . . e5 1 5. tde2
b5 1 6. axb5 axb5 1 7. f5 b4 1 8. td5 txd5
1 9. Wxd5 Aa6 20. 'd2 td4 21 . Axd4 exd4
22. fe1 Axe2 23. Wxe2 Ae7 24. xd4 Af6
25. c4 WaS White had the better chances.
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14 . . . e5
After 1 4 . . . Ad7 1 5. g4! e5 Whi te gai ns an
i mportant tempo for the attack on the ki ng
si de. The game Carl sen -Anand (Wij k aan
Zee 2008) conti nued 1 6. tf5 exf4 1 7. Axf4!
Ae6 18 . .ad1 te5 1 9. AxeS dxe5 20. g5
td7 21 . td5 Wc6 22. Ag2 Wc5, and here
Magnus l aunched an attack on the ki ng:
23. Wh4 Wxc2 24 . .c1 Wxa4 25. b3! ?
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Analysis diagram
25 . . . WaS? 26 . .c3 g6 27 . .h3 h5, and here
i nstead of 28. Af3 Axd5! 29. exd5 Ag7, after
whi ch Bl ack was abl e to defend, accordi ng
to anal ysi s by Maxi m Notki n Whi te coul d
have concl uded the game i n spectacul ar
fashi on: 28. tg3! ! (wi th the threat of txh5)
28 . . . Ag4 29. txh5! gxh5 (or 29 . . . Axh5
30. Wf2 f5 31 . gxf6 .e6 32 . .xh5 gxh5
33. Ah3) 30. Wf2! f5 (30 . . . Ae6 31 . fxh5+)
31 . gxf6 and wi ns.
I t remai ns to add that, i n the di agram
posi ti on, i nstead of 25 . . . WaS? Bl ack coul d
have sei zed the i ni ti ati ve wi th a queen sac
ri fi ce: 25 . . . Wxb3! 26 . .c3 Axd5! 27 . .xb3
Axb3 28 . .f3 .bc8! 29 . .xb3?! .c1 +
30. Af1 .xf1 + 31 . g2 .f4! (Notki n).
1 5. fxe5
Carl sen, as usual , i s concrete i n hi s deci
si ons: 'At fi rst si ght i t l ooks a bi t i l l ogi cal ,
l etti ng Bl ack get ri d of hi s backward pawn
on d6 and openi ng up for hi s bi shop on
f8, and l eavi ng White with a bad bi shop on
f3. However, the move has some poi nts as
wel l : the bad bi shop mi ght turn out to actu
al l y be very strong after a subsequent td5
txd5 exd5, and the possi bi l i ty of creati ng a
passed pawn and a dangerous queensi de
maj ori ty i s general l y dangerous for Bl ack. '
1 5 . . . dxe5
The capt ure wi th the kni ght 1 5 . . . txe5
l eads to l oss of materi al after 1 6. Ag5!
Ae7 1 7. Axf6 Axf6 1 8. td5 Wd8 1 9. Ah5.
1 6. b3
Thi s i s where a subtl e poi nt of the pawn
exchange on move 1 5 is seen. If i nstead of
1 5. fxe5 White had retreated 1 5. tb3, then
after 1 5 . . . b5 1 6. axb5 axb5 1 7. td5 txd5
1 8. exd5 exf4 Bl ack woul d have obtai ned
the e5-square. But now 1 6 . . . b5 woul d be a
bl ank shot - 1 7. axb5 axb5 1 8. td5 txd5
1 9. exd5, and the kni ght i s dri ven to a l ess
good post.
1 6 . . . b4 1 7. ja7
A wel l -known techni que: before pl aci ng hi s
bi shop on b6 White drives the rook to its
i ni ti al square, removi ng a defender of the
b7-pawn, whi ch may be of i mportance in
some vari ati ons.
17 . . Ja8 18. jb6 'e7 1 9. Ead1
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dT
M. Carl sen - A. Gri schuk
19 Ae6?!
A routi ne move, whi ch l eads to White cre
ati ng a dangerous passed pawn. ' Safer
was 1 9 . . . Ag4! , whi ch l ooks paradoxi cal ,
as Bl ack offers to exchange hi s "good"
bi shop for my "bad" bi shop, but actual l y i t
makes a l ot of sense, as the key move now
wi l l be l ess dangerous. White sti l l keeps a
sl i ght i ni ti ati ve, but Bl ack has a perfectl y
decent posi ti on. ' (Carl sen)
20. td5 Axd5 21 . exd5 e4 22. d6
'e6?
I t i s wel l known that the queen i s a poor
bl ockader, and 22 . . . d7 23. tc5 f5
woul d have l ed to a posi ti on from the
game, but why present the opponent wi th
a tempo? 22 . . . e5 23. d7 txd7 24. lxd7
exf3 25. xf3 f6 26. td4 e4 was the best
way out of the si tuati on.
23. tc5 'f5 24. Ae2 'xf2 25. fxf2
tbd5
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26. a5?
the pl aci ng of hi s pi eces and prepare a
breakthrough on the queensi de.
26 txb6 27. axb6 fab8?
Gri schuk returns the favour. He shoul d not
have cl ung on to the pawn - the posi ti on
coul d have been hel d by the acti vati on of
the rook: 27 . . . lec8 28. b4 lc6 29. d7 Axc5
30. bxc5 (30. d8+ i s al so i nsuffi ci ent:
30 . . . lxd8 31 . lxd8+ Af8 32. Axa6 lxb6)
30 . . . ld8 31 . Axa6 lxc5 (31 . . . bxa6 32. b7
l eads to the l oss of the exchange) 32. Axb7
lb5, pi cki ng up the pawns.
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28. fxf6!
Cl eari ng the barri er i n front of the passed
pawn. Carl sen confi dentl y converts hi s
advantage.
28 gxf6 29. td7 15 30. c4 a5 31 . c5
Ag7 32. txb8 fxb8 33. Aa6! Af6
34. Axb7 fxb7 35. c6 fxb6 36. fc1 !
Throwi ng away the frui ts of hi s previ ous
The fi nal subtl ety - after 36. c7? lc6 White
work, whereas after 26. lxf6 txf6 the
woul d have l ost.
move 27. a5 woul d have practi cal l y pl aced
36 Axb2 37. d7
Bl ack i n zugzwang. I t i s hard for hi m to fi nd
a move, whereas White can cal ml y i mprove Bl ack resi gned.
dT!
Chapter o
o
Life at the Top
Carl en' s fi rst appearance at the Mtel Masters super-tournament in Sofi a (FI DE category
21 ) was reassuri ng. In the very fi rst round he defeated the mai n tournament favourite
Topal ov. In the second half Magnus gai ned addi ti onal wi ns over Domi nguez and Wang
Yue and was weari ng the yel l ow j ersey goi ng i nto the l ast round, hal f a poi nt ahead of
Shi rov and Topal ov. The fate of the fi rst pri ze was deci ded in the Shi rov-Carl sen game.
I t was suffi ci ent for the Norwegi an to make a draw, and i t appeared that the game was
fol l owi ng a perfected scenari o: he pl ayed hi s favourite Chel yabi nsk Vari ati on, where he
had the reputati on of bei ng i nvi nci bl e. But it was here that a seri ous hol e in Magnus' s
openi ng preparati on was reveal ed - he fel l i nto a prepared l i ne by Shi rov and l ost. As
a resul t, the fi rst prize was won by Shi rov, and Carl sen had to be sati sfi ed with a share
of 2nd-3rd pl aces wi th Topal ov.
Game 50
M. Call BeD - V. Topal ov
Sofi a 2009
Semi -Sla v Defence [ 043]
1 . d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. f3 f6 4. c3
e6 5 . .g5 h6 6 . .xf6 Wxf6 7. e3 d7
8 0 .d3 dxc4 9 . .xc4 g6
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The ol d vari ati on 9 . . . Ad6 1 0. 0-0 Ve?
1 1 . e4 Ac7 1 2. fc1 , where Bl ack has a
cramped posi ti on, has hardl y been pl ayed
in recent ti mes.
1 0. 0-0 .g7 1 1 . e4 0-0
Castl i ng usual l y l eads to more compl i cated
pl ay, whi ch is in accordance wi th Topalov's
styl e. Another cri ti cal branch, 1 1 . . . e5, pre-
venti ng the squeezi ng of Bl ack' s posi ti on,
occurred i n the rapi d game Carl sen -Kar
jaki n (Ni ce 2009), whi ch conti nued 1 2. d5
b6 1 3. Ab3 Ag4 1 4. fc1 ! (i n the event of
1 4. h3 Axf3 1 5. Vxf3 Vxf3 1 6. gxf3 e7
Bl ack central i ses hi s ki ng) 1 4 . . . 0-0 1 5. h3
Axf3 1 6. Vxf3 Vxf3 1 7. gxf3 gfd8 1 8. gfd1
Af6 1 9. dxc6 bxc6 20. gxd8+ fxd8.
.
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f
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ff f

Analysis diagram
I t used to be t hought t hat t he end
game ari si ng i n t hi s vari at i on was not
dangerous for Bl ack. However, it is by
no means easy to make a draw. Whi te
has a smal l advantage, not onl y t hanks
to hi s super i or pawn structure (weak
pawns on a? and c6) , but al so the fa
vourabl e opposi te- col our bi shops: the
l i ght-square bi shop ti es t he bl ack ki ng
to t he defence of t he f7-pawn, where
as t he dark- square bi shop i s passi ve.
dT
Carl sen happi l y pl ays t hi s type of end
i ng: 21 . td1 d6 22. c5 f 8 23. f1
h5 24. te3 e7?! (the bi shop shoul d
have been freed from havi ng t o defend
the e5- pawn - 24 . . . Ah4! 25. e2 f6)
25. e2 Ag7 26. tc2, and Bl ack was
unabl e to defend hi s weak pawns.
12. e5 Ye7 1 3. Ye2
A typi cal structure in the Moscow Vari a
ti on. Bl ack's counterpl ay i nvol ves devel
opi ng hi s bi shop at b7 and prepari ng . . .
c6-c5. Whi te prepares the manoeuvre of
hi s bi shop to e4, in order to meet . . . c6-
c5 wi th the exchange of the l i ght-square
bi shops and the possi bl e central break
through d4-d5.
a O O O O ! g h
13 b5
1 3 . . . b6 is more often preferred: 1 4. fe1
d8 (after 1 4 . . . Ab7 1 5. Aa6 Whi te ad
vantageousl y exchanges the l i ght-square
bi shops) 1 5. ad1 . Now Bl ack has to de
ci de whether to forestal l the exchange of
bi shops by 1 5 . . . a5 or conti nue manoeu
vri ng - 1 5 . . . b8.
a) 1 5 . . . a5 ( i n combi nati on wi th . . . c6-c5
t hi s move somehow does not l ook
ri ght, si nce i t l eads t o a weakeni ng of
the queensi de) 1 6. Ad3 Ab7 1 7. Ae4 b5
1 8. h4 tb6 1 9. Ab1 c5 20. t:xb5 Aa6,
and here i nstead of 21 . h5 g5 wi th dou
bl e-edged pl ay (Kramni k-Svi dl er, Worl d
Champi onshi p, Mexi co 2007), 21 . Ad3!
woul d have retai ned the better chances.
b) 1 5 . . . b8 1 6. Ad3 Ab7 17. Ae4 c5
1 8. Axb7 xb7 1 9. Ye4 bb8 20. tb5
(20. d5 exd5 21 . t:xd5 i s al so possi bl e)
20 . . . cxd4 (20 . . . a6 21 . ta7) 21 . tbxd4,
and the weakness of Bl ack' s l i ght
square peri phery guarantees White an
enduri ng advantage.
14 .d3 .b7
In the game Graf - Kraemer ( Bundesl i ga
2007) Bl ack prematurel y forced the . . .
c6-c5 advance: 1 4 . . . b4?! 1 5. ta4 c5
1 6. ac1 cxd4 1 7. Ye4 b8 1 8. c7 and
White gai ned the advantage.
15 . .e4 Efd8
Bl ack carries out the standard rook depl oy
ment in thi s vari ati on, prepari ng the freei ng
. . . c6-c5. The i mmedi ate 15 . . . ab8 i s al so
possi bl e, al though here too after 1 6. ac1
a6 1 7. fd1 i t i s not easy to make thi s ad
vance, si nce 17 . . . c5? i s parried by 1 8. Axb7
xb7 1 9. t:e4 wi th the occupati on of d6.
Its preparati on requi res ti me. For exampl e:
17 . . . fc8 1 8. h4 h5 1 9. t:g5! Aa8 20. We3
c5 21 . f4 cxd4 22. Wxd4 with advantage
to Whi te i n vi ew of the chroni c weakness
of the d6-poi nt.
1 6. Eac1
I f 1 6. t:xb5 there woul d have fol l owed
1 6 . . . t:xe5.
16 Eab8 1 7. Efd1 a6
(see next diagram)
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a O O O O ! g h
The manoeuvre 1 8. b1 ! was more i n the
spi ri t of the posi ti on, expl oi ti ng the res
pi te (1 8 . . . c5? i s not possi bl e on account of
1 9. Axb7 .xb7 20. dxc5) to pl ay the kni ght
to b3. A possi bl e conti nuati on is 1 8 . . . .dc8
1 9. bd2 Aa8 (now i f 1 9 . . . c5? there fol
l ows 20. Axb7 .xb7 21 . e4 wi th an i nva
si on at d6) ' 20. 'e3! (a great preparatory
move, shown by the engi nes. 20. b3 c5
21 . Axa8 .xa8 wi th equal i ty is what di s-
couraged me from pl ayi ng 1 8. b1 ) 20 . . .
c5 21 . Axa8 .xa8 22. e4, and si nce 22 . . .
cxd4 can now be met by 23. 'xd4, White
has a cl ear i ni ti ati ve. ' (Carl sen)
1 8 . . . Aa8
Here 1 8 . . . c5 i s now possi bl e, si nce
1 9. Axb7 .xb7 20. e4 i s less effective be
cause of 20 . . . cxd4 21 . .xd4 (21 . d6 .bb8
22 . .xd4 xe5) 21 . . . xe5 22 . .xd8+ Wxd8
23. xe5 Axe5 24. c5 'c7 25. d3 Ah2+
26. h1 'b8.
1 9. Ec2
1 9. h5 g5 20. h2 was more energeti c,
swi tchi ng the kni ght to g4.
1 9 Edc8 20. Edc1 'f8
Si nce 20 . . . c5?! 21 . Axa8 .xa8 22. te4
l eads to a pi n on the c-fi l e, Bl ack defends
hi s rook on c8.
21 . a4?!
21 . 'e3 c5 22. Axa8 .xa8 23. d5 came
i nto consi derati on.
21 c5?!
'After t he si mpl e 21 . . . b4 22. b1 c5
23. Axa8 .xa8 24. dxc5 .xc5 (24 . . . txc5
25. Wc4! ) 25. bd2 .xc2 26 . .xc2 .c8
Bl ack even has a sl i ght i ni ti ati ve, thanks
to the weaknesses on e5 and a4. I t' s hard
to expl ai n why both pl ayers had mi ssed
thi s. ' (Carl sen)
22. axb5 cxd4 23. xd4
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23 . . . Axe4?
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A strategi c mi stake, al l owi ng compl ete
domi nati on by the kni ghts in the centre of
the board. After 23 . . . axb5 24. Axa8 .xa8
the weakness of the b5-pawn is bal anced
by the weakness of the e5-pawn, whi ch
gi ves Bl ack adequate counterpl ay. I f 25. f4
there i s the good repl y 25 . . . 'd8 (wi th the
threat of . . . txe5) 26. 'f2 and Bl ack has a
choi ce between 26 . . . g5 and 26 . . . b4.
24. xe4 Exc2 25. Exc2 axb5
25 . . . Axe5 i s dangerous because of
26 . .d2! , when the bl ack pi eces are hang
i ng (tc6 i s threatened).
26. c6! Eb6 27. f4
dd
M. Carl sen - Wang Yue
Pl ayi ng for a compl ete bi nd; it onl y remai ns 33. 'd3! 'xe7
to ' seal ' Bl ack up wi th td6.
33 . . . \xc7 al l ows a mat i ng attack:
a O O O O ! g h
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27 'a8
The queen i s more active after 27 . . . tb8
28. ta7! b4, but i t cannot do anythi ng on
its own: 29. h5 !b7 30. tc8 !d7 31 . tcd6
etc.
28. te7+ h7 29. h5 Ea6 30. hxg6+
fxg6 31 . Ec7! Ea1 + 32. f2?
'I thought that the most natural 32. h2
woul d gi ve Bl ack unnecessary counterpl ay
after 32 . . . txe5, but thi s fai l s to the si mpl e
33. tf6+ Axf6 34. td5+ Ag7 35. \xe5
f8 36. !xg7+ \xg7 37. tf6+, when Bl ack
i s mated or l oses the queen. ' (Carl sen)
32 'd8
32 . . . !a4 33. tc6! tf8 34. tf6+ also does
not hel p.
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34. tg5+! hxg5 35. \xg6+ h8 36. \h5+
Ah6 37. \xh6#.
34. Exd7 'h4+ 35. f3 'h5+
I f 35 . . . h8, then 36. !xg7 xg7 37. tf6
is deci si ve.
36. g3
Bl ack resi gned.
Game 51
M. Carl sen - Wang Vue
Sofi a 2009
Sla v Defence {015}
There are few pl ayers who do not have
awkward opponents. Carl sen i s no excep
ti on. He was one of the Lviv pl ayer Andrey
Vol oki ti n's ' cl i ents' (0-5! ). But that was a
l ong ti me ago (by Magnus' s standards) -
in 2006, and wi th the exi sti ng rati ng tabl e
thei r paths are not l i kel y to cross i n the near
future. But another ' offender' , Wang Yue,
i s among hi s present-day ri val s. The Chi
nese grandmaster i s one of Carl en's most
awkward opponents: in thei r si x games
before the present one wi th the cl assi cal
ti me control he not onl y di d not suffer a
si ngl e l oss, but he al so twi ce forced the
Norwegi an to l ay down hi s arms. Moreover,
thi s was in the mai n tournaments of 2009,
i n Wi j k aan Zee and Li nares, where Carl sen
was a real contender for fi rst pri ze.
1 . c4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. tf3 tf6 4. tc3 a6
The Chebanenko Variati on, named after the
wel l -known Mol dovan trai ner, who made a
detai l ed anal ysi s of thi s system of defence.
Wang Yue i s one of the most fervent sup
porters of thi s vari ati on.
ZZT
5. c5
The most cri ti cal repl y: Whi te tri es to gai n
space on the queensi de. I n a previ ous
game wi th Wang Vue (Li nares 2009), the
. . . a7-a6 theme was performed i n a di ffer
ent scenari o: 1 . d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. c3 f6
4. e3 a6 and after 5. f3 b5 the pl ay took
on a quite di fferent aspect.
5 .f5
Wang Vue's favourite repl y in thi s variati on.
The mai n conti nuati on i s consi dered to be
5 . . . tbd7, wi th whi ch Bl ack prepares the
undermi ni ng of the pawn chai n by . . . e6-e5
and . . . b7-b6.
6. th4
Magnus takes the deci si on to exchange
the bi shop, gi vi ng the posi ti on cl ear stra
tegi c contours. In the mai n l i ne - 6. Af4
tbd7 7. e3 e6 S. Ae2 there is the possi bl e
S . . . te4, when Bl ack' s l i ght-square bi shop
pl ays an i mportant rol e.
6 . . . .g6
I n the event of 6 . . . Ag4 7. h3 Ah5 S. g4 Ag6
al l the same the bi shop has to retreat to g6.
The i ncl usi on of h2-h3 and g2-g4 not onl y
expands White's space on the ki ngsi de, but
al so gi ves hi m a tempo for devel opi ng hi s
bi shop wi th 9. Ag2, from where i t supports
the e2-e4 advance.
7 . .f4 tbd7
a O O O e ! g h
8. txg6! ?
The concrete nature of Carl sen' s thi nki ng
i s one of the i mportant components of hi s
pl ayi ng styl e. Whi te ni ps i n the bud the
possi bi l i ty of . . . e6-e5.
At the Amber Tournament (Ni ce 2009)
in hi s rapi d game wi th Wang Vue, Anand
made thi s exchange after S. e3 e6 9. h3
Ae7 1 0. txg6 hxg6 1 1 . Ad3, and also re
sol ved his mai n strategi c objectives: al ong
wi th . . . te4 he al so excl uded . . . e6-e5. The
game cont i nued 1 1 . . . cS 1 2. 0-0 0-0
1 3. b4 !eS 1 4. Ah2! AdS 1 5. f4! b6 1 6. a3
a5 1 7. c2 b7 1 S. g4 Ac7 1 9. g2 axb4
20. axb4 !xa1 21 . !xa1 !aS 22. !xaS+
xaS 23. a4 xa4 24. txa4, and White
achi eved the better endgame. Apart from
Bl ack' s compromi sed pawn structure on
the ki ngsi de, hi s c6-pawn i s al so weak,
and i f 24 . . . b5 he has to reckon with the
sacri fi ce of a pi ece for a pai r of connected
passed pawns.
However, after S. e3 Bl ack coul d al so
pl ay S . . . e5. Now nothi ng i s promi sed by
9. Axe5 xe5 1 0. dxe5 td7, whi l e in the
event of 9. dxe5 th5 the move Ag5 i s no
l onger possi bl e.
8 . . . hxg6 9. h3!
I mmedi atel y prepari ng the retreat of the
bi shop. I f 9. e3 there woul d have fol l owed
9 . . . e5! .
9 . . . b6
Here if 9 . . . e5 there i s 1 0. dxe5 th5 1 1 . Ah2
Axc5, and i f Whi te does not l i ke the com
pl i cati ons after 1 2. g4 b6 1 3. e3 xb2
1 4. !c1 d4, he can restri ct hi msel f to
1 2. d2 e7 1 3. g4. Now after 1 3 . . . d4 it
i s possi bl e to transpose i nto a favourabl e
endgame: 1 4. te4 Ab4 1 5. td6+ xd6
ddd
M. Carl sen - Wang Yue
16. exd6 Axd2+ 1 7. xd2 lhf6 1 8 . .d1 .
I nstead of 1 0 . . . lh5, 1 0 . . .'c7 1 1 . e3 txe5
12. b4 Ae7 1 3. Ae2 0-0 1 4. 0-0 a5 1 5. a3
lfd7 l ooks more sol i d, wi th an accept
able game. For exampl e, i f 1 6. e4, then
16 . . . axb4 1 7. axb4 .xa1 1 8. xa1 d4!
1 9. la4 lf3+ 20. Axf3 xf4 21 . xd4
te5 22. Ad1 .d8 23. c3 Af6 i s possi bl e,
wi th excel l ent compensati on for the pawn.
1 6. d2! ? i s more ci rcumspect.
10. cxb6
I f 1 0. b4?! there fol l ows 1 0 . . . bxc5 1 1 . bxc5
e5! .
10 . . . 'xb6 1 1 . b1 e6 1 2. e3 c5
a O c O O ! g h
-
@
-
t
t
-
-
b

b
4
3
4
:

:
- "3 -
1
a O c O O ! g h
Al though the openi ng battl e has concl uded
safel y for Bl ack, certai n probl ems sti l l re
mai n. Whi te has the advantage of the two
bi shops, and the exchange of the dark
square pai r wi l l enhance the rol e of the
l i ght-square bi shop i n supporti ng a pawn
offensi ve on the queensi de.
13. a3
Whi te' s pl an i s to advance hi s pawns
and create a passed pawn. I f 1 3 . . . Ae7,
for exampl e, there fol l ows 1 4. dxc5 txc5
1 5. b4 tce4 1 6. la4 d8 1 7. Ad3, and
the queensi de pawns, supported by the
bi shops, are ready to advance.
13 . . . Ad6
After the other versi on of the bi shop ex
change - 1 3 . . . cxd4 1 4. exd4 Ad6 - Whi te
gai ns a seri ous posi ti onal pl us: a pawn
majority on the queensi de. Thi s coul d have
been avoi ded by the radi cal 1 3 . . . c4, but
then Bl ack sti l l has the probl em of defend
i ng hi s queensi de i n the event of b2-b3.
For exampl e: 1 4. Ae2 (after the i mmedi ate
1 4. b3 there is the good repl y 1 4 . . . a5! )
1 4 . . . Ad6 1 5. Axd6 xd6 1 6. 0-0 0-0
1 7. a4 .fb8 1 8. b3 lb6 19. a5 cxb3
20 . .xb3.
14. a4 Wc7
The provocati ve 1 4 . . . a5+? 1 5. b4 cxb4
1 6. Axd6 b3+ 1 7. Ab4 xa4 1 8. xb3
xb3 19 . .xb3 l eads to the two bi shops
bei ng a real advantage.
1 5. Axd6 Wxd6 1 6. xc5 xc5
1 7. dxc5 Wxc5 18. Wa4+ e7 1 9. Ad3
a5
The posi ti on has cl ari fi ed. To pl ay for a wi n
White must not onl y create a passed pawn,
but al so keep the queens on, as otherwi se
thi s pawn wi l l be easi l y bl ockaded.
20. ce2!
A hi ghly concrete move, whi ch as regards
the opponent's repl y also has a psychol ogi
cal i mpl i cati on: White di spl ays hi s readi ness
to give up hi s two rooks for the queen. I n
t he event of 20. 0-0 .hc8 21 . .fc1 xc1 +
22 . .xc1 .xc1 + 23. h2 .b8 Bl ack suc
ceeds i n activati ng hi s rooks. If the rooks are
retai ned, it is not easy for White to create a
passed pawn: 21 . .fd1 (21 . d1 a4) 21 . . . .a?
22 . .d2 b6 23 . .c2 .xc2 24. xc2 .c7
(24 . . . a4 25 . .c1 ) 25. a4 .a? etc.
dO
Chapter o
o
Life at the Top
a O O O O ! g h
d
$
d
7

A A
7
AA
b
A WA
b
/ / /
Z
/ / /
Z
L L
a O O O O I g h
20 . . Jhc8
A cri ti cal moment. Focused on a passi ve
stance, Wang Yue mi sses an opportuni ty
to expl oi t the posi ti on of the ki ng on e2 by
20 . . . d4! . After 21 . \xd4 Wxd4 22. exd4
hd8 the pawn i s regai ned: 23. e3 fd5+
24. f3 lf6, and i n the endgame there
is nothi ng to fear, whi l e if 21 . exd4 Bl ack
obtai ns an excel l ent post at d5 - 21 . . . Wh5+
22. g4 \d5 (Gi ei zerov) .
21 . hc1
Usual l y i t i s not consi dered dangerous to
exchange two rooks for a queen, but i n
t he gi ven speci fi c posi ti on t he l ong-range
bi shop, supporti ng the passed pawn, may
be abl e to restri ct the rooks' mobi l ity.
21 . . . Wxc1
After 21 . . . Wb6 22. xc8 xc8 23. b4 axb4
24. xb4 We? 25. Wb3, thanks to hi s out
si de passed pawn, Whi te has a smal l but
enduri ng advantage.
22. xc1 xc1 23. b4
(see next diagram)
a O O O O ! g h
d
a O O O O I g h
23 . . . qf8?!
d
7
b
Passive defence has no chance of success.
Bl ack shoul d have deci ded on 23 . . . 1e4! ?.
I n the event of the exchange of mi nor pi ec
es - 24. Axe4 dxe4 25. b5! (after 25. bxa5
c7 26. Wxe4 ca7 Bl ack pi cks up both
pawns) 25 . . . f5 (25 . . . b8! ? 26. Wxa5 bc8
27. Wb4+ 8c5 l ooks tempti ng, but after
28. f4! the ki ng escapes from the danger)
26. f3 exf3+ 27. xf3 e5 28. Wb3 it i s easi er
for the rooks to fi ght agai nst the passed
pawn, al though even here the chances
of savi ng the game are i l l usory. However,
White is not obl i ged to exchange hi s bi sh
op; he can al so consi der 24. f3! ? fd2+
25. f4, and al though i t l ooks provocative
to bri ng the ki ng out, Bl ack has no real
threats: 25 . . . f6 26. bxa5 lc4 27. \b4
xb5 28. 'b8 etc.
The other acti ve possi bi l i ty 23 . . . e5! ? is
parri ed by 24. d2 cc8 25. bxa5.
24. bxa5 qga 25. a6
Whi te has a bi g advantage, but i ts conver
si on shoul d take a consi derabl e ti me.
25 . . . c7 26. Wf4 ca7
26 . . . ac8 was more resi l i ent. Now i n
t he event of 27. \b4 le4 28. Wb6 c6
dd
M. Carl sen - Wang Vue
Bl ack somehow hol ds out, but 27. f3 td7
28. 'd6 ieS 29. Ab5 i s stronger, when
White shoul d wi n.
27. 'd4!
The queen ti es down both rooks. I t i s no
l onger possi bl e to return: 27 . . . 1k7 28. Wb6
lac8 29. a7.
27 . . . e4 28. 'b6
Preventi ng . . . td6 wi th the swi tchi ng of
the kni ght to c4.
a O O d e
+ d
7
7
"
b b
4 4
Z Z
a O O d e ! g h
28 . . . e5?
I nappropri ate acti vi ty, l eadi ng to a weaken
i ng of Bl ack' s posi ti on and a rapi d defeat.
He shoul d have ti ed the queen to the de
fence of the a6-pawn - 28 . . . tf6 29. Ab5
td7. However, thi s i s a reci procal l i nkage.
By the cycl i c manoeuvre 30. Wd6 tb8
31 . Wd8+ <h7 32. Wb6 td7 33. Wd4 tb8
34 . . . td7?! 35. Ac6) 35. h4 lc7 36. Wb6
lka7 37. g4. By advanci ng h4-h5 at the
appropri ate moment, Whi te breaks up the
ki ng's defences and gai ns new offensi ve
l i nes:
a) 37 . . . td7 38. Wd6 tb8 39. Wd8+ <h7
40. h5! txa6 41 . hxg6+ fxg6 42. Wb6
tb4 43. Wxe6;
b) 37 . . . <h7 38. h5 gxh5 39. Ad3+! g6
40. gxh5 txa6 41 . hxg6.
29. e1
El i mi nati ng the threat of a check on c3.
Thi s same ai m woul d have been achi eved
by 29. Wc6 fol l owed by the dri vi ng back
of the kni ght and an attack on the central
pawns: 29 . . . lb8 30. f3 tf6 31 . Wd6 lb2+
32. <d1 or 29 . . . ld8 30. f3 tf6 31 . Wb6
da8 32. Wc5.
29 . . . g5
I f 29 . . . tf6 White attacks wi th 30. a4 td7
31 . Wd6.
30. Jb5 e6 31 . a4 d4
Bl ack l oses after 31 . . . tc7 32. Ac6 but,
i n vi ew of the threat of 32. Wd6, he al so
cannot get by wi thout advanci ng hi s pawn.
32. a5 fc7?
Overl ooki ng the l oss of the exchange. But
32 . . . dxe3 33. fxe3 tf8 34. Wd6 woul d have
led to the l oss of the e-pawn.
Whi te gai ns a tempo for a pawn offensi ve:
33. Jc6
34. a4 <g8 (not 34 . . . c7? 35. Wh4+, or Bl ack resi gned.
For Carl sen the next super-tournament, the Sparkassen GM i n Dortmund (FI DE cat
egory 20), fol l owed a si mi l ar pattern to the tournament i n Sofi a. The fi nal resul t was
al so si mi l ar. I n the fi rst round Magnus won agai nst Jakovenko, and after a present i n
the 5th round from Nai di tsch, who bl undered a pawn, he coul d onl y be stopped by
Kramni k, who by tradi ti on i s especi al l y formi dabl e i n Dortmund (he al ready had ni ne
vi ctori es to hi s credi t) . Carl sen pl ayed agai nst the favourite as though sl eep-wal ki ng,
maki ng mi stakes i n a fai rl y si mpl e posi ti on. Defeat i n the deci sive game, the thi rd i n
dd
that year (after Wi j k aan Zee and Sofi a), was a warni ng symptom in the formi ng of hi s
champi on's character. However, i n such company i t i s not customary to cal l a share
of 2nd-4th pl aces a fai l ure.
Game 52
M. Carl sen - D. Jakovenko
Dortmund 2009
Ruy Lope z [ C67]
1 . e4 e5 2. tf3 tc6 3 . .b5 tf6
The Berl i n Defence was empl oyed when
the study of the Ruy Lopez was sti l l i n i ts
i nfancy, i ncl udi ng matches i nvol vi ng the
fi rst worl d champi on Wi l hel m Stei ni tz. But
for i ts popul ari ty i n the 21 st century i t i s
i ndebted to Vl adi mi r Kramni k, after he re
veal ed i t as hi s mai n weapon agai nst 1 . e4
in his match for the world champi onshi p
wi th Garry Kasparov i n 2000 i n London.
4. 0-0 txe4 5. d4 td6 6. Axc6 dxc6
7. dxe5 tf5 8. 'xd8+
White has no reason to avoi d the queen ex
change, si nce 8. Ye2 1d4 9. lxd4 Yxd4
10 . .d1 Ag4 l eads to the same thi ng, whi l e
the attempt to be stubborn wi th 1 0. lc3
Ae6 1 1 . .d1 Yc4 1 2 . .d3 Ac5 gi ves
Bl ack a comfortabl e game. For exampl e,
i f 13. le4?! there fol l ows 13 . . . Af5.
a . . . mxd8
b
4
3
a O c O O ! g h
g s
A
t

a O c
b
4
:
3
/ /
:

O O I g h
The start i ng posi t i on of t he vari at i on,
whi ch si nce t he t i me of t he Kasp
arov - Kramni k match has been cal l ed
the ' Ber l i n Wal l ' . Even the 1 3th wor l d
champi on was unabl e to breach i t. As
for Dmi try Jakovenko, l i ke no one el se
he knows about i ts sol i di ty, si nce he has
often attacked i t from t he whi te si de.
However, whi l e t he choi ce of t hi s de
fence agai nst Carl sen has a psychol ogi
cal i mpl i cat i on, i t can hardl y be deemed
a successful one. Everyone knows wi th
what pl easure Magnus pl ays a compl i
cated endgame, al bei t wi th a smal l but
enduri ng advantage. I n the gi ven posi ti on
Whi te can hope to make use of hi s pawn
maj ori ty on the ki ngsi de.
9. tc3 mea
Kramni k pl ayed 9 . . . Ad? and moved hi s
ki ng to c8, but l ater experi ence i n defend
i ng the Berl i n Wal l recommends keepi ng
the ki ng i n the centre. Therefore Bl ack
moves i t away from possi bl e checks on
g5 and d1 .
1 0. h3 h5 1 1 . te2 Ae7 1 2. Ag5 Ae6
Thi s path was l ai d by one of the best So
vi et defensi ve pl ayers, Rat mi r Khol mov.
The pl an wi th t he devel opment of the
bi shop at b7 has been tri ed by the Chi
nese grandmaster Wang Yue, who al so
has the reputati on of bei ng an expert on
the Berl i n Wal l .
1 3. tf4 .d5 1 4 . .xe7 mxe7 1 5. tg5
td4
dd
M. Carl sen - D. Jakovenko
a O O O e ! g h
B
$
7
A
B
w
7
-
A
-
s
@
A
s
a O O O e ! g h
1 6. lad1
Stri ctl y speaki ng, a novelty. But you don' t
have to be a Carl sen to make such a l ogi cal
move - i n the gi ven si tuati on the rooks are
best depl oyed i n the centre at d1 and e1 ,
si nce al l the same Bl ack wi l l not capture
the c2-pawn (1 5 . . . txc2? 1 6. txd5+ cxd5
1 7. lk1 ). Neverthel ess, previ ousl y 1 6. ffd1
was pl ayed. For exampl e, the game Hra
cek-Khol mov (Pardubi ce 1 999) conti nued
16 . . . te6 1 7. Cxe6 Axe6 1 8. h4 fd8 1 9. f3
g6 20. <f2 Af5 21 . c3 f6 22. exf6 <xf6
23. Ce2 c5 wi th equal pl ay.
16 . . .te6 1 7.gxe6 Axe6 1 8. h4
I t i s i mportant not onl y to fix the h5-pawn,
but al so to secure the kni ght at f4 agai nst
. . . g7-g5.
18 . . . a5
7
-
a O O O e ! g h
B
=
7
@
.
-
A
s
a O O O e ! g h
By the march of the pawn to a4 Bl ack pre
pares the devel opment of hi s rook vi a a5,
and at the same ti me he threatens to cap
ture the a2-pawn, si nce the bi shop cannot
be cut off by b2-b3 on account of . . . a5-a4 .
1 9. a3 a4 20. lfe1 g6 21 . f3 la5
22. c3 lb5 23. le2 la8 24. ld4 laa5
25. <f2
In the event of 25. !b4 !xb4 26. cxb4 !b5
27. <f2 Bl ack pl ays 27 . . . c5.
25 . . . lxe5
As a rul e, i t i s sound practi ce to exchange
a wi ng pawn for a central one. I n addi
t i on, i n t he gi ven speci fi c posi ti on Bl ack
el i mi nates Whi te' s mai n advantage i n the
Berl i n Wal l - hi s pawn maj ori ty on the
ki ngsi de.
26. lxe5 lxe5 27. lxa4 lb5
27 . . . b6 28. !a? <d6 i s al so possi bl e, wi th
approxi mate equal ity.
a O O O e ! g h
B B
7
A A
7
-
A
-
s
$
:
a O O O e ! g h
It is hard to i magi ne that Bl ack can l ose
such a sol i d posi ti on, but one of Carl sen' s
strengths i s hi s abi l ity to expl oi t the sl i ght
est chances, the opponent onl y needi ng
to weaken hi s concentrati on.
28. b4 c5 29. la7
dd!
Whi te coul d have won a pawn: 29. txe6
xe6 30. c4 .b6 31 . bxc5, but the tran
si ti on i nto a rook endgame woul d have
di spel l ed all hi s i l l usi ons: 31 . . . .b3 32 . .b4
.xa3 33 . .xb7 d7 with a draw.
29 . . . cxb4 30. cxb4 d7
Thi s woul d appear to be an i nsi gni fi cant
transposi ti on of moves, but i t al l ows White
to i mprove the posi ti on of hi s ki ng. The ac
curate 30 . . . ic4 31 . e3 d6 woul d have
restri cted Whi te's possi bi l i ti es.
31 . te2! !b6
Another sl i ght i naccuracy. Bl ack shoul d
not have conceded the 5th rank to Whi te,
whi ch he can use for an attack on the h5-
pawn after prepari ng g2-g4. 31 . . . c8 was
si mpl er, not feari ng 32. td4 .e5.
a O O O e ! g h
d
b
Z
a O O O e ! g h
32. e3 .c4
d
7
3
Z
The rook' s posi ti on shoul d have been i m
proved -32 . . . .d6, i ntendi ng 33 . .xb7 .a6.
33. td4 d6?
Here al so i t was not too l ate for 33 . . . .d6.
34. la5!
Now g2-g4 i s threatened, wi th the i dea of
creati ng an outsi de passed pawn on the
ki ngsi de.
34 . . . !a6?
The deci si ve mi stake. The exchange of
rooks onl y favours Whi te. Bl ack shoul d
have retreated wi th 34 . . . ie6.
35. !xa6+ bxa6 36. g4!
After thi s move the game i s deci ded. Bl ack
faces a di l emma: whether to al l ow the crea
ti on of an outsi de passed pawn, or a weak
ness on h5.
a O O O e ! g h
d d
7
b
3
/
Z
a O O O e ! g h
36 . . . hxg4
7
3
Z
Bl ack fol l ows the fi rst course. The second
woul d al so have lost. Pl ay i nvol vi ng 36 . . .
c5 i s too l ate: 37. gxh5! gxh5 (37 . . . cxd4+
38. xd4) 38. tf5 e5 39. tg3. No bet
ter i s 36 . . . e5 37. gxh5 gxh5 38. f4+ <f6
(or 38 . . . d5 39. tf5 Ab3 40. tg7 id1
41 . te8! etc.) 39. e4 Aa2 40. a4, and
i n vi ew of the threat of a4-a5 and b4-b5
Bl ack has to go i n for new concessi ons -
40 . . . e7 41 . tf5+ f6 42. tg3.
37. fxg4 e5 38. tc6+ f6 39. f4
e6 40. h5! gxh5 41 . gxh5 Ad3
Al so after other conti nuati ons the coor
di nati on of the h- pawn wi th the kni ght i s
deci si ve. For exampl e: 41 . . . f6 42. td8+
e7 43. h6 id3 44. tb7 f7 45. tc5
Af1 46. h7 g7 47. te6+ xh7 48. <f5,
and after capturi ng the f6-pawn White al so
pi cks up the remai ni ng pawns.
42. e3!
dd
M. Carl sen D. Jakovenko
The ki ng moves cl oser to the queensi de.
42 . e e At1 43. h6 f6
a O O O e ! g h
d d
7
A A
7
A /
b b
4
Z Z
@
a O O O e ! g h
44. e5!
A study-l i ke theme! The kni ght i s attacki ng
the f7-pawn.
44 . . . Abs 45. d4 Aa4 46. h7 g7
47. xf7 xh7 48. g5+ g6 49. e6
Bl ack resi gned.
For any representati ve of the el ite (apart from those seeki ng the champi on's regal i a),
consi stentl y fi ni shi ng i n the top three i n tournaments can i n no way be regarded as a
fai l ure. For any, but not for Carl sen. Hi s swift ri se i mpl i ed other summi ts. He hi msel f
real i sed that, despite outward successes, i n recent ti mes he had sl owed down and too
often fi ni shed on the i mmedi ate approaches to the tournament pedestal .
The ki nd of stupor that had occurred wi th Carl sen di d not go unnoti ced. After Dort
mund there was a storm of cri ti ci sm. The comment by Konstanti n Landa, publ i shed i n
t he magazi ne 64 Shakhmatnoe obo z renie, l ooks quite fai r: ' What, i n my vi ew, i s prevent
i ng the Norwegi an from conqueri ng the summi ts? Previ ousl y chess was hi s favouri te
game, he was cal l ed the second Fi scher, a geni us . . . but at some poi nt for Magnus i t
became di ffi cult everyday work (whi ch i n fact i s true; powerful preparati on i s needed).
Seri ous mi stakes are occurri ng, and even one-move bl unders are creepi ng i n. I don' t
know what he i s doi ng and how he i s prepari ng wi th hi s trai ners, but, i n my vi ew, the
freshness i n hi s pl ay has gone. Somethi ng needs to the changed! '
Thi s di d not l ast l ong. After al l , Carl sen hi msel f real i sed perfectl y wel l that i t was unfai r
to put hi s probl ems down to fate. For everythi ng you have to answer yoursel f, and i n
parti cul ar you have to get to the bottom of what i s happeni ng. One of the causes hi n
deri ng hi s further progress was qui te obvi ous. He needed t o revi ew hi s own concepti on
of work on the openi ng, si nce a correctl y organi sed game woul d l ead to comfortabl e
pl ay. Apparentl y hel p was al so needed i n overcomi ng a certai n psychol ogi cal barri er,
whi ch was hi nderi ng hi s further i mprovement.
Hel p for the strongest pl ayer i n the West came from the East. I n the l ate summer of
2009 sensati onal news fl ew round the chess worl d. Garry Kasparov had begun work
i ng wi th Magnus Carl sen! From two weeks in August they trai ned in Croati a, and then
they worked for a few days i n September. Apart from face-to-face meeti ngs, chess
dd
probl ems were regul arl y di scussed by emai l and Skype. The resul ts were i mmedi ately
apparent! After hi s contact with the Maestro, Magnus began appreci ati ng more deepl y
the i mportance of openi ng organi sati on. Thi s was undoubtedl y an i mportant resul t
of hi s contact wi th Kasparov! The resul ts of the col l aborati on were al ready seen in
October at the super-tournament in Nanj i ng (FI DE category 21 ) . The chess worl d was
staggered by the ease wi th whi ch Carl sen defeated hi s opponents one after another,
al l otti ng them the rol e of observers in the battl e for fi rst pri ze.
I n the hi story of tournaments of such standard i t i s unl i kel y that one can fi nd
an anal ogue of the fi rst hal f, when four of Magnus' s fi ve opponents fi ni shed on a
mi nus score, the excepti on bei ng Wang Yue, who gai ned a draw. Thei r ' mi nuses'
cl ubbed together to make Magnus' s ' pl us' . Garry' s shadow hovered over Magnus
i n the very fi rst round, when i n a Scotch Game he confi dentl y defeated Leko. There
then fol l owed wi ns over Topal ov, Jakovenko and Radj abov. The confi dence and
strength i ssui ng from Magnus were admi rabl e. ' I t seems to me that an enormous
rol e i s pl ayed i n parti cul ar by the emoti onal aspect of thi s col l aborati on, ' commented
Al exey Kuzmi n, who was present at the tournament. ' For Carl sen such contact,
apart from the undoubted chess benefi t , al so has a great psychol ogi cal effect.
Carl sen' s responsi bi l i ty has sharpl y i ncreased: he i s now answerabl e not onl y to
hi msel f, hut al so to Garry Ki movi ch. '
I n the second hal f of the tournament Carl sen eased off, but he ended wi th the
enormous (for such a uni forml y strong fi el d) lead over hi s nearest rivals of 2% poi nts.
Such a thi ng was achi eved onl y by Al exander Al ekhi ne i n the years of hi s greatest
achi evements!
From the very fi rst rounds the pl ay of hi s mai n ri val s gave the i mpressi on of a ki nd of
doom. ' I f was as though Magnus di d not do anythi ng at al l , except that, l i ke a python,
he si mpl y appeared on the path and l ay down, ' the revi ewer of the Chesspro website,
Sergey Zagrebel sky, pi cturesquel y commented on hi s pl ay. But i f you dig deeper, in
the games with Leko and Topal ov the strategy of pl ayi ng for restri cti on can be traced.
Game 53
M. Carl sen P. Leko
Nanj i ng 2009
Scotch Game [ C45]
Before thi s game Peter Leko was the onl y
representative of the el ite who Carl sen had
not succeeded in beati ng in pl ay with the
cl assi cal ti me control . He was the fi rst to
experi ence the consequences of the col
l aborati on of the young Norwegi an wi th
Garry Kasparov.
1 . e4 e5 2. f3 c6 3. d4
Here i t i s, the fi rst si gn! Up t i l l then the
Scotch Game di d not appear in Carl sen's
repertoi re, whereas i n Kasparov's i t used
to occupy an honourabl e pl ace. Among
those to suffer was Leko.
3 . . . exd4 4. xd4 Ac5
For those who l i ke hi story we wi l l al so gi ve
Leko's onl y ' Scotch' experi ence with Kasp
arov (Ti l burg 1 997). Peter went i n for a re-
dO
M. Carl sen - P. Leko
serve vari ati on: 4 . . . Ab4+ 5. c3 Ac5 6. t:xc6 1 1 . t:d2 V!g6 1 2. tb5.
bxc6 7. Ad3 V!h4 8. V!e2 tf6 9. h3 0-0,
10 'xe4 1 1 . Af2 Axd4 1 2. cxd4 t5g6
where he deci ded to try and refute Garry's
pawn offensi ve 1 0. g3 V!h5 1 1 . g4 V!e5
12. g5 wi th the pi ece sacri fi ce 12 . . . t:xe4?
13. Axe4 e8 1 4. Af3 V!xe2+ 1 5. Axe2 Aa6
1 6. c4 Axc4 1 7. tc3 and l ost.
5. Ae3
One of the main openi ng trends, along wi th
5. t:xc6 bxc6 or 5 . . . Wf6 6. V! d2 dxc6, whi ch
i n recent ti mes has occurred more often.
a O O O e ! g h
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5 'f6 6. c3 tge7 7. Ac4 te5 8. Ae2
'g6 9. 0-0 d6
The sharp conti nuati on 9 . . . d5 1 0. Ah5!
Wxe4 1 1 . td2 al l ows Whi te to devel op a
strong i ni ti ati ve. For exampl e, the game
Ehl vest - Bel i avsky (Worl d Cup, Reykj a
vi k 1 991 ) went 1 1 . . . Wd3 1 2.t:4f3 Ad6
(1 2 . . . Axe3 1 3. txe5 'xd2 14. 'f3! favours
White) 1 3. t:xe5 Axe5 1 4. Ac5 g6 1 5. Ae2
'f5 1 6. t:f3 Af6 1 7. e1 0-0 1 8. Ad3 Wd7
1 9. te5 'd8 20. Wf3 g7 21 . h4! and Bl ack
came under an attack.
1 0. f4
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1 3. g3! ?
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b
Thi s move, whi ch was i ntroduced by Mo
rozevi ch, takes the game onto posi ti onal
l i nes: after defendi ng the f4-pawn, White
i ntends d4-d5, when the two bi shops are
a real advantage. The attempt to l i nk thi s
i dea wi th 1 3. t:c3 'xf4 and now 1 4. d5! ?
(1 4. t:b5 0-0 1 5. txc7 b8 1 6. d5 i s usual l y
pl ayed, but after 16 . . . b6 fol l owed by . . . Ab7
Whi te' s i ni t i ati ve comes to a standsti l l )
was tri ed i n the game Mi khal chi shi n - Be
l i avsky (Lvi v 2002) : 14 . . . 0-0 1 5. t:b5 Ad?
1 6. txc7 ac8 1 7. c1 Wg5 1 8. Axa7 Ah3
1 9. Af3 th4 20. We2 teg6 21 . Ae3 Ve7
22. tb5 txg2 23. xc8 txe3 24. xf8+
xf8 25. e1 t:f4 26. Wxe3 Wg5+ 27. f2
Vh4+ 28. g1 Wg5+ %-%.
13 0-0?!
A carel ess move, al l owi ng Whi te to car
ry out t he mai n i dea of 1 3. g3. Bl ack
pl ayed more energeti cal l y i n the game
Morozevi ch - Kramni k ( Dort mund 2001) :
Sergey Rubl evsky, one of the mai n Scotch 1 3 . . . Ah3! 1 4. Af3 V!f5 1 5. e1 d5 1 6. V!b3
devotees, usual l y sacri fi ces the pawn wi th 0-0 (1 6 . . . 0-0-0 i s al so i nteresti ng) 1 7. t:c3
a prophyl acti c ki ng move - 1 0. h1 V!xe4 c6 1 8. V!xb7 fb8 1 9. V!c7 V!f6 %-%.
dO1
14. c3 'f5 15. d5
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a O O O e ! g h
1 5 . . . a6
The posi ti onal pressure coul d have been
avoi ded onl y by returni ng the pawn: 15 . . .
c5! ? 1 6. dxc6 xc6 1 7. 'xd6 l:d8 1 8. 'a3
Ae6 1 9. l:fd1 ge7, when Bl ack succeeds
i n coordi nati ng hi s pi eces. For exampl e:
20. Af3 'g6 21 . l:ac1 Ag4 22. l:xd8+
l:xd8 23. Ag2, and al though White retai ns
pressure on the queensi de, the posi ti on i s
defensi bl e. I n the opi ni on of Arshak Petro
si an, consi derati on shoul d al so have been
gi ven to the return of the queen to the rear
- 1 5 . . . 'd7! ? fol l owed by the fi anchetto of
the bi shop, tyi ng Whi te to the defence of
the d5-pawn.
1 6. e1 h8! ?
An i nterest i ng i dea. Bl ack i ntends to
transfer hi s kni ght to f6. Carl sen t hi nks
that Bl ack' s probl ems woul d hardl y be
solved by 1 6 . . . b5 1 7. a3, si nce he cannot
pl ay 1 7 . . . Ab7? on account of 1 8. Ag4 'f6
1 9. Ad4, when the queen is trapped. But
here al so i t was not too l ate for 1 6 . . . 'd7,
when Bl ack hol ds the posi ti on.
1 7. c1 Ad7 1 8. Af3!
A mul ti -purpose move: Whi te not onl y de-
fends the d5-pawn, rel i evi ng the queen of
thi s duty, but al so prepares the central i sa
tion of his kni ght via c3-e2-d4, attacki ng
the queen wi th gai n of tempo.
18 . . . ac8 1 9. Wb3 b5
19 . . . b6 was more ci rcumspect, hi nderi ng
the attack on the pawn weaknesses.
20. e2 Wh3 21 . d4 Ag4?
A l oss of ti me. 21 . . . g8! was correct. Now
the attempt to wi n a pawn by 22. 'a3 tf6
23. Wxa6 runs i nto 23 . . . g4, when af
ter 24. Axg4?! 'xg4 Whi te's l i ght-square
peri phery is weakened. Al so i nsuffi ci ent
is 22. c6 f6 23. Ag2 'f5 (23 . . . 'h5?
24. Ad4) with a defensi bl e positi on. 22. Ag2
i s more accurate, provoki ng 22 . . . 'h5, and
now 23. c6 l:fe8 fol l owed by . . . g8-f6
wi th a tenabl e posi ti on.
22. Ag2 Wh5
a O O O e ! g h
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23. h4!
' The key move. Now al l the bl ack pi eces
on the ki ngsi de l ook rather stupi d, whi l e
the bl ack queensi de pawns are ri pe for
harvesti ng. ' (Carl sen)
23 . . . g8
Now thi s manoeuvre i s too l ate, but Bl ack' s
posi ti on i s so compromi sed, that i t i s hard
Od
to offer hi m any good advi ce. Apparentl y
there was no l onger any way of savi ng the
game. I f 23 . . . Ad7 there fol l ows 24. J:c3
wi th the doubl i ng of the rooks.
24. :c6 f6 25. :xa6
The gatheri ng of the harvest begi ns.
25 Ad7
25 . . . J:fe8 26. J:xe8+ J:xe8 27. J:a7! i s al so
hopel ess for Bl ack.
26. xbS :b8 27. a4 g4 28. Af3 Wh6
Bl ack also cannot be sati sfied wi th 28 . . . 'f5
29. Ae4 'h5 30. J:a7.
d
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a O O O e ! g h
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29. Wc4
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' I spent qui te a bi t of t i me around here
tryi ng to al l ow as l i ttl e counterpl ay as pos
si bl e. Wi th thi s move I prevent 29 . . . txf2
30. <xf2 txh4. ' (Carl sen)
29 xh4
Desperati on, but otherwi se Bl ack wi l l suf
focate.
30. Axg4 Axg4 31 . gxh4 Af3 32. fS
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a O O O e I g h
32 WhS 33. Wf4 AxdS 34. xc7 Ab7
3S. :b6 f6 36. Ad4 Wt7 37. e6 :g8
38. gf2 :bc8 39. Ac3 AdS 40. aS :c4
41 . d4 Aa8 42. Wxd6 WhS 43. Wf4
:cc8 44. :be6
Bl ack resi gned .
Game 54
Nanj i ng 2009
King's Indian Defence [ E90]
In 2009 Vesel i n Topal ov headed the FI DE
rati ng l i st, but surpri si ngly, i t was agai nst
hi m that Carl sen pl ayed especi al l y suc
cessful l y, compared wi th the other repre
sentati ves of the top ten. After the tourna
ment i n Nanj i ng he i mproved the score to
5-3 (wi th 4 draws) .
1 . d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 Ag7 4. e4 d6
s. f3 0-0 6. h3
Carl sen avoi ds the Cl assi cal Vari ati on, be
gi nni ng wi th 6. Ae2, and prepares the de
vel opment of hi s dark-square bi shop at e3.
6 a6
Onl y accuracy i s requi red of Whi te - the
check at g6 was threatened. The mai n conti nuati on here is 6 . . . e5 7. d5
OO
a5 or 7 . . . tla6. Al so, 6 . . . c5, whi ch is more
in accordance wi th Topal ov's styl e, i s often
pl ayed.
7. Je3 e5 8. d5
The rel i evi ng of the pawn tensi on 8. dxe5
dxe5 i s harml ess after the queen exchange
9. 'xd8 fxd8, si nce the e5-pawn i s i ndi
rectly defended ( 1 0 . .xe5 .xe4) . But Bl ack
has to reckon wi th 9. c5. For exampl e, i n the
game Radjabov-V. Mi l ov (Warsaw 2005)
after 9 . . . .b4 1 0. Wa4 a5 1 1 . fd1 We7 1 2. a3
.c6 White could have gained an advantage
by 1 3. Ab5! ?. However, here too 9 . . . 'xd1 +
1 0. fxd1 .b4 woul d have rel i eved Bl ack' s
probl ems: 1 1 . fd2 Ae6 1 2. a3 tla2 13 . .xa2
Axa2 1 4. Ad3 ffd8 wi th the i dea of 1 5. 0-0
fxd3 1 6. fxd4 Ac4.
8 . . . c6
a O O O e ! g h
Kasparov preferred the cl assi cal 8 . . . .h5
wi th the i dea of pl ayi ng the kni ght to f4 and
advanci ng . . . f7-f5. I n the game C. Hans
en - Kasparov (Svendborg 1 990) Whi te
forestal l ed thi s by 9 . .h2 'e8 1 0. Ae2, but
neverthel ess Kasparov carried out thi s i dea
wi th a pawn sacri fi ce - 1 0 . . . f5! 1 1 . exf5 .f4.
Now, as in a number of si mi l ar vari ati ons,
the exchange of the f4-kni ght i s advanta
geous to Bl ack: 1 2. Axf4 exf4 1 3. fxg6
'xg6 1 4. Ag4 Axg4 1 5. hxg4 fae8+
1 6. <f1 IleS (Kasparov) . The game con
ti nued 1 2. 0-0 Axf5 (1 2 . . . .xe2+ 13 . .xe2
gxf5 is al so possi bl e) 1 3. fe1 Wf7 1 4 . .f1 ,
and here, accordi ng to Kasparov's anal y
si s, Bl ack coul d have mai ntai ned equal i ty
by 14 . . . .b4! 1 5 . .g3 .c2 1 6. Axf4 .xe1
1 7 . .xf5 gxf5 1 8. Ad2 .xg2 1 9. <xg2 <h8
wi th compl i cated pl ay.
9. g4!
White prevents Bl ack' s standard pl ay on
the ki ngsi de.
9 . . . c5 1 0. d2 a5 1 1 . a3
White prepares to drive away the kni ght.
After the standard devel opment 1 1 . Wc2
Iea 1 2. 0-0-0 f5 Bl ack has suffi ci ent
counterpl ay. Wi th a Sami sch structure
there is the i nteresti ng i dea of swi tchi ng
the dark-square bi shop to the queensi de:
1 1 . f3 .fd7 1 2. h4 Af6 1 3. Af2 'e8 1 4. Ae2
Ad8 1 5. 'c2 Ab6 with compl i cated pl ay
(Kol ev- Kami nski , Odessa 1 989) . Topalov
tri es to carry out thi s i dea in the course of
the game.
1 1 . . .fd7
Bl ack prepares not onl y . . . f7-f5, but al so
a bi nd on the queensi de wi th . . . a5-a4,
whi ch does not work i mmedi atel y - 1 1 . . .
a4 1 2. Axc5 dxc5 1 3 . .xa4.
12. lg1
1 2. b4 i s premature: 12 . . . axb4 13. axb4
fxa1 1 4. Wxa1 .a6 1 5. Wa3 c5 and the
kni ght establ i shes i tsel f at b4. The move i n
the game has the ai m of preventi ng . . .f7-f5.
1 2 . . . a4 1 3. 'c2 b6 14. 0-0-0 .d7
1 5. b1 cxd5
Bl ack determi nes the pawn structure too
O
soon, whi ch i s i mmedi atel y expl oited by
Carl sen. The prophyl acti c 1 5 . . . h8, pre
pari ng . . . f7-f5, was more i n the spi ri t of
the posi ti on.
1 6. cxd5 lc8
1 6 . . . la5 came i nto consi derati on, when
although the rook occupi es an unusual po
si ti on for the Ki ng's I ndi an Defence (usual l y
the queen i s brought out to a5), i t performs
the i mportant task of supporti ng the kni ght
on c5 and control l i ng the b5-square.
d d
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a O O O e ! g h
1 7. Ab5!
Who sai d that Carl sen l acks ' school i ng' ?
The move i n the game as though copi es
the styl e of Ti gran Petros i an, who knew al l
about such exchanges. Whi te exchang
es hi s ' bad' bi shop (whi ch i s runni ng up
agai nst hi s own pawn chai ns) for the 'good'
bi shop on d7.
1 7 . . . Axb5 1 8. xb5 'd7 1 9. c3
Af6?!
A rather arti fi ci al manoeuvre. Bl ack takes
hi s bi shop to a5, but, as the song goes
' the road i s l ong' . And i f i t i s taken i nto ac
count that a barri er -the kni ght on b6 - wi l l
have to be removed, whi ch wi l l weaken the
defence of the a4-pawn, doubts begi n to
creep i n about the prospects of the bi shop
manoeuvre.
Meanwhi l e, the posi ti on demanded a
more concrete deci si on - the prepara
ti on of . . . b7-b5. Thi s woul d have been
answered by 19 . . . lc7! ? 20. h4 la8 21 . h5
tc8 or the i mmedi ate 19 . . . la8!?, prepari ng
. . . tc8 and . . . b7-b5.
20. g5
I n contrast to hi s opponent, Magnus' s pl ay
is al ways concrete. He ' urges' the bi shop
towards i ts dubi ous goal and prepares an
20 . . . Ad8
Bl ack shoul d have admi tted the faul ti ness
of his i dea and reverted to the plan wi th the
preparati on of . . . b7-b5 - 20 . . . Ag7 21 . h4
lc7 22. h5 la8 23. lh1 tc8.
21 . h4! a8?
I f thi s i s a pawn sacri fi ce, then for what
benefits? But Bl ack' s pi eces are so uncoor
di nated, that possi bl y thi s is an attempt to
bri ng them together. An i nterventi on such
as 21 . . . h3 22. lh1 g4 23. h5 merel y
assi sts Whi te's i ni ti ati ve.
22. AxeS! lxc5 23. Wxa4 Wc8 24. lc1
b6
a O O O e ! g h
O
An admi ssi on of t he fai l ure of the i dea 29. gxf6+ I:xf6
24 . . . Aa5, after whi ch there fol l ows 25. lg3
with the threat of b2-b4.
25. Wd1 !
Carl sen, as we know, i s abl e to depl oy
hi s pi eces in thei r best posi ti ons. I f White
pl aces his queen in an advanced post with
25. Wb4, the bl ack queen sets off on a
journey i nto the opponent' s rear - 25 . . . Wh3
26. tb3 lc8 27. lh1 Wf3, eyei ng not onl y
the f2-pawn, but al so the queensi de. For
exampl e, i f 28. Wxd6?! Bl ack can sacri
fi ce the exchange - 28 . . . .xc3 29. bxc3
Wxe4+, causi ng the ki ng to become nerv
ous: 30. a1 tc4 31 . Wb4 Ae7! 32. Wxe7
.a8.
25 'h3 26. Wf3 Wd7
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30. h5!
! g h
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When an attack can be l aunched, Magnus
i s not afrai d to sacri fi ce materi al .
30 I:xf2 31 . hxg6 h6
I f 31 . . . hxg6 there fol l ows 32 . .xg6+ xg6
33. Wg3+ Ag5 34. Wxf2.
26 . . . Wxh4? 27 . .:g4 l eads to the l oss of
the queen, whi l e after the queen exchange
32 td1 !
26 . . . 'xf3 27. txf3 tc4 Whi te sets about
Si mpl i fi cati on i s the most effecti ve way of
converti ng hi s pawn maj ori ty: 28. b4! .c8
29. tb5 wi th the threat of doubl i ng rooks on
the c-fi l e. For exampl e, i f 29 . . . f6 there can
fol l ow 30 . .c2 tb6 31 . lxc8 txc8 32 . .c1
Ae7 33 . .c7 wi th a deci si ve rook i nvasi on,
whi l e i n the event of 29 . . . f5 30. exf5 .xf5
31 . .xc4! .xc4 32. txd6 .xb4+ 33. axb4
.xf3 34. txb7 Ab6 35. d6 Bl ack has to
reckon wi th the passed pawns.
27. Wd3
27. h5 suggests i tsel f, but with an extra
pawn ' i n hand' Magnus does not rush,
preferri ng prophyl axi s i n the event of pos
si bl e counterpl ay for Bl ack such as . . . Ae7,
. . . tc4 and . . . .fc8.
27 g7 28. I:c2 f6
28 . . . .:h8 fol l owed by . . . h7-h6 woul d pos
si bl y have gi ven Bl ack better chances.
converti ng the materi al advantage.
32 I:xc2 33. txf2 I:c8 34. tg4 .g5
35. tf3 tc4 36. txg5 hxg5
a O O O e
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Onl y here does Carl sen make an error.
37. Wh3! td2+ 38. a2 lh8 39. Wxh8+!
xh8 40 . .h1 + g7 41 . .h7+ was more
forceful .
O
37 . . . xe3 38. 'xe3 Wa4
By pl ayi ng 38 . . . 'e7 39. xg5 h8 Bl ack
coul d have retarded, but not prevented
Whi te's offensi ve - 40. f5! .
39. Wxg5 Wxe4+ 40. a1 Je8 41 . Jc1
Bl ack resi gned.
Game 55
Nanj i ng 2009
1 . e4 c5 2. f3 c6 3 . .b5!
A pragmati c approach, typi cal of the ' new'
Carl sen. I n the mai n branches of the Chel y
abi nsk Vari ati on Radjabov has anal ysed
everythi ng, and there i s no poi nt i n com
peti ng wi th hi m i n knowl edge. I t i s more
l ogi cal to swi tch to posi ti onal l i nes, where
Magnus is stronger. Especi al l y si nce i n
Li nares that year they had al ready pl ayed
a very i nteresti ng game in thi s vari ati on.
3 . . . e6
The greatest expert on thi s vari ati on, Evg
eny Sveshni kov, consi ders thi s move to
be the strongest. Earl i er Radj abov chose
other vari ati ons, but di d not pl ay them
i n the best way. For exampl e, the game
Gri schuk- Radj abov (Moscow 2002) went
3 . . . d6 4. 0-0 Ad7 5. e1 tf6 6. c3 a6
7. Af1 Ag4 8. d3 Axf3 9. "xf3 g6 1 0. "d1
Ag7 1 1 . td2 0-0 1 2. tf3 lg4 1 3. a3 c8
1 4. b1 tge5 1 5. txe5 txe5 1 6. Ag5
Wd7 1 7. "d2 me8 1 8. bc1 b5 1 9. h3 tc6
20. Ae3 wi th comfortabl e pl ay for Whi te.
4. 0-0 ge7 5. c3
Other sol i d conti nuati ons are 5. b3 and
5. e1 . Carl sen sti cks to central strategy.
a O O O e ! g h
-

Ww
-
t
A A A &A A A
t
&
s
=A
s
4
a O O O e ! g h
5 a6 6 . .a4 b5
6 . . . c4 7. "e2 b5 8. Ac2 tg6 prevents
White from setti ng up a powerful centre,
but he gai ns the opportuni ty to attack the
queensi de - 9. b3! .
7 . .c2 Ab7
The central pawn counter 7 . . . d5 8. e5
d4 9. Ae4 ld5 l eads to a very compl i
cated posi ti on. For exampl e, the rapi d
game Shi rov - l vanchuk (Tal l i nn 2006)
conti nued 1 0. d3 Ab7 1 1 . c4 lb6 1 2. Af4
Ae7 1 3. lbd2 g5 1 4. Ag3 h5 1 5. h3 'd7
1 6. e1 0-0-0 1 7. cxb5 axb5 1 8. a4?! txa4
1 9. tc4 bxc4 20. xa4 cxd3 21 . 'xd3,
and t he posi ti on was so compl i cated that
onl y the pl ayers themsel ves coul d under
stand i t.
8. We2 d5
I n Li nares 2009 Radjabov pl ayed 8 . . . tg6
agai nst Carl sen. There fol l owed 9. d4
cxd4 1 0. cxd4 c8 1 1 . a3 Ae7 1 2. tc3
0-0 1 3. d1 ta5 1 4. g3 tc4 1 5. h4 txa3
1 6. bxa3 (1 6. Ab3! ?) 1 6 . . . xc3 1 7. h5 Vc7
1 8. Ad3 th8 1 9. Ab2 b3 20. ac1 Va5
21 . d5 Axa3 22. Axa3 xa3 23. "e3 wi th
sharp pl ay, where White has compensati on
for the sacri fi ced pawns.
dO!
Chapter o
o
Life at the Top
The i ncl usi on of 8 . . . c4 9. b3 d5 woul d
have l ed after 1 0. exd5 txd5 1 1 . bxc4 tf4
1 2. e3 Ad6 to a very compl i cated posi
ti on, where Bl ack has real counterpl ay.
8 . . . g6 is a l ogi cal conti nuati on, and it
may possi bl y be the theme of future en
counters.
9. e5 d4 1 0. Ae4
a O O O e ! g h
A
3
7
A
@
b
4
3
a O O O e ! g h
1 0 . . . 'b6?!
b
4
3
A rather rare move. The mai n move i s
1 0 . . . td5, as Kasparov hi msel f pl ayed i n
a rapi d game agai nst Gri schuk (Moscow
2002). The conti nuati on was 1 1 . cxd4 txd4
1 2. txd4 cxd4 1 3. a4 b4 14. d3 c7 1 5. f4?!
fc8 1 6. td2 te3 1 7. ff3 Axe4 1 8. dxe4
d3! 1 9. xd3 tc2 20. fb1 te1 , and Bl ack
won the exchange.
1 0 . . . tg6 l ooks i nsuffi ci entl y l ogi cal :
1 1 . cxd4 cxd4 1 2. d3 Ae7 1 3. g3! 0-0 1 4. h4
wi th an unpl easant i ni ti ati ve for White on
the ki ngsi de.
1 1 . d3
1 1 . a4 deserved consi derati on, but Carlsen,
a devotee of the cl assi cal styl e of pl ay,
wants to compl ete hi s devel opment as
soon as possi bl e.
1 1 . . . ld8 1 2. a4
A standard devi ce, wi th whi ch White opens
the fi l e for hi s rook. Bl ack cannot prevent
thi s: 12 . . . b4 weakens the c4-square, whi ch
wi l l be occupi ed by the kni ght on b1 . If
1 2. Ag5 Whi te has to reckon with 12 . . . h6
1 3. Ah4 g5 1 4. Ag3 Ag7.
1 2 . . . td5 1 3. axb5 axb5 14. cxd4
The exchangi ng operati on 1 4. Ag5 Ae7
1 5. Axd5 fxd5 1 6. Axe? txe7 1 7. ta3
fd7 1 8. c4 b4 1 9. tbS 0-0 woul d not have
gi ven White anythi ng real .
14 . . . cxd4
The kni ght exchange 14 . . . txd4 1 5. txd4
cxd4 woul d have opened the way for the
white queen to the ki ngsi de: 1 6. Ag5 fc8
1 7. ta3 Ae7 1 8. Axd5 Axd5 1 9. Axe?
<lxe7 20. g4 and it i s not easy for the ki ng
to fi nd a qui et refuge (20 . . . fhd8 21 . h4+
<lea 22. xh7 etc. ).
1 5. tbd2
a O O O e ! g h
d
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7
3 A
W& A
b
A
b
4
A .
4
3
3
Z
."
Z
1
.
a O O O e ! g h
1 5 . . . tf4?
It was more l ogi cal for Bl ack to compl ete
hi s devel opment by 1 5 . . . Ae7 1 6. tb3 0-0
1 7. Ag5, when Whi te merel y retai ns the
advantage of the fi rst move. But Radjabov,
wi th hi s active styl e, is ai mi ng to sei ze the
i ni ti ati ve.
O
16. Wd1 b4?!
16 . . . tg6 was safer. But Tei mour did not
decl are war, in order to retreat!
17. b3 Axe4 1 8. dxe4 fd3
All in the same styl e - onl y forward! But
18 . . . tg6 1 9.tfxd4 txe5 20. h5 tc4
21 . Ag5 woul d no l onger have solved the
mai n probl em - the rapi d devel opment of
the pi eces.
19. Ags
19 . . . Ae7? wi l l not do, si nce after 20. Axe?
xe7 21 . d2 Bl ack has probl ems wi th hi s
kni ghts. For exampl e, 21 . . J !e8 22. tc1
xc1 23. xb4+.
19 . . . fc8 20.fxd4 xb2
If 20 . . . txe5 there fol l ows 21 . fa5! , wi n
ni ng the b5- pawn. The devel opment of
the ki ngsi de woul d al so have led to the
l oss of t hi s pawn: 20 . . . h6 21 . Ae3 b7
22. f3 txe5 23. e2 Ae7 24. fa5 0-0
25. fxb5.
21 . We2 c4 22. ffc1
d
7
b
a O O O e ! g h
W I

d
7
b
4 4
&&'
3 3
Z Z
W' ' '

a O O O e ! g h
22 . . . AcS?
22 . . . Ae7 was better, al though here too after
23. txb5 xb5 24. Axe? xe7 25. fa7+
f8 26. fa5 b6 27. fxc4 Whi te has a
very dangerous i ni ti ati ve.
23. xbS! 0-0?
Overl ooki ng the l oss of a pi ece. True,
23 . . . Axf2+ 24. xf2 xb5 25. e2 0-0
26. td4 c5 27. Ae3 woul d al so have l ed
to an obvi ous advantage for Whi te.
24. xeS xeS
Thi ngs woul d not have been changed by
24 . . . fxc5 25. Ae7 xb5 26. Axc5.
2S. Ae7
Bl ack resi gned.
Parti ci pati on i n the Tal Memori al Tournament has parti cul ar i mpl i cati ons for Carl sen. I t
is not onl y a matter of conti nui ng the strong ri val ry wi th the best pl ayers i n the worl d,
but al so an opportunity t o make contact wi th t he ri ch chess and cul tural tradi ti ons of
Moscow. The fi rst tournament after the fai ry-tal e vi ctory i n Nanj i ng al so i mposed cer
tai n obl i gati ons. Somethi ng extraordi nary was expected of Magnus, al though certai n
revi ewers warned that a repeti ti on of Nanj i ng was not possi bl e i n Moscow. And i t was
not onl y a matter of the very hi gh l evel of the parti ci pants (FI DE category 21 ) , but above
al l the powerful potenti al of the grandmasters themsel ves. After al l , most of them, to
some degree or other, were products of the famous Sovi et Chess School and were i n
the top ten of t he worl d rati ng l i st.
In the very fi rst round he had to wi thstand the pressure of Vl adi mi r Kramni k, who
wi th Bl ack l i teral l y ri ght from the openi ng forced Carl sen onto the defensi ve. But
the fol l owi ng seri es of draws had a qui te mundane expl anati on: duri ng the fi rst days
dO
Magnus was unwel l , and i n such a condi ti on he was unabl e to pl ay for a wi n. The
turni ng poi nt came in the second hal f of the tournament, when after fi ve rounds the
mai n favouri tes Kramni k and Anand were confi dentl y l eadi ng. The game wi th the
current worl d champi on was awai ted wi th parti cul ar i nterest . Thi s was a fi erce bat
tl e between two powerful fi ghters, who proved worthy of one another. The dynami c
nature of the pl ay i ndi cated that Magnus had recuperated, and al though i n the 7th
round the drawi ng seri es conti nued - he was forced to concl ude peace wi th the Rus
si an champi on Peter Svi dl er, hi s courage was now restored. I n the next two rounds
Carl sen won agai nst Ponomari ov and Leko, and fi ni shed among the tournament
wi nners, shari ng 2nd-3rd pl aces wi th l vanchuk, onl y hal f a poi nt behi nd Kramni k.
A worthy performance i n such stel l ar company, confi rmi ng hi s status as the No. 1
pl ayer from the West .
But the cul mi nati on of Carl sen' s performance i n Moscow was hi s uncondi ti onal
vi ctory i n the Worl d Bl i tz Champi onshi p. I n a doubl e-round tournament of 22 grand
masters Magus scored 31 poi nts, fi ni shi ng 3 poi nts ahead of Anand and 6 ahead of
the thi rd-pl aced Karj aki n.
Game 56
M. Carl sen V. Anand
Mi khai l Tal Memori al Tournament
Moscow 2009
Queen's Gambit {039}
1 . d4 f6 2. c4 e6 3. f3 d5 4. c3
dxc4
The acceptance of the pawn sacri fi ce i s
currentl y topi cal not onl y i n the Catal an
Openi ng, but al so i n the Queen' s Gambi t,
for exampl e i n the Botvi nni k Vari ati on or
the Moscow Vari at i on. But for the mo
ment Bl ack i s on course for the Vi enna
Vari ati on.
5 . .g5 .b4 6. a3
Carl sen avoi ds the Vi enna Vari at i on, to
whi ch 6. e4 woul d have l ed, demonstrat
i ng hi s readi ness to sacri fi ce a pawn.
6 . . . .xc3+ 7. bxc3
a O c O e ! g h
d
@
@
d
t

t
s
4

4
:

:
a O c O e ! g h
7 . . . h6
Bl ack cl ari fi es the opponent' s i ntenti ons
and al l ows the regai ni ng of the pawn. 7 . . .
b 5 8. a4 c 6 i s more cri ti cal . The game
Gri schuk-van Wel y (Wij k aan Zee 2005)
conti nued 9. g3 h6 1 0. Axf6 (1 0. Ac1 al so
deserves consi derati on, retai ni ng the bi sh
ops wi th the i dea of expl oi ti ng the weak
dark squares on the a3-f8 di agonal ) 10 . . .
d
gxf6 (after 1 0 . . . xf6 1 1 . Ag2 Ab7 1 2. e5

i t i s not easy for Bl ack to compl ete hi s
devel opment) 1 1 . Ag2 Ab7 1 2. Wb1 a6
1 3. d2 We? (xc4 was t hreatened)
1 4. 0-0 d7 15. Wb4 c5 1 6. dxc5 Axg2
1 7. xg2 Wc6+ 18. g1 e7 and Bl ack
mai ntai ned the bal ance.
I nstead of 1 5. Wb4 White can consi der
the preparatory exchange 1 5. axb5 axb5
(or 1 5 . . . cxb5 1 6. Axb7 Wxb7 1 7. xc4)
1 6. xa8+ Axa8, and now 1 7. Wb4 wi th
the better game i n vi ew of the threats of
e4 and a1 . For exampl e: 1 7 . . .f5 1 8. a1
Ab7 1 9. e4 c5 20. Wxb5 cxd4 21 . cxd4
(21 . xc4 0-0 22. a7 i s al so good) 21 . . .
c3 22. c1 ! .
8. xf6 Vxf6 9. e3
Magnus di d not sacri fi ce the pawn i n order
to regai n i t: 9. Wa4+ Ad7 1 0. Wxc4, si nce
after 1 0 . . . Ac6 1 1 . e3 d7 Bl ack success
ful l y compl etes hi s devel opment.
9 . . . b5 1 0. a4 c6 1 1 . e5 a6
a b O O e ! g h
-
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3
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-
7

7
b
.
b
4
/ /
4
3
/
3
Z
/ / /
Z
a b O O e ! g h
possi bl e - 1 2. g3 Ab7 1 3. Ag2, or, as i n
the game, 1 2. g4! ? Ab7 1 3. Ag2.
12. g4! ?
A fresh i dea, combi ni ng the fi anchetto wi th
the i dea of an offensive on the ki ng si de - an
i ndi rect i ndi cati on of Carl sen' s recovery.
1 2 .b7 1 3 . .g2 Ve7
There are two methods of pl ayi ng as Bl ack
wi th t hi s queensi de pawn structure: he
can do hi s utmost to hol d on to the pawn,
di spl ayi ng hi s readi ness to wi thstand an
attack by White on the queensi de ( i n the
Catal an Openi ng thi s course i s success
ful l y adhered to by Evgeny Sveshni kov), or
at an appropri ate moment he can return the
pawn for the sake of compl eti ng hi s devel
opment. Anand prefers the former course,
demonstrati ng hi s i ntenti on of fi ghti ng for
a wi n (by no means the l ast consi derati on
here was Carl sen' s physi cal exhausti on),
whereas he coul d have demonstrated hi s
peaceful i ntenti ons and returned the pawn
with 1 3 . . . d7! ?, provoki ng si mpl i fi cati on:
a) 14. Axc6 Axc6 1 5. xc6 0-0 1 6. 0-0,
and now after 16 . . . b6 or 16 . . . e5 the
g4-pawn l ooks out of pl ace. I t i s hard
to bel i eve i n the real i ty of an attack wi th
such l i mi ted reserves;
b) 1 4. axb5 axb5 1 5. xa8+ Axa8 1 6. Wa1
Wd8 1 7. xc6 Wc8, and al l that remai ns
for Whi te i s to force a draw by repeti ti on
- 1 8. a7 Wb8 1 9. c6 Wc8 (vari ati ons
by Shi pov) .
If 1 1 . . . 0-0 t here coul d have fol l owed 14. 0-0 0-0 1 5. f4
1 2. Ae2 Ab7 1 3. Wb1 (an ' X-ray' of the
queen on the b7-bi shop, typi cal of t hi s (see next diagram)
type of pawn structure) 1 3 . . . a6 1 4. xc4,
regai ni ng the pawn i n a favourabl e si tua- Whi te has sei zed the i ni ti ati ve, and wi th
ti on. The fi anchetto of the bi shop i s al so the ' hook' on h6 the attacki ng pai r g4/f4
dT
a O O O O ! g h
d
t
3 W& &
d
t
-

@ -
b

3
b
3
Z
" -
a O O O O ! g h
l ooks far more acti ve than Bl ack's ri gi d
pawn constructi on on t he queensi de. Thi s
i s where the i dea of the move 1 2. g4! ? i s
reveal ed.
1 5 d7
Anand becomes aware of the real i ty of
Whi te's attack and he returns the pawn,
exchangi ng the active kni ght. I n the event of
the preparatory 1 5 . . . 'e? he woul d have to
reckon wi th 1 6. g5! wi th dangerous threats,
for exampl e: 1 6 . . . hxg5 1 7. 'h5 td7 (1 7 . . .
g4 1 a. f5 exf5 1 9. fxf5) 1 a. Cxd7 'xd7
1 9. fxg5 wi th the threat of swi tchi ng the
rook onto the h-fi l e.
1 6. xc6 'd6
threats to hi s ki ng, and now he rel i eves
the pawn tensi on on the queensi de, hop
i ng to expl oit the a-fi l e. 19 . . . b4 al so came
i nto consi derati on, not onl y getti ng ri d of
the potenti al l y weak b5- pawn (after the
exchange 20. axb5 axb5 i t i s very vul ner
abl e), but al so creati ng a passed c-pawn. If
20. 'e2 there can fol l ow 20 . . . fea 21 . cxb4
'xb4, not feari ng 22. g5 hxg5 23. fxg5 c3,
when the c3-pawn di verts White from the
20. axb5 axb5 21 . !xa7 'xa7
d
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t
Q
-
&
b
3
O O O

a O O O O ! g h
22. 'a1
d
t
-
b
3
White swi tches hi s attenti on to the queen
si de.
1 6 . . . Axc6 i s weaker: 1 7. Axc6 faba
1a. axb5 axb5 1 9. fa7 ffda 20. 'f3 b4
22 'e7
(20 . . . 'd6? 21 . g5) 21 . fc1 wi th the i ni ti a
ti ve for Whi te.
1 7. e7+
Understandabl y, a pl ayer wi th cl assi cal
convi cti ons rej ects movi ng i nto a pi n by
1 7. 'f3, wi th uncl ear consequences after
1 7 . . . ha.
1 7 'xe7 18. Axb7 Ea7 1 9. Ag2 b6
Logi cal . Onl y by keepi ng the queens on can
Bl ack hope to get at Whi te's weaknesses.
After the exchange 22 . . . 'xa1 23. fxa1
Ca4 24. fa3! fea 25. f2 White retai ns B
smal l but enduri ng advantage in the end
game. Carl sen pl ays such endi ngs wi th
great pl easure, and therefore such a turn
of events coul d not sati sfy Anand.
23. e4
Bl ack has succeeded i n neutral i si ng the Ti me wi l l not wait. After the i ncl usi on of hi s
dd
rook Bl ack can set up a passed pawn on 26. We2
the queensi de, and Whi te forestal l s thi s
wi th the threat of an attack on the ki ng.
23 . . Ja8 24. 'b2 EaS 25. e5!
Showi ng an excel l ent feel i ng for the dy
nami cs of the posi t i on! Whi te i ncl udes
hi s bi shop i n the pl ay and i ntends to
cont i nue the advance of hi s pawn pha
l anx by f4-f5.
d
7
a O O O O ! g h
@

d
7
s
$
4
3
Z
"
a O O O O ! g h
25 e Wh4
s
4
3
By l aunchi ng a counterattack, di scl osi ng
the drawbacks of g2-g4, whi ch has l ed
to a weakeni ng of the ki ng' s defences,
Anand demonst rates hi s readi ness to
pl ay for a wi n. However, he i s taki ng a ri sk.
At a press-conference after the game
he menti oned i n passi ng that 25 . . . d5
woul d have guaranteed an easy draw. A
strai ghtforward anal ysi s enabl es us to
ascertai n that the worl d champi on' s as
sessment was correct: 26. f5 (26. Axd5
exd5 27. f5 gS) 26 . . . e3 27. f3 xg2
28. *xg2 gS! ? (28 . . . h4 29. h3 hS
30. f2 l eads to more cri ti cal pl ay) 29. h3
exf5 30. xfS e3, and the queen pen
etrates i nto the opponent' s rear, forci ng
Whi te t o concer n hi msel f wi th hi s own
ki ng.
Thi s careful move gi ves Bl ack an i mpor
tant tempo for i ncl udi ng hi s rook i n the
counterattack, whereas the resol ute 26. f5!
woul d have forced hi m to swi tch to de
fence. I f 26 . . . xg4 there i s the unpl easant
27. h3 gS (27 . . . g3 l eads to si mi l ar pl ay)
28. fxe6 fxe6 29. b4! a? 30. d6 a2
31 . xe6+ *h7 32. g4 Wxg4 33. hxg4
and the passed e-pawn i s very dangerous.
26 Ea3! 27. f5!
I t woul d be fatal to swi tch to defence. Af
ter 27. c1 or 27. b1 there fol l ows 27 . . .
a4.
27 . . Jxc3 28. fxe6 fxe6 29. We4! 'd8!
30. Wg6 Wxd4+ 31 . h1 Ee3!
Attack and defence are at the hi ghest l evel .
a O O O O ! g h
d d
7
s
4
3
Z
s
4
3
1
a O O O O ! g h
32. Wxe6+
Carl sen forces a draw i n a si tuati on where
there was a l ast possi bi l i ty of testi ng the
sol i di ty of Bl ack' s posi ti on by 32. Ac6! ,
wi th t he threat of 33. f8+ *xf8 34. e8
mate, whi ch Anand menti oned in the press
conference. Bl ack has to fi nd the onl y de
fence 32 . . . Wc5! . He l oses after 32 . . . d8
33. g5 hxgS 34. f7+ *h8 35. h5+ *g8
dO
36. Ae8, renewi ng the threat of 37. ff8+.
But after Bl ack 32 . . . c5! Bl ack hol ds on
by a fi ne thread of onl y moves: 33. xe6+
*h7! (33 . . *h8? 34. e8+ *h7 35. g5 hxg5
l oses to 36. fd1 ! wi th the threat of 37. h5+
*g8 38. fd8+) 34. g5 hxg5 35. Ae4+ fxe4
36. f5+ *g8 37. xe4 d5! 38. xd5
txd5 39. fd1 wi th a draw.
32 . . . mh7 33. Wf5+ mhs 34. wta+ mh7
35. Wf5+ mha 36. wta+
Draw.
Game 57
M. Carl sen - R. Ponomari ov
Mi khai l Tal Memori al Tournament
Moscow 2009
Sicilian Defence [ 890}
1 . e4 c5 2. f3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. xd4
f6 5. c3 a6 6 . .e3 e6 7. f3 b5
8. 'd2 bd7 9. g4 h6 1 0. 0-0-0
a O O O O ! g h
-
$ $
Q
$ $
-
7
@

7
@
-
a O O O O ! g h
1 0 e5
I n a number of recent games the more reso
l ute move 1 0 . . . b4 has occurred, with good
results for Bl ack. Here are some exampl es:
a) 1 1 . ta4 te5 1 2. b3 Ad? 1 3. tb2 d5
14. Af4 c7 1 5. td3 txd3+ 1 6. Axd3
b6 1 7. te2 dxe4 1 8. Axe4 !dS with
excel l ent pl ay for Bl ack (Leko-lvanchuk,
Mukachevo 2007);
b) 1 1 . tce2 c7 1 2. h4 d5 1 3. tf4 e5
1 4. tfe6 fxe6 1 5. txe6 a5 1 6. exd5
xa2 1 7. d3 *f7 1 8. g5 txd5 1 9. Ah3
txe3 20. td8+ *e7 21 . tc6+ f7
22. g6+ *g8 23. xe3 wi th very com
pl i cated pl ay ( Morozevi ch -Vachi er
Lagrave, Bi el 2009).
1 1 . We1 !
A new i dea i n thi s vari ati on After . . . b5-
b4 White moves away hi s queen i n good
ti me in the event of . . . te5-c4. Despi te hi s
fai l ure in thi s game, Ponomari ov did not
change hi s assessment of 1 0 . . . te5 at the
Worl d Bl itz Champi onshi p, whi ch was hel d
i mmedi atel y after the end of the tourna
ment. Hi s opponents pl ayed di fferentl y.
The modest 1 1 . a3 was tri ed in the game
Domi nguez-Ponomari ov, whi ch conti nued
1 1 . . .tfd7 1 2. f2 c7 1 3. fg1 g5 14. h4
fg8 1 5. *b1 fb8 1 6. ta2 Ae7 1 7. fh1 b6
1 8. tb4 tbc4 1 9. Axc4 bxc4 20. hxg5
hxg5 21 . Ad2 a5 22. ta2 c3! 23. Axc3
tc4 wi th compl i cated pl ay.
But in hi s game wi th Ponomariov, Mo
rozevi ch made a reckl ess pawn sacrifice:
1 1 . f4! ? texg4 1 2. e5 b4 1 3. exf6 bxc3
14. xc3 txf6 (1 4 . . . gxf6 suggests itself
1 5. Ag2 Ad? (1 5 . . . d5 1 6. f5 woul d have al
lowed White scope for an attack) 1 6. Axa8
xa8 1 7. fhg1 te4 1 8. a5 g6 1 9. te2! Ag7
20. Ad4, and White gai ned the advantage.
1 1 . . . Wc7 12. h4 b4?!
Premature, apparentl y. The more natural
1 2 . . . Ab7 1 3. Ae2 tc4 1 4. Axc4 xc4
1 5. g5 td7 1 6. g6 te5 woul d have l ed
to an uncl ear posi ti on wi th chances for
both si des.
d
M. Carl sen - R. Ponomari ov
13. tce2 tc4
13 . . . d5! ? comes i nto consi derati on.
a O O O O ! g h
d
d
7

7
-

-
b b
a O O O O ! g h
14. tt4!
An amazi ngl y bol d move, si nce all the dou
bl e attacks associ ated wi th . . . e6-e5 had
to be cal cul ated.
14 txe3
I n the event of 14 . . . e5 1 5. d5 xd5
1 6. exd5 exd4 1 7. Axd4+ e5 1 8. f4 Bl ack
faces di ffi cul ti es.
15. Wxe3 Wb6?
The pri mary cause of Bl ack' s l ater prob
l ems. He al l ows the devel opment of the
bi shop on c4, after whi ch the concentrated
pressure on e6 may become unbearabl e.
15 . . . e5?! woul d have been a mi stake i n
vi ew of 1 6. d5 xd5 1 7. exd5 Ab7 1 8. f4!
wi th a dangerous posi ti on for Bl ack. He
shoul d have compl eted hi s devel opment
wi th 1 5 . . . Ae7.
16. Ac4!
I n the styl e of Bobby Fi scher, who so l i ked
to attack the e6-poi nt!
16 Wc5?!
The . . .c7-b6-c5 manoeuvre i s unsuc-
cessful . I t was better to transfer the kni ght
to c5 - 1 6 . . . Cd7, not feari ng 1 7.fxe6 fxe6
1 8. Axe6, after whi ch 1 8 . . . c5 (or i mme
di atel y 18 . . . Ab7) 1 9. AdS Ab7 i s possi bl e.
17. Wb3!
Whi te has focused hi s attenti on on the
e6- pawn: the threat of a pi ece sacri fi ce
becomes real .
17 d5
The openi ng of the posi ti on merel y ag
gravates Bl ack' s probl ems: hi s ki ng has
been caught i n the centre and presents an
easy target for Whi te's mobi l i sed pi eces.
The onl y way to hol d the posi ti on was by
1 7 . . .'e5.
1 8. exd5 Ad6
a O c
d g
3
7
O O
! g h

- @
3
@
@
b
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4
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3
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/ /
d
7
-
b
4
3
Z

a O O O
1 9.tfxe6
O ! g h
The frui t was ri pe, but 1 9.dxe6! l ooked
stronger and more natural . Magnus occa
si onal l y makes l ittl e ' sl i ps' i n the conversi on
of an advantage.
19 fxe6 20. dxe6 Ae7 21 . Wd3!
The queen has performed i ts rol e on b3,
and now i t moves cl oser to the opponent' s
ki ng.
d
21 . . . 0-0
a O O O e !
9
h
d d
w
t t
3
- -
/ Q
s
:
W
3:
/ / /

/ /
/
L
a O O O e !
9
h
22. Jb3
s
:
White wants to wi n in comfort: move in to
g6 wi th hi s queen fol l owed by tf5. But,
strangel y enough, even wi th such a con
centrati on of force a del ay i n the attack
al l ows a respi te. There was a qui ck wi n by
22. g5! te8 23. gxh6 Ab7 24. hxg7, com
pl etel y el i mi nati ng Bl ack' s pawn defences
wi th a conti nui ng attack.
22 J d8?
Ponomari ov mi sses the onl y chance to fi ght
on wi th 22 . . . Ab7, when Bl ack somehow
sets up a defence: 23. \g6 te8 24. tf5
ff6 or 23. g5 th5 24. gxh6 tf4. Now hi s
game goes downhi l l .
23. g5 h7
Of course, 23 . . J xd4 24. 'xd4 'xd4
25 . .xd4 te8 26. gxh6 woul d have ena
bl ed Bl ack to avoi d a mati ng attack, but
there was no seri ous hope of savi ng the
game.
24. gxh6 h5 25. e4 xh6+ 26. mb1
la7 27. f5 lxd1+ 28. lxd1 f6
d
a O
t
O O e
3
3
!
/ W
/
9
h
&
/
a O O O e !
9
h
29. ld7!
d
:
-
s
:
I n concl usi on, a l i ttl e combi nati on in the
styl e of Capabl anca, whi ch deci des the
game. The ' crude' 29 . .d8+ woul d have
l ed onl y to the wi n of the bi shop.
29 . . . .xd7 30. exd7+ mta 31 . d5
Bl ack resi gned.
The l ast tournament of 2009 was the London Chess Cl assi c wi th the parti ci pati on
of ei ght grandmasters ( FI DE category 1 8) . The fi el d was sel ected i n accordance
wi th Engl i sh tradi ti ons wi th respect to thei r compatri ots. The four strongest Engl i sh
pl ayers were granted the opportuni ty to cross swords wi th the mai n chal l engers
for the worl d crown, Vl adi mi r Kramni k and Magnus Carl sen. The favouri tes were
drawn together i n the very fi rst round, and Carl sen' s wi n over the ex-worl d cham
pi on determi ned the further course of the tournament. He confi dentl y converted
hi s l ead i nto vi ctory i n the tournament (5 poi nts out of 7), al l owi ng hi s ri val to cl ose
onl y wi t hi n hal f a poi nt.
d
M. Carl sen - V. Kramni k
I n hi s game wi th Kramni k, Magnus was abl e to demonstrate those attri butes

of hi s, i n whi ch he i s superi or to the strongest pl ayers i n the worl d - an abi l i ty to
conduct l engthy pl ay, bal anci ng on the barel y di scerni bl e boundary separat i ng a
mi ni mal advantage from equal i ty. Here it is normal l y the opponent who makes t he
fi rst mi stake.
1. c4
Game 58
London 2009
For Carl sen, games wi th Kramni k have
a speci al i mpl i cat i on. Despi te t he fact
that i n hi s i ntervi ews he does not dem
onstrate any i nterest i n the fi ght for the
chess crown, Magnus regards the pl ay
of the 1 4th worl d champi on as a ki nd of
beacon, by whi ch he shoul d be gui ded.
Si nce for the present he i s i nferi or to the
ex-champi on as regards the scal e of hi s
home l aboratory, t hi s attempt t o avoi d sur
pri ses wi th the hel p of the Engl i sh Open
i ng, whi ch he rarel y pl ays, i s ful l y j usti fi ed.
I t shoul d be menti oned that Carl sen al so
used a si mi l ar i dea i n hi s game wi th To
pal ov i n Li nares 2008.
1 . . .e5 2. tc3 tf6 3. tf3 tc6 4. g3
I n the game wi th Topal ov, Magnus pl ayed
4. d3, provoki ng hi s opponent i nto a re
versed Si ci l i an. He adopts the same tacti cs
i n the present game.
4 . . d5 5. cxd5 txd5 6. Ag2 tb6 7. 0-0
Ae7 8. a3
(see next diagram)
Whi te prepares a pawn offensi ve on the
queensi de. 8. d3 0-0 9. a3 l eads to an
i nsi gnificant transposi ti on of moves.
a O O O e ! g h
d
3
@
d
A A A $A A
b
4
b
4
/ /
:
: / / /
:
W =
a O O O e ! g h
8 . 0-0
8 . . . Ae6 i s al so possi bl e, si nce if 9. b4 White
has to reckon with 9 . . . td4 with the threat
of 1 0 . . . Ab3, and after 1 0 . .b1 f6 1 1 . e3
(nothi ng i s gi ven by 1 1 . txd4 exd4 1 2. te4
AdS 1 3. Ab2 fS) 1 1 . . . txf3+ 1 2. 'xf3 c6
1 3. bS .c8 Bl ack has good pl ay.
White's fl ank attack can be prevented by
8 . . . aS 9. d3 0-0 1 0. Ae3 Ae6. Thi s varia
ti on occurred i n the famous game Botvi n
ni k- Porti sch ( Monte Carl o 1 968), where
the 6th world champi on carried out a com
bi nati on i n whi ch he twi ce sacri fi ced the
exchange: 1 1 . ta4 txa4 1 2. 'xa4 AdS
13 . .fc1 .e8 14 . .c2 Af8 1S . .ac1 tb8?
(1 S . . . 'd7 i s correct; the hope of pl ayi ng . . .
c7-c6 i s i l l usory) 1 6 . .xc7! Ac6 1 7 . .1 xc6!
bxc6 18 . .xf7! and White won. Nowadays
1 1 . td2 is preferred, but here too after
11 . . . tdS 1 2. txdS AxdS 1 3. AxdS 'xdS
14 . .c1 fS Bl ack has adequate counterpl ay
(Cvetkovi c-Mikhal chishi n, Yugoslavia 1 993).
d!
Chapter o
o
Life at the Top
9. b4 .e6 1 0. lb1
1 0. b5 is premat ure, as after 1 0 . . . td4
White cannot pl ay 1 1 . txe5? because of
1 1 . . . Ab3.
1 0 f6 1 1 . d3
A wel l -known posi ti on i n the Engl i sh Open
i ng: White has depl oyed hi s forces as i n the
Dragon Vari ati on of the Si ci l i an Defence.
Thi s type of ' reversed' pl ay has a certai n
i mpl i cati on. I n dynami c Dragon structures
an extra tempo is i mportant, and Carl sen,
who has a fai r amount of experi ence i n
such posi ti ons, i s sati sfi ed by such a turn
of events.
a O O O e ! g h

t

$

b b
a O O O e ! g h
1 1 . . . a5
Before pl aci ng hi s kni ghts on the central
squares d4 and d5, Bl ack ai ms to deter
mi ne the pawn structure on the queensi de
and obtai n an outpost for hi s pi eces at
b3, but after Whi te' s obvi ous repl y he has
probl ems wi th hi s other queensi de pawns.
I t l ooks more promi si ng to pursue central
strategy wi th 1 1 . . . td4, whi ch Carl sen en
countered i n hi s game wi th Radjabov at the
2008 Grand Pri x tournament i n Baku. There
fol l owed 1 2. td2 c6 1 3. e3 (1 3. tde4 td5)
1 3 . . . tb5! ? (wi th the idea after 1 4. &xb5
cxb5 1 5. &b3 ta4 of attacki ng the weak
nesses on the queensi de) 1 4. c2 &xc3
1 5. xc3 d7 with a good game for Bl ack
in vi ew of his pressure on the d3-pawn.
It remai ns to add that after 1 2. Ae3
txf3+ 1 3. Axf3 c6 fol l owed by . . . td5
Bl ack al so has roughl y equal chances.
12. b5 td4 1 3. td2
After the exchange of kni ghts Whi te's c3-
square woul d have been weak.
1 3 . . . 'c8
The mai n conti nuati on is consi dered to
be 1 3 . . . Ad5 (not 1 3 . . . td5? 1 4. Axd5
Axd5 15. e3, when Bl ack l oses a pi ece)
1 4. txd5 txd5. The central i sed kni ghts
ensure Bl ack a good game.
14. e3 tf5 15. 'c2
4
a O O O e ! g h
a O O O e ! g h
4
The pri ce of dri vi ng away the kni ght i s a
weakeni ng of the d3-pawn, whi ch has to
be defended. The al ternati ve is 1 5. e2
with the i dea of attacki ng Bl ack' s centre by
f2-f4, but in thi s case the probl ems with the
defence of the d3-pawn are not rel i eved.
For exampl e, the game Sargi ssi an -Yako
vi ch (Moscow 2009) conti nued 1 5 . . . td6
1 6. tde4 tf7 1 7. fd1 Ag4 1 8. f3 Ae6
1 9. d4, and here i nstead of routi ne pl ay
d
agai nst an ' i sol ani ' - 19 . . . exd4 20. exd4
e8, whi ch i n general i s not bad, 19 . . . d8! ?
came i nto consi derati on, wi th the i dea of
20. tc5 Ac4 21 . e1 td5, control l i ng the
central squares.
I n Bareev - Shi rov (Poi kovsky 2006)
White preferred 1 6. a4, but thi s weakens the
b4-square, whi ch expands the possi bi l iti es
of the bl ack bi shops. The game conti nued
1 6 . . . Ag4 (1 6 . . . d8 i s al so good, i ntendi ng
to answer 1 7. Aa3 wi th 17 . . .
t
e4! ?, gai ni ng
the advantage of the two bi shops) 1 7. f3
Ae6 1 8. f4 tf7 1 9. tb3 Ab4! 20. c2 (the
queen' s j ourney to e2 has proved frui tl ess)
20 . . . Ah3 wi th excel l ent pl ay for Bl ack.
1 5 J ad8 1 6. b2 a4
Bl ack prepares the surroundi ng of the b5-
pawn and takes control of the b3-square,
restri cti ng the manoeuvrabi l ity of the white
kni ghts. The drawback to thi s move i s that
the a4-pawn may become a target, as i n
fact happened i n the game.
1 7. fc1
A l ogi cal move; i ntensi fyi ng the pressure
on the c-fi l e is i n the spi ri t of the posi
ti on, and Whi te i s i ntendi ng to transfer
hi s kni ght to c5. After the routi ne 1 7. fd1
t
d6 both whi te kni ghts are ' hobbl ed' by
the need to defend the b5- pawn and the
b3-square.
17 . . . td6 18. tde4 te8
Bl ack not onl y prevents te4-c5, but al so
defends the c7-pawn, not rul i ng out the
possi bi l i ty of returni ng to the attack on
the b5-pawn.
1 9. 'e2!
A concrete approach to the posi ti on. Mag
nus transfers hi s queen to a more comfort-
abl e post, not onl y removi ng the threat of
an attack by the bi shop, but also prepari ng
f2-f4.
a b O O O
a b O O O ! g h
1 9 . . . f8
The resul ti ng posi ti on can be assessed
as one of dynami c equi l i bri um, whi ch i s
not easy to unbal ance. By maki ng t hi s
wai t i ng move, Kramni k i nvi tes hi s op
ponent t o do t hi s. More acti ve pl ay for
Bl ack coul d have been associ ated wi th
the preparati on of . . . f6-f5 - the pi votal
i dea of the gi ven vari ati on. I n thi s respect,
consi derat i on shoul d have been gi ven
to 1 9 . . . Ah3 20. Ah1 ( i f 20. Af3, t hen
20 . . . Ae6 i s appropri ate, emphasi si ng that
Whi te' s hopes associ ated wi th f2-f4 are
i l l usory) 20 . . . f5 21 . td2 Ag4 22. f1 (i f
22. tf3, t hen 22 . . . e6 wi th t he threat
of . . . e5-e4 i s good) 22 . . . e4 23. f3 exf3
24. txf3 e6, keepi ng Whi te' s so-cal l ed
' l i ttl e pawn centre' under control .
20. f4
There is no other active possi bi l ity. The at
tempt fi rst to regroup the rooks encounters
a refutat i on, for exampl e: 20. d1 (wi th
the i dea of d3-d4) 20 . . . Ag4 21 . f3 Ae6
22. d4 Ab3 or 20. f1 d7 21 . bd1 Ab3
22. d2 f5.
d
Chapter 3
o
Life at the Top
20 . . . exf4
An essenti al l y forced exchange, concedi ng
ground i n the centre: Bl ack does not want
to al l ow the i sol ati on of hi s e- pawn and
the openi ng of the f-fi l e for the white rook.
21. gxf4 'd7 22. d4
Persi sti ng with the e4-c5 manoeuvre,
exchangi ng the dark-square bi shop. The
passi ve 22. gd1 i s met by 22 ... Ab3 23. gd2
f5! 24. g5 d6 wi th excel l ent pl ay.
a b c d e f 9 h
22 . . . c6
'Thi s was more or l ess the onl y move I
consi dered, as I thought that Bl ack had
to do somethi ng to prevent b7 from col
l apsi ng compl etel y, ' Carl sen comments.
'22 ... Ac4!? 23. Wf2 Ad3 was actual l y quite
good, but Kramni k may have deci ded that
there was no reason to start concrete pl ay,
si nce 24. c5! l ooked strong duri ng the
game. Sti l l , Bl ack i s probabl y fi ne here af
ter 24 ... Axc5 25. dxc5 c4! (25 ... Axb1
26. gxb1 gi ves Whi te excel l ent compen
sati on for the exchange, as Bl ack cannot
pl ay 26 ... c4, due to 27. Ad5+) 26. Axb7
Wg4+ 27. Wg2 Wxg2+ 28. Axg2 gabS.'
23. cS AxeS 24. dxcS c4
By l i fti ng hi s cont rol of the a4- pawn,
Bl ack embarks on a forceful tacti cal path,
whi ch compl i cates the defence. The nat
ural 24 ... d5 suggests i tself: 25. xd5
(25. bxc6 bxc6 26. xd5 l eads to a si mi l ar
posi ti on) 25 ... Axd5 26. e4 We7 27. bxc6
bxc6 28. Af3 Ab3, and by control l i ng the
d-fi l e Bl ack hol ds the posi ti on wi thout any
parti cul ar di ffi culty.
2S. d1
a b c d e f 9 h
2S . . . 'c7 26. Ac1 as
The consequence of/the i ncauti ous
24 ... c4. Si nce Bl ack
h
as to reckon wi th
the exchanges on c6 and d8 wi th the l oss
of a pawn, he is forced to return hi s kni ght,
defendi ng the more val uabl e of the pawns.
Wi th the l oss of the a4-pawn the conver
si on of the passed pawn is too di stant and
Bl ack has ti me to acti vate hi s pi eces. 26 .. .
cxb5? di d not work i n vi ew of 27. gxb5
a5 28. d5 Wf7 29. b6, when a pawn
is neverthel ess l ost, and the rook remai ns
out of pl ay.
27. bxc6 bxc6 28. xa4
'I was very happy to di scover that thi s
move does not l ose any materi al , even
though i t l ooks a bi t l oose. 28. gb4 was
another move I consi dered, but I di d not
250
M. Carlsen V. Kramni k
l i ke 28 .. .tb3 (28 ... Ab3 29. xd8 xd8
30. Af1 , and a4 fal l s wi thout any real
compensati on) 29. txa4 txc1 30. xc1
f5, when Bl ack has some counterpl ay.
However, Whi te i s probably sti l l a bi t bet
ter, and I shoul d probabl y have gone for
thi s.' (Carlsen)
28 J1xd1+
The al ternati ve 28 ... Ab3 29. xd8 xd8
30. tb6 (if 30. tc3, then 30 ... 'e? 31. Axc6
Ac4! 32. Wg2 Ad3 and .. .xeS is possi
bl e) 30 . .. d1 + 31 .
<
f2 We? 32. xb3 xc1
33. d3 woul d have led to si mpl i fi cati on,
but al l owed White to acti vate hi s rook.
29. Vxd1 ldS 30. Vc2 Vf7 31 . c3
By bri ngi ng up hi s kni ght to the centre of
events, Whi te not onl y prevents the rook
i nvasi on at d1 , but al so coordi nates hi s
forces. I n ti me-troubl e one coul d hardl y
expect hi m to deci de on 31. tb6. After
31 . . . Ab3!? (if 31 .. . tb3, then 32. e4 td4
33. Wf2 fol l owed by Ae3 is possi bl e)
32. Yc3 d1 + 33.
<
f2 Yfh5 34. xb3
txb3 35. Yxb3
<
f8 Whi te woul d have
gai ned a materi al advantage. However,
hi s forces are uncoordi nated, and i t i s onl y
possi bl e to defend the bi shop by 36. Yc4
or 36. Wc2 (36. Ab2? l oses to 36 . .. d2+),
but then there fol l ows 36 ... Yh4+, when
Bl ack pi cks up the h2-pawn, not l eavi ng
the ki ng i n peace.
31 Vh5?!
An i mpul si ve move, whi ch si gni fi cant
ly compl i cates t he defence, whereas
the bi shop manoeuvre 31 ... Ab3 (whi ch
Bl ack must undoubtedl y have consi dered)
32. Yf e4 Ac4 would have enabled hi m to
hold the posi ti on. For exampl e, in the event
of 33. b6 Yf8 Black regai ns the c5-pawn,
si nce 34. Yff5 d3 35. Ab2 xe3 is not
good for White.
32. e2
a b c d e f g h
8
A
8
7
AA
7
6
3A
6
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4
4
3
/
3
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2

a b c d e f g h
32 .f5?
' Perhaps hi s onl y real mi stake in thi s game.
He coul d have retai ned dynami c equal
i ty wi th the amazi ng 32 ...
<
f8! ! , wi th the
i dea of 33 . . . Ab3, ' comments Carl sen. ' The
poi nt, whi ch we probabl y both mi ssed, i s
that Whi te cannot pl ay 33. td4 because
of 33 ... xd4 34. exd4 Af5, and Bl ack i s
at l east not worse, as 35. Ae4 fai l s to
35 ... Yfg6+ 36. Yg2 Yxg2+! . 32 ... Ag4
33. tg3 d1+ 34. Yxd1 i s probabl y why
he deci ded to pl ay 32 ... Af5.' However, i t
shoul d be menti oned that to fi nd the savi ng
computer move 32 ...
<
f8!! i n ti me-troubl e
i s practi cal l y i mpossi ble. But the move i n
the game i s al so hard to expl ai n, si nce
after the opponent's obvi ous repl y Bl ack's
posi ti on is untenabl e.
33. e4 .g4 34. g3 Vf7 35 .f1 !
In fi ni shi ng off the opponent, Magus, as
always, i s accurate. Fi rst a techni cal proce
dure, shutti ng the kni ght out of the game.
35 .e6 36. Vc3!
And now the rook is dri ven i nto the corner.
36 1a8
Otherwi se the kni ght cannot be saved. I f
36 ... tc4 ( b7) there woul d have fol l owed
37. f5.
251
37. b4 'd7 38. t5 At7 39. At4 'd1
40. f2
(see next diagram)
40 . . . tb3?
Now Bl ack l oses hi s kni ght. He shoul d have
brought hi s queen back.
41. Ae2 'b1 42. Ac4 xa3 43. te2
Bl ack resi gned.
a b c d
a
J
7

6
5
/
e f g h

.ll
/
4
/
3
` W
2
1
a b c
W
d e
.

f g h
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Carl sen began the year 2010 as the clear rati ng favouri te, now establ i shed at the 2810
mark, and after the posi ti ve end to the previ ous year, few doubted hi s ambi ti ons at the
super-tournament in Wijk aan Zee ( FI DE category 19). And that i s what happened. For
the fi rst ti me Magnus won the fi rst pri ze (if you don' t count the share of 1st-2nd pl aces
in 2008, where on the ti e-break the pri ze was awarded to Aroni an). And the fact that
he di d thi s i n competi ti on wi th the strongest pl ayers i n the worl d, i ncl udi ng the l ast
two champi ons Kramni k and Anand, consol i dated hi s status as a real contender for
the worl d champi onshi p. But in qual i ty of play i t was as yet premature to tal k about
Carlsen' s total superi ori ty. Especi ally pai nful was hi s loss to Kramni k, the only player
whom he had both beaten and l ost to in 2009. However, hi s abi li ty to play wi th full
concentrati on was somethi ng that not all hi s famous opponents coul d wi thstand.
Game 59
S. Karjakin M. Carlsen
Wi jk aan Zee 2010
French Defence [C11}
For Carl sen, games wi th Karjaki n have a
parti cul ar i mpli cati on. Si nce thei r chi l dhood
years the chess paths of the two prodi gi es
have taken the course of a secret ri val ry,
and they fi rst crossed here i n Wi j k aan
Zee, where Karjaki n was the fi rst to break
through to the A tournament and the fi rst
to wi n the mai n pri ze. Thi s had occurred
in the previ ous year in the presence of
Carl sen, who by that ti me had confi dentl y
overtaken Karjaki n i n the rati ng l i st. How-
ever, in i ndi vi dual meeti ngs in 'classi cal '
chess, nei ther had won - fi ve draws. I n
the 1Oth round of the current ' Wi j k' the two
pl ayers arri ved wi th the same number of
poi nts, but di fferent moods: the previ ous
day Carl sen had l ost wi th Whi te to Kram
ni k, whereas Karjaki n had won with Bl ack
agai nst Nakamura.
1 . e4 e6
Undoubtedl y a surpri se for Karjaki n - ap
parently for the fi rst ti me, Carl sen pl ays the
French Defence. But here i s hi s moti vati on:
' I n my younger years I used to consi der it
at best a second-rate openi ng. I bel i eve
that 1 ... c5 and 1 ... e5! are better choi ces,
but si nce I desperatel y wanted to wi n thi s
252
S. Karjaki n- M. Carlsen
game ( I was trai l i ng the l eaders Kramni k
and Shi rov by a poi nt at t hi s stage) I de
ci ded to try somethi ng new.' I t can be as
sumed that Carl sen was fol l owi ng the path
of Rodri guez Vi l a, who at the 2009 Worl d
Cup i n Khanty- Mansi ysk used the French
Defence to try and save hi s mi ni -match
agai nst Karjaki n, and drew appropri ate
concl usi ons from thi s experi ence.
2. d4 d5 3. Cc3 Cf6 4. e5 Cfd7 5. f4
c5 6. Cf3 Cc6 7 .e3 .e7
I n recent ti mes thi s move has often been
empl oyed by one of the l ast Mohi cans of
the French Defence, Mi khai l Gurevi ch. The
cl assi cal conti nuati on i s 7 ... cxd4 fol l owed
by ... b6.
8. 'd2 0-0 9 . .e2 a6 10. 0-0 b5
11. h1
a b c d e f g h
8
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7
6
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5
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..
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4
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3
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2 / / /.
8
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1
a b c d e f g h
Karjaki n deci des not to conti nue wi th the
standard 1 1 . a3 and he di verges onto a
l i ttl e-studi ed path, al though in the afore
menti oned game wi th Rodri guez Vi l a he
was abl e to bui l d up a very dangerous
attack on t he ki ng: 11 ... b6 1 2. td1
a5 1 3. c3 a4 1 4. tf2 ta5 1 5. ad1 Ab7
1 6. Ad3 tc4 1 7. e2 txe3 1 8. xe3 b4
1 9. f5 Aa6 20. f6 gxf6 21 . h6 f5 22. dxc5
xc5 23. axb4 b6 24. h1 f6 25. g4
Axd3 26. txd3 fxg4 27. g1 f5 28. h3 f7
29. hxg4 f4!. And al though Whi te's attack
suffi ced onl y for a draw, the competi ti ve
objective of qual i fyi ng for the second round
of the Worl d Cup was ful fi l l ed.
The waiti ng move 1 1 . h1 retai ns the op
ti on of ta4 i f Bl ack carri es out the pl an of
... b5-b4, ... a6-a5 and ... Ac8-a6, al though
movi ng the kni ght to the edge of the board
has its drawbacks and demands addi ti onal
justi fi cati on compared wi th the retreat to d1.
11 . .. 'c7
Carl sen al so sti cks to wai ti ng tacti cs, to
cl ari fy Whi te' s pl ans, not consi deri ng i t
necessary to check 11 ... b4 1 2. ta4. Mean
whi l e, the game Nijboer-M. Gurevi ch (Am
sterdam 2006) showed that Black has quite
good prospects. There fol l owed 1 2 ... cxd4
13. txd4 txd4 1 4. Axd4 Ab7 1 5. f5 exf5
1 6. xf5 Ac6 1 7. b3 Axa4 18. bxa4 tc5
1 9. af1 te6 20. Aa1 a5, and i t was rather
Whi te who had probl ems.
12. a3 .b7 1 3. lad1 lac8 1 4. 'e1
Stri ctl y speaki ng, a new, al though qui te
l ogi cal move. Whi te swi tches hi s queen
to the ki ngsi de, but hi s formulati on of the
i dea i s unsuccessful. Before thi s the routi ne
1 4. dxc5 AxeS 15. td4 was pl ayed.
14 cxd4 15. Cxd4 Cxd4 16 .xd4
.c5
a b c d e f g h
8
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a b c d e f g h
253
1 7. 'h4?
A surpri si ngl y na'ive move for such an
erudi te grandmaster. Surel y Whi te wasn' t
seri ousl y hopi ng for an attack on the ki ng?
After al l , for thi s he woul d need to have at
l east a pai r of mi nor pi eces ai med at the
ki ngsi de. I n the spi ri t of the posi ti on was
1 7. f2, from where, in the event of ... f7-f6,
the queen retai ns control over the central
dark squares (i n parti cul ar d4). True, the
l oss of ti me on the ki ng move to h1 makes
i tsel f fel t, and Whi te has no grounds for
gai ni ng a real advantage. For exampl e:
1 7. f2 f6 1 8. exf6 xf6!? (more i nteresti ng
than 18 ... txf6 1 9. AxeS xeS 20. xeS
xeS 21 . *g1 , after whi ch Bl ack has to
forget about any ambi ti ons) and White has
to reckon wi th the threat to hi s f4-pawn. For
exampl e: 1 9. AxeS txcS 20. d4 te4!?
21 . txe4 dxe4 22. c3 cf8 23. g3 gS! ,
or 1 9. e3 cf8 20. *g1 Axd4 21 . xd4
b6, i ntendi ng a possi bl e ... td7-b8-c6.
Apart from 17 ... f6 Bl ack can al so consi der
17 ... tb6 1 8. Ad3 (i ntendi ng f4-fS, whi ch
for the moment i s premat ure - 1 8. fS?!
Axd4 1 9. xd4 f6! 20. fxe6 fxeS) 1 8 . . . tc4
1 9. Axc4 (not 1 9. b3? tb2!) 1 9 ... Axd4!
20. xd4 xc4 with an equal game.
1 7 ... Axd4 1 8. xd4 f6!
Of course. As is wel l known, in the French
Defence there are two standard undermi n
i ng moves: . . . c7-cS and .. .f7-f6. I t now
transpi res t hat there i s nothi ng for the
queen to do on h4.
19. Ad3 h6 20. exf6
Nothi ng is gi ven by 20. g4 b6 21 . exf6
txf6 22. d1 eS! , when White cannot pl ay
23. fxeS xd4 24. Ah7+ txh7, si nce i t turns
out that hi s back rank i s weak. There onl y
remai ns 23. b4 d4 24. fxeS dxc3 2S. exf6
cxb2 26. xb2 xf6 wi th the better game
for Bl ack.
20 .n . xf6
8
7
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The si mpl est, si nce it becomes cl ear that
Whi te's pl ay has come to a standst i l l . The
rook on d4 i s badl y pl aced, and not onl y i s
... cf8 threatened, but he al so has to reck
on wi th the threat of ... e6-eS. 20 .. . txf6
is al so possi bl e, eyei ng the opti on of pl ay
i ng the kni ght to e4. For exampl e: 21 . d1
(21 . e1 te4!?) 21 ... eS 22. fxeS xeS wi th
the i dea of .. . te4.
21 . f5
The openi ng of the posi ti on merely i ncreas
es the acti vi ty of the bl ack pi eces. But the
attempt by White to consol i date hi s forces
by 21 . g4 cf8 22. f3 does not succeed
after 22 ... tb8! with the threat of .. . tc6.
For exampl e: 23. Ag6 Ac8! 24. g3 tc6
2S. d2 te7 26. Ad3 xf4 and Bl ack wi ns
a pawn.
21 ... cf8
Real i si ng t hat Whi te is condemned to
passi ve defence, Bl ack cal ml y i ncreas
es the pressure, assumi ng that wi nni ng
the exchange by 21 ... eS 22. txdS AxdS
254
S. Karjaki n M. Carl sen
23. !xd5 tb6 24. 'e4 txd5 25. 'xd5+ 27 ... Ef1 28. d4 Exg1+ 29. xg1 Ee8
is an i nsuffi ci ent return for hi s advantage.
22. Eg1 c5! 23. fxe6 xe6 24. Eg4
After 24. !xd5 tf4 25. !d4 'c5 or
24. txd5 Axd5 25. !xd5 tf4 26. !d4
Yc5 White has to gi ve up the exchange.
24 f4 25. Wg3
a b c d e f g h
8
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8
7
A
7
A
6
5 5
4
4
3
/
3
2
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2
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a b c d e f g h
25 We7!
An accurate move. By taki ng control of
the e2-square wi th the threat of ... d5-d4,
Bl ack puts hi s opponent i n zugzwang. A
characteri sti c vari ati on is gi ven by earl s
en: 26. h3 d4 27. td1 ( 27. te2 txe2
28. Axe2 Ac8 l eads to the l oss of the
exchange) 27 ... Ac8 28. !e1 Vff7 29. !h4
Ab7 30. !g1 txg2! 31 . !xg2 !f3 32. Yg4
!e8, and Whi te cannot defend agai nst
... !e1 .
26. Exf4
White coul d not fi nd anythi ng better than to
gi ve up the exchange. But now i t is merel y
a matter of techni que.
26 ... Exf4 27. e2
27. Vfg6 !8f6 28. Vfh7+ 'f7 was hopel ess
for White.
5
Forci ng t he exchange of queens, after
whi ch Bl ack can set about converti ng hi s
exchange advantage wi thout any parti cul ar
probl ems.
30. h4 We1+ 31. h2 Wxg3+ 32. xg3
a b c d e
8 8
7 7
5 5
4
'
4
3
2
'
2
a b c d e f g h
32 f7!
The techni que of pl ayi ng si mpl e posi ti ons
i s a favouri te ' hobby-horse' of Magnus
Carl sen. He i s not tempted by the wi n
of a pawn after t he i nvasi on of t he rook:
32 ... !e1 33. 'f4 !b1 34. b3 !a1 35. 'e5
!xa3 36. 'd6, and he prevents any acti vi ty
by the whi te ki ng wi th the support of the
bl ockadi ng kni ght on d4 - 33. 'f4 'f6,
threateni ng ... g7-g5.
33. f2 f6 34. g3 Ac8 35. c3 Ag4
36. Ac2 g5 37. hxg5+ hxg5 38. Ab3
Agai nst the attempt to stand fi rm wi th
38. Ad3 Bl ack deci des matters by 38 ... !h8
39. 'g2 Ah5 wi th the swi tchi ng of the
bi shop to g6.
38 e5 39. Ac2 Ef8+ 40. g2 Ad7
41. f3+ f6 42. Ab3 g4 43. d4 e5
(see next diagram)
a b c d e f g h
8
7
.
5
4
.

2

a b c d e f g h
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
The bl ack pi eces occupy i deal posi ti ons.
White is unabl e to prevent the advance of
the b-pawn .
44. Ac2 a5 45. Ad1 ce4
White resi gned.
After hi s vi ctory i n Wi jk aan Zee the l eader of the worl d rati ng l i st permi tted hi msel f
to mi ss the presti gi ous Li nares tournament and to rel ax i n Ni ce at the regul ar Amber
Tournament of Joop van Oosterom. I t stands to reason that here too a compl ete
tri umph was expected of Carl sen. After al l , in 2009 he had been onl y fourth after
Aroni an, Kramni k and Anand. Magnus was so sure of success, that he permi tted
hi msel f to begi n the tournament wi th the move 1. a3 i n hi s bl i ndfol d game wi th l v
anchuk. I n t hi s way he so moti vated the outstandi ng Ukrai ni an grandmaster, that
the l atter won both games and devel oped such a pace, that to catch hi m Magnus
had to score seven ( ! ) successi ve wi ns. He began wi th a bri l l i ant attack, conducted
bl i ndfol d.
L. Aroni an - M. Carlsen
Ni ce 2010
a b c d e f g h
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a b c d e f g h
18 ... fxe4! 19. fxe4 cxd5 20. exd5
exd5! 21 . cxd5 xd5 22. <g1 e4!
'Thi s is what Aroni an had mi ssed. Once
the bi shop j oi ns the attack vi a e5 or d4,
Whi te's days wi l l be numbered, ' Carl sen
comments. The further comments al so
bel ong to hi m, and were publ i shed i n the
Russi an magazi ne 64 Shakhmatnoe oboz
renie and al so in New in Chess.
23. xe4 Ad4+ 24. Ef2
'24. g2 l ooks very dangerous, but mi ght
have been Whi te's best chance, together
wi th Ag5 on the next move: a) 24 ... h4
was what I had actual l y i ntended, and i t
does i ndeed work very wel l after the ob
vi ous 25. Ag5 (25. Af3 i s the onl y move
256
L. Aronian M. Carlsen
that al l ows Whi te to defend) 25 ... te3+ 25. txf2?
26. Axe3 Axe4 27. Af3 xg4+; b) 24 ... e7!
25. Af3 !xf3 26. xf3 tf6 27. !ce1 Axe4
'Thi s move, whi ch my opponent made i n-
2S. xe4 txe4, and Bl ack i s a clear pawn
up, but there i s sti l l pl enty of fi ght ahead.'
24 . .. lxf2
'When I pl ayed thi s, I bel i eved that I was
wi nni ng on the spot, but then I i mmedi atel y
noti ced hi s onl y defence.'
a b c
a
li
7
1
3
6
5
.
4
C.
3

2
1

d e
.
3
1
I
l
a b c d e
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f g h
stantly, loses trivial ly. Had he taken a bit more
ti me, he would surel y have noti ced the re
source 25. Ag5! , whi ch, surpri si ngl y enough,
keeps White i n the game. I had i ntended to
pl ay the si mpl e 25 .. . Ae3. Now, after the
more or l ess forced l i ne 26. Axe3 !g2+
27. h1 txe3 2S. d4+ gS 29. xe3 !xe2
30. xe2 e7 Bl ack wi l l once agai n emerge
wi th an extra pawn, but not wi thout some
drawi ng chances for hi s opponent. 25 ... Af6
is probably best, but l i nes l i ke 26. txf6 te3!!
27. d4 !g2+ 2S. h1 !xe2+ 29. te4+ gS
30. AxdS lcS!! 31. xe3 !xe3 32. !xeS
!xe4! 33. Axa5 AxeS are not that easy to
cal cul ate bl i ndfol ded.'
25 .. . Wh4 26. We1 lfS 27 .f3 lxf3
2S. We4 Wxf2+
Whi te resi gned.
Before the last round Carlsen sti l l had real chances of sol e vi ctory i n the tournament, but
i n hi s bl i ndfol d game wi th Gri schuk he left hi s queen en pri se. The resul t was a share of
1st-2nd places wi th lvanchuk and an overall score of 14% poi nts from 22 games. The
wi nners al so made the same scores i n both categories: i n the bl i ndfol d they scored 6%
poi nts (the same as Kramni k), but i n the rapi d they were unri val l ed wi th S poi nts.
The doubl e-round tournament of si x grandmasters in the smal l Romani an town of
Bazna ( FI DE category 20) recei ved the prefi x 'super' thanks to the parti ci pati on of the
l eader of the worl d rati ng l i st Magnus Carl sen and the wi nner of the Worl d Cup Bori s
Gel fand. And al though the echo of Carl sen' s vi ctory by a margi n of two moves (+5 i n
10 games!) was i n keepi ng wi th hi s vi ctory i n Nanji ng, i n the course of the tournament
hi s superi ori ty di d not seem so i ndi sputabl e. At a certai n moment he coul d have been
chal l enged by Gel fand, i n the game wi th whom the Norwegi an had to defend by fi nd
i ng vi rtual l y the onl y moves. I n the fi rst three rounds Carl sen had to be sati sfi ed wi th
draws, but at the cri ti cal moment he as though acqui red a second wi nd and won four
games i n a row. What operated was the phenomenon of Magnus' s ' Fi scher styl e' of
pl ay, ready to fi ght unti l resources are completel y exhausted, and wi nni ng apparentl y
drawn posi ti ons. Accordi ng to Gel fand: 'Carl sen has an i ncredi bl y devel oped "ki l l er
257
Chapter 3
o
Life at the Top
i nsti nct": to players who are not i n thei r best form, he gi ves no quarter - nei ther with
Whi te, nor wi th Black.' The i mpressi on i s such that, under the magi c of his powerful
play, some pl ayers, i ncl udi ng ones wi th hi gh rati ngs, come al ong to a game as though
doomed beforehand.
Game 60
L.-0. Nisi peanu - M. Carlsen
Bazna 201 0
1. e4 c5 2. f3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. xd4
f6 5. c3 g6 6. Je3 Jg7 7. f3 c6
8. 'd2 0-0 9. 0-0-0
The fi rst ' warni ng bel l ' , i ndi cat i ng t he
magi cal effect of Car l sen on hi s op
ponents. Ni si peanu i s openl y afrai d of
Magnus, and he avoi ds the cri ti cal move
9. Ac4, in whi ch the l atter had gai ned
several br i l l i ant wi ns, i n favour of t he
ol d conti nuat i on. After 9. 0-0-0 Whi te
need not fear Bl ack' s counterpl ay after
... Ad?, ... l:c8 and ... &c6-a5-c4, si nce
hi s bi shop can capture the kni ght on c4
not from b3 (to where i t retreats after be
i ng devel oped at c4), but from f1 , savi ng
a whole tempo. But he has t o reckon wi th
the attack i n the centre, as occurred i n
the game.
9 ... d5 10. b1
The second ' bel l ': Ni si peanu avoi ds the
mai n conti nuati on 1 0. exd5 &xd5 1 1 . &xc6
bxc6, where White wi ns a pawn i n the
vari ati ons 1 2. &xd5 cxd5 1 3. 'xd5 and
1 2. Ad4 e5 1 3. Ac5 l:e8 1 4. &xd5 cxd5
1 5. 'xd5, with active counterpl ay for Bl ack.
The tacti cal justi fi cati on of 1 0. b1 is that
1 0 ... dxe4? is not possi bl e on account of
1 1 . &xc6 Wxd2 1 2. &xe7+. But Carl sen i s
al so prepared for thi s turn of events, as i s
i ndi cated by hi s 1 3th move.
a b c d e f 9 h
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10 .. Jab8
c d e f 9 h
Ni si peanu was pr obabl y a1m1ng for
1 0 ... 6xd4 1 1 . e5! (an i mportant i nterpo
siti on) 1 1 ...6f5 1 2. exf6 exf6 ( 1 2 ... Axf6
1 3. &xd5 'xd5! 1 4. Wxd5 &xe3 1 5. Wd2
&xd1 1 6. Wxd1 Ae6 leads to very sharp
pl ay, where Black has compensati on for the
sacrificed queen) 1 3. Ac5 d4 14. Axf8 Wxf8,
bei ng gui ded by the game Short -Carlsen
(London 2009), whi ch conti nued 1 5. &b5
&e3 1 6. l:c1 Ah6 1 7. 'xd4 &f5 1 8. Wc3
Axc1 1 9. xc1 Ad? 20. Ad3l:c8 21 . 'd2
Axb5 22. Axb5 Wc5 with equal play, where
he had most probabl y prepared a surprise.
But in the Dragon i t has already been
establ i shed that 1 0 . .. l:b8 i s a useful move
(an i ndi cati on bei ng the emergence of the
'Chi nese Dragon' i n the vari ati on 9. Ac4
Ad? 1 0. 0-0-0 l:b8), after whi ch i t is un
favourabl e for White to capture &xc6, and
at the same ti me he has to reckon with the
threat of ... e7-e5. The tacti cal justi fi cation
of the rook development at b8 i s rei nforced
58
L.-D. Ni si peanu- M. Carl sen

Not 1 4 ... td7? 1 5. exd5 exd5 1 6. txdS
txa7 1 7. Axa7 fa8 1 8. Af2 with an over
whel mi ng advantage for White.
by the fact that 1 1 . Af4? i s unfavourabl e,
as there fol l ows 1 1 ... e5! 1 2. txc6 bxc6
1 3. Axe5 txe4 1 4. d4 c5! 1 5. xe4 dxe4
1 6. fxd8 AxeS 1 7. fxf8+ xf8 18. c1
exf3 1 9. gxf3, and White has a strategi cal l y
15 Af2?!
l ost posi ti on. The i mpressi on i s that Carl sen has outwit
11. tdb5
The most popul ar move - White pl ays hi s
kni ght to a7 wi th the i dea of exchangi ng
the bi shop on c8. After the retreat 1 1 . tb3
Bl ack can go i nto an endgame- 1 1 ... dxe4
1 2. xd8 fxd8 1 3. fxd8+ Cxd8 1 4. Axa7
fa8 15. Ab6 Af5= ( L. Mi l ov-Ovsejevi tsch,
Ni kol aev 1 995).
11 a6 1 2. ta7 e6 13. g4
Not hi ng i s gi ven by t he si mpl i fyi ng
1 3. exd5 exd5 1 4. txc8 fxc8 1 5. txdS
txdS 1 6. xdS xdS 1 7. fxd5 tb4
1 8. fcS ( or 1 8. fd2 ffe8 wi th the i dea
of 1 9. Af2 Ah6! ) 18 ... fce8! 1 9. Ad2 fd8
wi th equal chances (Sj ugi rov-Narayanan,
Ki ri shi 2006).
13 Jae8!
Bl ack prepares for the openi ng of the posi
ti on after the capture on dS.
14. g5 th5
8
5
4
3
8
4
3
/ 2
g
1
a b c d e f g h
ted hi s opponent, and i t has to be admitted
that the kni ght rai d to a7 has proved i nef
fecti ve. If 1 5. txc8 Whi te has to reckon
wi th 15 ... d4! , whi l e i n the event of 1 5. exd5
exd5 1 6. txdS Ae6 1 7. c4 teS the kni ght
cannot escape from a7, and he is forced to
return the pawn by 1 7. txc6 bxc6 1 8. tf6+,
transposi ng i nto an i nferi or endgame. But
after the move i n the game Whi te i s un
abl e to exchange hi s kni ght, whi ch 1 5. Ac5
woul d permi t, preventi ng 1 5 ... Ad7? be
cause of 1 6. exd5 exd5 1 7. txdS! with the
threat of 1 8. txc6 bxc6 1 9. te7+. Better
here i s 1 5 ... a5 1 6. e3 with the alterna
ti ve of sacrifi ci ng a pawn -1 6 ... d4 1 7. txc6
xc5 1 8. txd4, obtai ni ng a powerful dark
square bi shop as compensati on, or goi ng
i nto a roughl y equal endgame - 1 6 ... Axc3
1 7. xc3 xc3 1 8. bxc3.
15 Ad7!
The l oss of a pawn i s of no si gni fi cance,
si nce the kni ght on a7 i s not even a notori
ous 'Tarrasch kni ght' , but rather a 'donkey'
in a trap.
16. exd5 exd5 1 7. 'xd5
After 1 7. txdS Ae6! Bl ack has more than
suffi ci ent compensati on for the pawn. For
exampl e, White cannot pl ay 1 8. txc6?
bxc6 1 9. tf6+ txf6 20. gxf6 xf6, when
wi thout l oss of materi al be i s unabl e to
wi thstand the massed attack of the bl ack
pi eces. But possi bl y he al ready had no
choi ce other than to go 'fi shi ng i n troubl ed
waters', by pl ayi ng 1 8. c4 teS.
259
Chapter 3
a
Life at the Top
1 7 ... te5 lbd8) 21 . 'c1 clc4, wi th cl ear and easy
pl ay for Bl ack.
The trap has operated - the kni ght is out
f f
18 ... 'xg5 19. te4 'f4
o pl ay or ever.
8
a b
5
4
3
-
2

M
M
a b c d e
18. Wb3?
8
6
4

3
J
2
J M
1
f g h
Whi te gi ves u p hi s g5- pawn , whi ch
coul d have been defended: 1 8. Ae3
'e? 1 9. Ae2 ( or 1 9. f4? Ae6 20. 'a5
clg4 and Whi te l oses after 21 . Ac5 b6
22. Axe? bxa5, whi le after 21 . Ab6 the
pl aci ng of hi s pi eces l ooks strange, to
say the l east: Bl ack can cont i nue ei ther
21 ... Axc3 or 21 ... Af5 wi th the threats of
... clxf4 and ... Axc3) 19 ... Ae6 20. 'd2
lbd8 (20 ... clc4 21. Axc4 Axc4 22. cle4
The outcome i s deci ded, si nce Bl ack i s
effecti vel y pl ayi ng wi th an extra pi ece.
20 . .e2 .e6 21 . Wa3 tc4 22 . .xc4
Jxc4 23. td6 .f8 24. fd4 We5
25. fxc4 .xd6 26. Wd3 .f8 27. a4
Ibd8 28. Wb3 'd5 29. Ic3 Wd2
30. Ae3 We2
8
a b
7
5
c d e f g h
3

2
M
1
a b c d e f g h
31 . .b6?
and Whi te resi gned, wi thout wai ti ng for
31 ... ld1 + 32. lxd1 'xd1 + 33. a2 le1 .
I n the fol l owi ng game it was a top-cl ass pl ayer who fel l under the magi c of Carl sen's
i nfal l i bi l i ty. After obtai ni ng an al most wi nni ng posi ti on, at a cri ti cal moment Rusl an
Ponomari ov took Carl sen 'at hi s word' , was fri ghtened by some i l l usory threats, and
i n the end he l ost.
260
R. Ponomari ov- M. Carlsen
Game 61
R. Ponomari ov - M. Carlsen
Bazna 201 0
King's Indian Defence [ E81]
1 . d4 tf6 2. c4 g6 3. tc3 bg7
I n recent ti mes, possi bl y under the i nfl u
ence of Garry Kasparov, the Ki ng' s I ndi an
Defence has appeared i n Carl sen' s rep
ertoi re. But hi s choi ce of i t at a deci si ve
stage of the tournament, in the game wi th
Ponomari ov, apparentl y took account of
the vari ati on empl oyed by Rusl an agai nst
Radj abov at t he start of t he t our na
ment.
4. e4 d6 5. f3 0-0 6. tge2
It was thi s move, empl oyed by Ponomari ov
agai nst Radjabov, the l eadi ng Ki ng's I ndi an
pl ayer of modern ti mes (the cl assi cal con
ti nuati on i s 6. Ae3), that drew Magnus' s
attenti on i n prepari ng a new l i ne of pl ay.
a b c d e f 9 h
8
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8
7
..
...
..
7
6
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6
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4
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288 88 2
1
II
1
a b c d e f 9 h
6 tbd7
Radjabov pl ayed 6 .. . e5?!, and after 7 Ag5!
he experi enced some di ffi cul ti es. There
fore Carl sen devel ops hi s kni ght, reduci ng
the potenti al of 7. Ag5. But i t shoul d be
menti oned that, when Whi te del ays the
devel opment of hi s bi shop, Bl ack most
often responds with an i mmedi ate fl ank
attack - 6 ... c5.
7. be3 c5
Here i s the surpri se. It transpi res that
Carl sen is not even contempl ati ng ... e7-e5
and he prefers to transpose i nto a Modern
Benoni structure, where the bi shop at e3
i s not on i ts best square.
8. d5 feS 9. tg3 h5
The pl ay i s based on nuances. Black hurries
to drive the kni ght to f1 , as Whi te cannot
prevent the advance of the pawn by 1 0. h4,
si nce i n thi s case, because of the weakness
of the g4-square, he wi l l never be abl e to
carry out the themati c f3-f4. After 9 ... e6
1 0. Ae2 exd5 1 1 . cxd5 a6 1 2. a4, a natural
move order for the Modern Benoni , 12 ... h5
proves i neffecti ve, si nce after 1 3. 0-0 h4
1 4. th1 the kni ght swi tches to the excel
lent post f2, from where i t forestall s Bl ack' s
threats on the ki ngsi de.
10. be2 h4 11. tf1 e6 1 2. td2
1 2. f4 suggests i tself, but then Bl ack is not
obl i ged to retreat, si nce after 1 2 . . . teg4
1 3. Axg4 txg4 1 4. xg4 exd5 1 5. f5 d4
he regai ns the pi ece, obtai ni ng good pl ay.
12 exd5 13. cxd5
6
5
4
3
8
7
6
5
4
3
a b c d e f 9 h
61
13 .. . Ad7
At fi rst si ght thi s i s a transposi ti on of moves
compared with 1 3 ... a6 1 4. a4 Ad7 1 5. 0-0
b5, whi ch has been pl ayed i n numerous
games. The best known of these, Vyzhma
navi n -J. Pol gar (Groni ngen 1 994), conti n
ued 1 6. axb5 axb5 1 7.l:xa8 xa8 1 8. h3?!
c4 1 9. e1 ( 1 9. f4 td3 20. Axd3 cxd3
21. b4 a3 i s advantageous to Bl ack) 19 ...
b4 20. td1 a2! 21 . xh4 Aa4 22. f4 td3
with good pl ay for Bl ack. But, of course,
1 8. Axb5 Axb5 1 9. txb5 a6 20. tc3
l:b8 i s more cri ti cal , with compensati on
for the pawn typi cal of such structures
(Psakhi s- Pi ket, Amsterdam 1 990), or i m
medi atel y 1 7. Axb5 Axb5 1 8. txb5l:b8.
Peter Hei ne Ni el sen recommends 1 3 . ..
h3!? wi th the i dea after 1 4. g4?! of sacri fi c
i ng the bi shop by 14 ... Axg4 1 5. fxg4 tfxg4
1 6. Af4 Ah6 1 7. AxeS txe5 wi th excel l ent
compensati on i n the form of compl ete con
trol of the dark squares. Therefore 1 3 ... h3
shoul d be answered by 14 g3.
14. 0-0 b5
Thi s is the i dea of 1 3 ... Ad7, but after the
next few moves one gai ns the i mpressi on
that the prepared l i ne i s not too success
ful . But there are no sensi bl e al ternati ves.
I f 14 ... a6, with the i dea after 1 5. a4 b5 of
transposi ng i nto the fami l i ar positi on, White
can pl ay 1 5. h3! with the threat of f3-f4. It is
too l ate for 1 4 . . . h3 1 5. g4 a6 in vi ew of the
unpl easant 1 6. g5! fol l owed by f3-f4, and
therefore strong measures are necessary.
15. xb5 Axb5
If 1 5 . . . b6 Whi te repl i es wi th the typi
cal manoeuvre 1 6. ta3 xb2 1 7. tc4,
obtai ni ng a seri ous posi ti onal advantage.
1 5 . . . e7 came i nto consi derati on, defend-
i ng the d6-pawn, and then attacki ng the
kni ght with . .. l:ab8.
16. Axb5 :b8 17. a4
a b c d e f g h
1 7 h5
I n pri nci pl e, a dubi ous sorti e, removi ng
Bl ack' s control of the g4-square - after
al l , White wi l l not al l ow the kni ght to go
to f4. But Carl sen was undoubtedl y l ook
i ng further ahead. I n the event of 1 7 ... h3
1 8. g4 (1 8. gxh3 c8) 1 8 ... a6 1 9. Axa6
l:xb2 20. l:b1 Whi te exchanges the active
rook and Bl ack has no compensati on for
the extra passed pawn. The compensa
ti on for the sacri fi ced pawn i s al so i nsuf
fi ci ent after 17 ... a5 1 8. e2 (or 1 8. c2 a6
1 9. Ae2l:b4 20. b3) 1 8 ... a6 1 9. tc4 txc4
20. Axc4 td7 21 . l: fb1 . It woul d appear
that Carl sen recogni ses how di ffi cul t his
posi ti on i s, and he openl y bl uffs, cal mly
staki ng everythi ng.
18. f4!
After thi s move Whi te has an obvi ous ad
vantage, but al l the mi racl es l i e ahead.
18 ed7 19. 'g4 a6! 20. Axa6
After 20. Axd7 tf6 21 . xh4 txd7
22. xd8 l: fxd8 Black regai ns one of the
Q62
R. Ponomari ov- M. Carlsen
sacri fi ced pawns (23. c4 b6 24. a5

.e8), retai ni ng quite good compensati on
for the other one. Ponomari ov prefers to
have a passed pawn.
20 ... lxb2 21 . lab1
I
Ai mi ng for the exchange of the acti ve rook.
But Carl sen carri es out hi s pl an of an at
tack on the ki ng, begun wi th hi s 1 7th move.
21 lxd2!
Everythi ng el se is hopel ess!
22. Axd2 Ad4+
a b c d e f g h
8
W
7
&
6
J

5

&
4

.

3
2
a b c
23. lf2?
3
d e

f g h
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
The bl uff works! Ponomari ov, taki ng
Magnus at hi s word, bl ocked wi t h hi s
rook al most wi thout t hi nki ng. Of course,
commenti ng on the game on the I nternet,
and especi al l y i n the qui te of one' s study,
one can consul t wi th Rybka and i n a few
mi nutes obtai n an answer regardi ng the
safety of 23. h1 df6. I t i s another mat
ter to take such a deci si on at the board.
Ponomar i ov obvi ousl y i magi ned t here
were t hreats i nvol vi ng kni ght l eaps to
g3, when hi s ki ng woul d come under a
cross-fi re not onl y on the a7-g1 di agonal ,
but al so the h-fi l e. These threats were
by no means ephemeral , for exampl e, i n
the vari ati on 24. xh4 xe4 25. xd8
.xd8 26. Ae1 ? g3+! 27. hxg3 g7 etc.
But is i t so si mpl e, when short of ti me, to
fi nd al l the nuances in the defence of the
ki ng? Apart from 24. xh4 Whi te al so
has to cal cul ate 24. f3 g3+ 25. hxg3
hxg3 and fi nd a seri es of exact moves:
26. Ae1 !, wi th the cal cul ati on branches
26 ... g7!? 27. Axg3 .h8+ 28. Ah2 xe4
29 . .b8! and 26 ... xe4!? 27. Axg3 xg3+
28. xg3 g7 29 . .f2!. Such resources,
i nci dental l y, al ready on the 7th move of
the cal cul ati on ( begi nni ng wi th 23. h1 )
are not easy to di scover. But now the ad
vantage passes to Bl ack .
23 ... Axf2+ 24. xf2 df6 25. Yf3
We8!
The e4- and a4-pawns are under attack .
Whi ch of them shoul d be defended?
a b c d e f g h
8
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8
7
7
6
J
&
6
5
&
5
4

4
3 3
a b c d e f g h
26. e5
Ponomariov takes the more energeti c deci
si on. I n the event of 26. Ad3 xa4 27 . .c1
d4+ 28. f1 .e8 29. Ac3 xe4 30. Axd4
xd2+ 31 . f2 xf3 32. xf3 cxd4 White
stil l has probl ems. 26. Ab5 txe4+ 27. e3!
xd2+ 28. xd2 i s stronger, wi th a defen
si bl e posi ti on.
263
26 ... 'xa4 27. exf6?
This is the consequence of the psycho
l ogical shock, fol l owing the l oss of a cer
tain advantage. After the straightforward
27. Ab5 &e4+ 28. e1 &xd2 29. Axa4
&xf3+ 30. gxf3 &xf4 31 . exd6 d8 32. d7
&xd5 33. c1 White coul d have hoped to
save the endgame.
27 . . . 'xa6 28. Ac3 'c8?
Carl sen too has to pay for his past experi
ence. He intends to switch his queen to
f5, whereas the game woul d have been
qui ckl y concl uded by 28 ... c4 with an
attack not onl y on the d5- and f4-pawns,
but al so indirectl y on the f6-pawn (29. f5
&xf6! 30. Axf6 C2+).
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a b c
d e f g h
A w
A
&

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a b c d e f g h
29. g1?
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
Ponomariov misses a chance opportunity
to exchange the queens, making it harder
for Bl ack to convert his advantage: 29. f5!
xf5 30. xf5 gxf5 31 . b6! d8 32. f3.
And since if 32 ... h7 there is the strong
repl y 33 Ae1 ! h3 34 gxh3 g6 35 Ag3!,
Bl ack woul d have had to find 32 ... a8!
with winning chances (variation by Niel sen).
29 ... 'f5
Now, despite the material equal ity, White's
position is strategical l y hopel ess.
30. lf1 le8 31. Aa1 la8 32. 'e3 h7
33. Ab2 Ib8 34. Ac1 Ib1
By pl acing his rook on its optimum square,
Bl ack has put White in zugzwang. The d5-
and f6-pawns cannot be simul taneousl y
defended.
35. 'e8 Wxd5 36. f5 gxf5 37. 'e3
a b c d e f g h
8 8
7
7
6

6
5
&
5
4
4
3 3
2

2

a b c d e f g h
37 ... Wd4
37 ... f4 was more forceful : 38. f2 (38. h3
d4+ 39. h1 xf6) 38 ... g6 39. xh4
d4+ 40. f2 xf2 41 . xf2 d5. How
ever, the passed d-pawn al so guarantees
a win. Carl sen' s subsequent technique is
impeccabl e.
38. 'xd4 cxd4 39. Ag5 lxf1+
40. xf1 h3 41. gxh3 g6 42. Ah4 <f4
43. Ag3 g5 44. Af2 <e6 45. e2 f4
46. f3 d3 47. h4+ f5 48. Ab6 <cs
49. h5 d2 50. e2 <e4
White resigned.
264
M. Carlsen E. Bacrot
I n Jul y 201 0 Magnus surpri sed t he chess worl d by begi nni ng an ' al ternati ve ca
reer' - wi th hi s rugged good l ooks he became a fashi on model for t he fi rm G-Star
Raw. A few weeks l ater he took part i n the Raw Wor l d Chess Chal l enge i n New
York, wi th over 40, 000 opponents vot i ng onl i ne for t he best move out of t hose
sel ected by an el i te grandmaster panel , and Garry Kasparov among the commen
t ar y team. Whether t hi s was al l provi ng a di stract i on i s not cl ear, but i n Carl sen' s
next event , the Arct i c Securi ti es Chess Stars, a rapi d- pl ay event of four pl ayers
hel d i n hi s home country and organi sed by the fi rm whi ch was now sponsori ng
hi m, he i ni t i al l y had to pl ay second fi ddl e to Vi shy Anand. The worl d champi on
domi nated the al l - pl ay-al l sect i on by scori ng 5/6 as opposed to Carl sen' s 31,
but the format provi ded for a two-game pl ay- off between the top two, and here
Carl sen prevai l ed 1 %-1.
Carl sen opted to l ead the Norwegi an team at the 39th Ol ympi ad, hel d i n the
remote Si beri an town of Khanty- Mansi ysk, al t hough he must have known that he
woul d mai nl y be faci ng l ower-rated pl ayers and i n danger of l osi ng rat i ng poi nts.
Whi ch i s what i n fact happened, as he suffered as many as t hree defeats wi th
Bl ack, i ncl udi ng one to Mi chael Adams after venturi ng the experi mental ' North Sea
Defence' 1 . e4 g6 2. d4 tf6 3. e5 th5. Then i n the Grand Sl am Masters i n Bi l bao
( FI DE category 22!) , he fi ni shed t hi rd behi nd Kramni k and Anand i n t hi s four- pl ayer
doubl e- round event, hi s onl y wi n comi ng at the expense of the bottom-pl aced
Al exey Shi rov.
Tal k of a cri si s in Carl sen' s pl ay was di spel l ed by hi s fi ne vi ctory in the thi rd Pearl
Spri ng tournament i n Nanji ng ( FI DE category 21 ) . Faci ng fi ve 2700+ grandmasters,
i ncl udi ng worl d champi on Vi shy Anand and former FI DE champi on Vesel i n Topal ov,
Carl sen went through the ten rounds undefeated and with 7/1 0 fi ni shed a poi nt ahead
of the 2nd-pl aced Anand. An i nci si ve attack agai nst Eti enne Bacrot made a parti cul arl y
pl easi ng i mpressi on.
Game 62
M. Carlsen E. Bacrot
Nanji ng 201 0
Scotch Game [ C45]
1. e4 e5 2. f3 c6 3. d4 exd4
4. xd4 Ac5 5. b3
as i nnocuous as it doesn' t pose Bl ack any
parti cul ar probl ems.
5 ... Ab6 6. c3
Carl sen pl ayed 6. Ye2 in four games at the
Worl d Bl i tz Champi onshi p i n November,
but i n a 'real game' he prefers somethi ng
Kasparov tended to favour 5. Ae3 or more mai nstream ...
5. txc6, but hi s protege prefers thi s sl i ghtl y
qui eter treatment. Some woul d descri be i t 6 ... f6
265
Chapter 3
a
Life at the Top
a b c d e I g h
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1
a b c d e I g h
7. Ye2!?
... or does he? Thi s seems to have been
fi rst pl ayed by the 1 1 -year-ol d Sergey Kar
jaki n, and not very successful l y at that. To
date i t has not had a good track record i n
terms of resul ts scored. Added to hi s dubi
ous openi ng experi ments at the Ol ympi ad,
further questi ons mi ght have been asked
of Carl sen's state of mi nd had thi s game
gone awry, but thi s proves to be one of hi s
more i nspi red i deas.
7 ... 0-0
The sol i d 7 . . . d6 has scored wel l for Bl ack,
wi th 8. Ag5 h6 9. Ah4 and now 9 .. . g5 be
ing a possi bi l ity, as Black has yet to castl e
ki ngsi de.
8 .gs h6 9. Ah4
9. h4?! d6 1 0. f3? hxg5 1 1 . hxg5 tg4! (any
thi ng el se and White wi l l pl ay f4 fol l owed
by '1h5) 1 2. fxg4 'xg5 1 3. '1f3 Axg4 and
Bl ack al ready had a wi nni ng posi ti on i n the
game Rubl evsky-Anand, Basti a Rapi dplay
2004.
9 a5 10. a4 td4 1 1 . Yd3!
Carl sen' s judgement, that the forthcomi ng
weakeni ng than on the c-fi l e (after 11. txd4
Axd4 and 1 2 ... Axc3) proves to be spot on .
11 txb3 1 2. cxb3 9e8 13. 0-0-0
a b c d e I g h
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a b c d e I g h
Whi te si gnal l ed hi s i ntent i on to castl e
queensi de as soon as he pl ayed 7. 'e2.
His pressure al ong the d-fi l e and the h4-d8
di agonal compensate for the structural
weakness of hi s queensi de.
13 d6 14. Yc2 Ad7?!
14 ... c61ooks more natural , depri vi ng White
of the use of b5 and d5 for hi s mi nor pi eces.
15. Ac4 Ae6
Movi ng thi s pi ece twi ce al ong the same
di agonal gi ves the i mpressi on that Bacrot
i s unsure of hi msel f. Perhaps he i ntended
1 5 ... Ac6 but then feared an i mmi nent g
pawn advance by Whi te. Whatever hi s
t hi nki ng, we can adapt an ol d proverb
and concl ude that ' he who hesi tates (when
pl ayi ng Bl ack agai nst Carl sen) i s l ost '.
16. 9he1
1 6. e5? woul d cost Whi te a pawn after
1 6 ... Axc4 and a capture on e5, but now
the e-pawn advance becomes a real threat.
doubl ed pawns on the b-fi l e wi l l be l ess 16 .. . Ye7
266
M. Carlsen- E. Bacrot
Bl ack' s opti on was to be brave and try
1 6 ... g5 to drive away the annoyi ng bi shop,
but the resul ti ng weakness of hi s ki ngsi de
woul d be a probl em.
a b c
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17. e5! dxe5 18. xe5 Yf8
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3
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1
Thi s al l ows a weakeni ng of Bl ack' s ki ng
si de, but i t may be the best of a bad j ob.
18 ... c6 woul d prevent the deadl y threat of
td5, but 1 9. te4 is sti l l very strong; 1 8 . ..
g5 i s sti l l a possi bi l i ty, but wi th t he same
drawbacks as before.
19 . .xf6 gxf6 20. e2 Wg7 21. Jxe6
axe6 22. xe6 fxe6 23. d3 h8
24. ag3 Wh7 25. Wd2
a b
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advantage. Bl ack' s queen is overworked
tryi ng to defend the vul nerabl e ki ng and he
now tri es to get hi s poorl y-pl aced bi shop
back i nto the game.
25 .c5 26. e4 .e7 27. h3! g7?
Of course, not 27 ... Wxe4? when 28. Wxh6+
soon l eads to mate, but the text move al so
has a tacti cal fl aw. 27 ... l:d8 28. l:xh6l: xd2
29. l:xh7+ xh7 30. txd2 i s better, but
i t l eaves Whi te a pawn up i n a probabl y
wi nni ng endgame. 27 . .. g8 28. Wf4 f5
29. l:xh6 Wg7 30. l:h3 al so costs Bl ack
a pawn.
28. 'd7! f7
28 . . . Wxe4 l oses to 29. Wxe7+ g6
30. l:g3+ f5 31 . Wh7+ e5 32. l:e3 etc.
a b c d e f g h
7
6
5
A
4 [
3 [
2 [

a b c d e f g h
29. g5+!
8
5
4
Computers poi nts out that 29. txf6! i s
si mi l arl y l ethal .
29 ... fxg5 30. f3+ g8 31. Wxe6+ h8
32. f7 .d6
If the queen fl ees wi th 32 . .. Wd3, then
33. Wxh6+ and mate next move.
Wi th a seri es of strai ghtforward moves 33. xh7+ xh7 34. Yf7+ h8 35. g3
Whi te has establ i shed a cl ear posi ti onal aa6
267
35 ... ff8 36. 'g6 .xf2 37. 'xh6+ g8 36. b1 .b4 37. f4 gxf4 38. gxf4
38. 'xg5+ and the ki ngsi de pawns wi l l
deci de. Bl ack resi gned.
The next el ite event - the Tal Memori al Tournament i n Moscow- came too soon for the
Nanj i ng contestants to take part, but Carl sen travel l ed to the Russi an capi tal for the
Worl d Bl i tz Champi onshi p whi ch fol l owed i mmedi atel y afterwards. After hi s stunni ng
vi ctory the previ ous year, Carl sen was the clear favouri te, especi al l y as the pl ayers
from the Tal Memori al had enjoyed just one day' s rest before the start of the 20-pl ayer
doubl e-round bl i tz event. But Leven Aroni an, one of the joi nt wi nners of the Tal Memo
ri al , overcame hi s fati gue to score a deserved wi n, and Carlsen, who l ost as many as
ten games, had to be content wi th thi rd pl ace. However, Magnus was del i ghted to be
presented wi th the 2009 Chess 'Oscar' , the resul t of a vote organi sed by the Russi an
chess magazi ne 64.
Around thi s ti me Carl sen shocked and di sappoi nted the chess worl d by announci ng
that he was wi thdrawi ng from the worl d champi onshi p Candi dates matches, due to
be hel d in the spri ng of 201 1 . The reasons he gave were the changes made duri ng the
cycl e, and the fact that he consi dered the current system to be i nsuffi ci entl y ' modern
and fai r'. There was specul ati on that advi ce from hi s former mentor Garry Kasparov
was behi nd the deci si on, but the ex-worl d champi on fl atl y deni ed thi s.
I n the second London Chess Cl assi c, held in December 201 0, i ni ti al l y it seemed
unl i kel y that Carl sen woul d repeat hi s success of the previ ous year: a surpri se l oss
i n the fi rst round to Luke McShane was fol l owed by another i n round 3 agai nst Vi shy
Anand. And yet, wi th the ai d of hi s fi ghti ng spi ri t, a mi racul ous endgame save agai nst
Vl adi mi r Kramni k i n the penul ti mate round, and al so the 'footbal l' scori ng system (3
poi nts for a wi n, 1 for a draw) Carl sen neverthel ess emerged the wi nner.
I n January 201 1 , as usual most of the worl d' s top pl ayers l i ned up i n the Tata Steel
tournament i n Wi jk aan Zee. Carl sen made a hesi tant start: two draws were fol l owed
by a sensati onal l oss to the 1 6-year-ol d Ani sh Gi ri - i t must have been a novel expe
ri ence for the Norwegi an to l ose to a pl ayer so much younger than hi msel f. Thi ngs
i mproved, and a sacri fi ci al attack i n the 8th round agai nst the l eader Nakamura
brought Carl sen ri ght back i nto contenti on. But thi s was fol l owed two rounds l ater
by a bad l oss agai nst l an Nepomni achtchi , and i n the end Carl sen had to settle for
a share of t hi rd pl ace, behi nd Nakamura, who achi eved the best resul t of hi s career,
and the worl d champi on Anand.
268
M. Carlsen- H. Nakamura
-=Ga=me 63
M. Carlsen- H. Nakamura
Wi jk aan Zee 201 1
Sicilian Defence [892}
1. e4 c5 2. tf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. txd4
tf6 5. tc3 a6 6. e2 e5 7. tb3 e7
8. e3 0-0 9. g4
a b c d e t g h
8
&. W
8
7
.
7
&
6
5
5
4

4
3
tt J
3
2
J
2
1
[
.
1
a b c d e f g h
An unusual twi st, wi th the aim of catchi ng
the opponent off-bal ance. Normal l y White
qui etl y castl es ki ngsi de in thi s posi ti on,
whereas i f he wants t o castl e queensi de
he prepares i t wi th f2-f3 (rather than Ae2).
9 ... e6 10. g5 tfd7 11. h4
Thi s posi ti on has occurred in very few top
l evel games. An al ternati ve for Bl ack is to
advance his a-pawn, wi th the aim of i nduc
i ng the weakeni ng a2-a4. For exampl e,
the game Khal i fman -Gel fand ( Las Vegas
1 999) went 1 1 . d2 aS 1 2. a4 tc6 1 3. f4
fS wi th doubl e-edged pl ay.
11 ... tb6 12. Wd2 t8d7 13. f4 exf4
14. xf4 te5 15. 0-0-0 lcS 16. tb1
The outcome is a fai rl y standard type of
posi ti on from the Engl i sh Attack, where
Whi te has advanced hi s pawn to f4 i n one
go, but hi s bi shop may not be best pl aced
on e2.
a b c d e f g h
8
W
8
7
.
7
6
.
6
5

5
4
J

4
3
t
t
3
2 VJ
2
.
.
1
a b c d e f g h
16 ... Wc7 17. h5 Efe8 18. ta1
A prophyl acti c move, ai med agai nst a pos
si bl e kni ght check on a3 after the i mmedi
ate 1 8. td4 tbc4 1 9. e1 b6 20. Ac1
ta3+ 21 . a1 xd4 or 21 . .. tc6.
18 ... f8 19. td4
a b c d e f g h
8
l.9
8
7
W
7
6
.
6
5
&
5
4
t
J
4
3
t
3
2 VJ
2
1
.
.
1
a b c d e f g h
19 ... Wc5?
Bl ack is evi dentl y ai mi ng to bri ng hi s queen
to an attacki ng posi ti on at b4 or aS, but
thi s real l y i s too sl ow. After the game Na
kamura suggested 1 9 ... g6, the l ogi cal
consequence of hi s precedi ng pl ay, but
then Whi te can conti nue 20. hxg6 hxg6
21 . txe6 lxe6 22. Ae3, the poi nt bei ng
that 22 ... tbc4 23. Axc4 txc4 al l ows
69
24. Ad4! (or 24. 'h2 Ag7 25. Ad4). How
ever, the i mmedi ate 1 9 ... tec4 1 ooks qui te
adequate for Bl ack.
20. g6 ec4 21. Axc4 xc4 22. 'd3
Whi te has to keep hi s kni ght on c3 pro
tected i n the event of ... txb2.
22 . . . fxg6 23. hxg6 h6 24. Wg3 Wb6
25. Ac1 Wa5
After thi s Whi te has to counter the threat
of Bl ack capturi ng on b2 and then on c3,
fol l owed by mate on a2. After some twenty
mi nutes' thought Carl sen found a good
repl y.
26. l:df1 e5
a b c d e f g h
8
}
8
7
7
5
4
3
29. Axh6! gxh6
6
5
4
3
2
If 29 . . . 'xd4 White gi ves mate wi th 30. Ae3
fol l owed by 31 . h8+.
30. g7 Ae7
30 .. . Axg7 l oses i mmedi atel y to 31 . tf5
If now 26 .. . txb2, then Whi te's rook on d1
c? 32. txh6+ fol l owed by 33. tg4+ or
is no l onger attacked, and after 27. txe6 r.
xc3 28. Wf4 he is the one who forces
mate.
27. d5 Axd5 28. exd5 Wxd5
After thi s Whi te's attack crashes through.
33. <f7+.
31. xh6 f7 32. Wg6 xh6 33. Wxh6
At6 34. Wh8+ rt7 35. g8W+ i:xg8
36. Wxf6+ rea 37. l:e1+
Bl ack resi gned.
For the past two decades years the Mel ody Amber tournament , wi th i ts gener
ous sponsorshi p by Joop van Oosterom and i ts uni que format of bl i ndfol d and
rapi d chess, has been one of the hi ghl i ghts of the el i te chess cal endar. Sadly,
i t was announced that t he 20th event , hel d in Monaco in March 201 1 , was to be
the l ast . As usual , a trul y stel l ar l i ne- up had been i nvi ted. Carl sen made the same
score as the previ ous year when he f i ni shed equal fi rst - 1 4% out of 22, i ncl ud
i ng a phenomenal 9% out of 1 1 i n the rapi d games! - but t hi s t i me i t was good
enough onl y for second pl ace behi nd the i nspi red Levon Aroni an, who fi ni shed
a ful l poi nt ahead.
Wi th no Li nares tournament i n 201 1 , and wi th Carl sen not taki ng part i n the Can
di dates matches, he had a l engthy break between Monaco and hi s next tournament
in Romani a in June. Meanwhi l e the Candi dates matches went ahead in Kazan and
produced a deserved but unexpected wi nner, Boris Gel fand. But there was al so a
storm of cri ti ci sm, as onl y three of the thi rty mai n games produced a deci si ve resul t,
270
M. Carlsen - L. -0. Ni si peanu
there was a spate of short draws, and four of the matches were deci ded i n rapi d or
even bl i tz games. The feel i ng was that Carl sen' s pri nci pl ed stand agai nst the current
worl p champi onshi p format had been j usti fi ed.
After a ten-week break Carl sen was gl ad to be back i n act i on i n Romani a at the
5th Ki ngs Tournament, a si x- pl ayer doubl e-round event ( FI DE category 21 ) , hel d
t hi s year i n Medi as. He began wi th an i nci si ve wi n over the Wi j k aan Zee vi ctor
Nakamura, and after smoothl y overcomi ng Ni si peanu after an i nnocuous-l ooki ng
openi ng he l ed at the hal f-way stage wi th 3%/5. Hi s onl y real ri val was Sergey
Karjaki n, who drew l evel i n the penul t i mate round wi th a crushi ng 22-move wi n
over the underperformi ng Vasi l y l vanchuk. The stage seemed set for a grandstand
fi ni sh, wi th the two pl ayers pai red together i n the l ast round. But Magnus had one
of those days that he woul d ' l i ke to forget ' , and i n the end, despi te pl ayi ng Whi te,
he was rel i eved to draw and share fi rst pl ace wi th hi s opponent on 6% out of 1 0,
two poi nts ahead of the rest of the fi el d. Carl sen was pl aced fi rst on the ti e- break,
and hi s resul t was good enough to regai n hi m the No. 1 spot i n the worl d rati ng
l i st , publ i shed on 1 Jul y 201 1 .
Game 64
M. Carlsen- L.-0. Ni si peanu
Medi as 201 1
Queen's Gambit Accepted {027]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 f6 4. Jxc4
e6 5. f3 c5 6. 0-0 a6 7. dxc5
A seemi ngl y i nnocuous l i ne, l eadi ng to
an earl y exchange of queens, but Whi te
retai ns a naggi ng edge and Bl ack has
to defend accuratel y. I t was a favouri te
wi th Bori s Spassky i n the l ater years of
hi s career (i n parti cul ar, he pl ayed i t four
ti mes agai nst Bobby Fi scher i n t hei r ' re
turn match' in 1 992), and i t also sui ts the
techni cal styl e of Vl adi mi r Kramni k (for
exampl e, he pl ayed it agai nst Garry Kasp
arov i n thei r worl d champi onshi p match
i n 2000).
Psychol ogi cal l y t hi s woul d seem to
be a good choi ce agai nst Li vi u- Di eter
Ni si peanu, the l eadi ng Romani an pl ayer,
who i s noted for hi s aggressi ve styl e. For
exampl e, in four of hi s games in Medi as
he sacri fi ced a pawn for acti ve pl ay, and,
al though heavi l y outgraded by the rest of
the pl ayers, thi s gai ned hi m a very respect
abl e resul t.
7 a .a Axc5
7 ... 'xd1 8. lxd1 AxeS is the more usual
conti nuati on.
8. 'xd8+ xd8
a b c d e f g h
7
6 @
5
4
3
g s

7
6
5
4
a b c d e f g h
9. Ae2
71
9. bd2 is more popul ar, al though thi s
may si mpl y transpose.
9
m
e7 10. cbd2 Ad7
An al ternati ve set- up i nvol ves 1 0 ... b6,
... Ab7 and ... bd7.
11 . cb3 AdS
Now Bl ack wi l l be more or less obl i ged to a b c d e t g h
concede the bi shop pai r, whi ch he coul d
have avoi ded by 11 ... Aa7. 22 ...
m
ea
12. ca5 a7 13. cc4 Ab5 14. b3 d8
15. Ab2 Axc4 16. Axc4
a b c d e f g h
8
8
w A A A
7
3A
6
5 5
4
4
3
/ / .
3
2
/+ / / /
2
1 _
~
1 '
a b c d e f g h
Thi s l ooks rather passi ve. Perhaps Ni
si peanu shoul d have ai med for counterpl ay
wi th 22 . . . cb4:
a) 23. a3 a2 24. lxc8 lxc8 25. Ad3 b5,
and Bl ack' s control of c3 promi ses hi m
reasonabl e chances, despite the exoti c
posi ti on of hi s kni ght on a2;
b) 23. e4 lxc1 24. lxc1 xa2 25. exd5
xc1 26. Axc1 lc8 27. Axh6 lc3
28. Ae3 lxb3 29. h5, wi th a sharp end
i ng where the white h-pawn i s more of
an i mmedi ate danger than Bl ack' s con
nected passed pawns on the queensi de.
23. g5 hxg5
Whi te's two bi shops gi ve hi m a sl i ght ad-
I t woul d surel y have been safer to keep the
vantage, but as yet there are no real weak-
h-fi l e cl osed by 23 ... h5.
nesses in Bl ack' s posi ti on.
24. hxg5 Ae7 25.
m
g2
16 cc6 17. fd1 aa8 18. h3 g6
19. g4
Whi te sets about gai ni ng space on the
ki ngsi de.
19 h6 20. Af1 ac8 21. ac1 cd5
22. h4
A necessary preparati on for the pl anned
i nvasi on on the h-fi l e.
25 cb6
Agai n too passi ve. 25 ... cb4 26. a4 c6
fol l owed by ... a5 woul d have gi ven Bl ack
some counterpl ay agai nst Whi te's queen
si de pawns.
72
M. Carlsen - L.- 0. Ni si peanu
26. Ad3!
A nice pawn sacrifice, which activates the
l ight-square bishop and cl ears the way for
a rook to go to h1 .
26 !b4 27. Ae4 !xa2 28. xd8+
m
xd8 29. h1
(see next diagram)
Suddenl y Bl ack is l ost. Al l the white pieces
are very active and there is no satisfactory
defence against the invasion by the rook.
29 ... !d5 30. !e5 f5 31. Axd5
Bl ack resigned in view of 31 ... exd5
a b c d e f 9 h
8
=
8
7
3
7
6

6
5

5
4
a b c d e f 9 h
32. h8+ c7 33. h7 d6 (or 33 ... d8
34. Ad4) 34. Aa3+ xe5 35. xe7 mate.
'I think I pl ayed a very decent game!'
(Carl sen)
The worl d championship match schedul ed for 201 2 wil l be between two pl ayers wel l
into their forties. Magnus Carl sen i s l ess than hal f their age - it i s abundantl y cl ear that
time is sti l l wel l on his side!
273
Tournament and Match Record
I ndex
Sven Magnus 0en Carl sen born 30th November 1 990 in T0nsberg, Norway. Gai ned
the I nternati onal Master ti tl e i n 2003, and the I nternati onal Grandmaster ti tl e i n 2004.
Became the No. 1 rated pl ayer i n the worl d i n January 201 0, a posi ti on whi ch he regai ned
in Jul y 201 1 . Awarded the Chess 'Oscar' in 2009 and 201 0.
MAJOR TOURNAMENTS
2001 +
Trol l Masters, Gausdal 40th-45th 3/9 2 2 5

Norwegi an Open Champi onshi p, Osl o 9th-1 3th 5%/9 5 1 3
Gausdal Cl assi cs 8th 2Y2/9 0 5 4
Nordi c Champi onshi ps, Bergen ?1 st-80th 3%/9 2 3 4
Bavari an Open Champi onshi p, Bad Wi essee 5/9
Norwegi an Juni or Champi onshi p, Porsgrunn 1 st 6/7
2002
Trol l Masters, Gausdal 24th 4%/9 3 3 3
Gausdal Cl assi cs 8th 2%/9 2 1 6
I nternati onal Shakki net Tournament, Hel si nki 1 0th 4/1 1 3 2 6
Open Tournament, Bergen 1 1 th-1 8th 5/9 4 2 3
Open Tournament, Ki el 1 5th 6/9
European under-1 2 Champi onshi p, Peni scol a 6th 6/9
Worl d under-1 2 Champi onshi p, Herakl i o 2nd 9/1 1
2003
Trol l Masters, Gausdal 3rd-6th 7/1 0 6 2 2
Val l e d'Aosta Open 73rd 5/9
Gausdal Cl assi cs 1 1 th-1 2th 4/1 1 2 4 5
Norwegi an Champi onshi p, Fredri kstad 3rd-7th 5%/9 3 5
Pol i ti ken Cup, Copenhagen 7th-1 6th 8/1 1 6 4
Schwarzacher Open 2nd-8th 6Y2/9 5 3
European Under-1 4 Champi onshi p, Budva 3rd 6%/9 6 2
274
Worl d Under-1 4 champi onshi p, Hal ki di ki 9th-1 3th 7%/1 1 7 3

Pecaut Memori al , Taormi na 2nd-5th 5%/9 3 5 1
Fi rst Saturday, Budapest 4th-5th 8/1 3 5 6 2
2004
I nternati onal Tournament, Wijk aan Zee C 1 st 1 0%/1 3 9 3 1
Aeroflot Open, Moscow 40th 5%/9 5 1 3
Reykjavi k Open 33rd-43rd 4%/9 4 1 4
Dubai Open 2nd-1 1 th 6%/9 4 5 0
Si geman Tournament, Mal mo/Copenhagen 3rd 5%/9 4 3 2
Norwegi an Champi onshi p, Mol de 1 st-2nd 7/9 6 2 1
Pol i ti ken Cup, Copenhagen 4th-1 3th 7%/1 0 5 5 0
5th Young Masters, Lausanne 5th 6%/1 1 4 5 2
Gausdal Cl assi c 5th 5/9 4 2 3
Essent Crown, Hoogeveen 4th 2/6 1 2 3
2005
Smartfi sh Masters, Drammen 8th-9th 3/9 1 4 4
I nternati onal Tournament, Wi jk aan Zee B 7th 7/1 3 3 8 2
Gausdal Cl assi c 6th-8th 4/9 3 2 4
I nternati onal Tournament, Leon (rapi d) 3rd-4th 1 /4 0 2 2
European Champi onshi p, Warsaw 1 8th-53rd 8/1 3 5 6 2
Norwegi an Champi onshi p, Sandnes 1 st-2nd 7/9 6 2 1
Pl ay-off v. Agdestei n, Osl o 2nd 3%-4% 2 3 3
I nternati onal Tournament, Bi el 6th 4/1 0 0 8 2
6th Young Masters, Lausanne 5th 5%/8 4 3 1
Bygger' n Masters, Gausdal 1 st 8/9 7 2 0
Scanda Cup, Skanderborg 8th 4/9 1 6 2
2006
I nternati onal Tournament, Wi jk aan Zee B 1 st-2nd 9/1 3 6 6 1
Open Tournament, Reykjavi k 6th-9th 6%/9 6 1 2
I nternati onal Tournament, Sarajevo 1 st-3rd 5%/1 0 1 9 0
Mi dni ght Sun Tournament, Tromso 2nd 7/9 6 2 1
Norwegi an Champi onshi p, Moss 1 st-2nd 7/9 6 2 1
Pl ay-off v. Agdestei n, Osl o 1 st 3-1 2 2 0
I nternati onal Tournament, Bi el 2nd-3rd 6/1 0 4 4 2
Ri si ng Stars v. Experi ence, Amsterdam 1 st 6%/1 0 4 5 1
Worl d Bl i tz Champi onshi p, Ri shon Le Zi on 8th 7%/1 5 5 5 5
I nternati onal Tournament, Cap d'Agde (rapi d) semi -fi nal 7/1 1 4 6 1
Tal Memori al Tournament, Moscow 8th-9th 3%/9 0 7 2
75
2007 +
I nternati onal Tournament, Wi jk aan Zee 1 3th-1 4th 4%/1 3 0 9 4

I nternati onal Tournament, Morel i a/Li nares 2nd 7%/1 4 4 7 3
Mel ody Amber Tournament, Monaco 8th-9th 1 0%/22 3 1 5 4
I nternati onal Tournament, Gausdal 1 st 7/9 5 4 0
Sparkassen Tournament, Dortmund 6th 3/7 0 6 1
I nternati onal Tournament, Bi el 1 st-2nd 5%/9 4 3 2
Bl i tz pl ay-off v. Oni schuk 1 st 3/5 1 4 0
Open Tournament, Tromso 2nd-4th 7/9 5 4 0
Bl i ndfol d Worl d Cup, Bi l bao 2nd-3rd 6/1 0 4 4 2
Tal Memori al Tournament, Moscow 3rd-5th 4%/9 1 7 1
Worl d Bl i tz Champi onshi p, Moscow 9th 20%/38 1 5 1 1 1 2
2008
I nternati onal Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 1 st-2nd 8/1 3 5 6 2
I nternati onal Tournament, Morel i a/Li nares 2nd 8/1 4 5 6 3
Mel ody Amber Tournament, Ni ce 2nd-5th 1 2/22 7 1 0 5
Grand Pri x Tournament, Baku 1 st-3rd 8/1 3 4 8 1
Aerosvi t Tournament, Foros 1 st 8/1 1 5 6 0
I nternati onal Tournament, Bi el 3rd 6/1 0 3 6
I nternati onal Tournament, Mai nz (rapi d) 2nd 4%/1 0 7 2
Tal Memori al Bl i tz Tournament, Moscow 3rd 21 /34 1 6 1 0 8
Grand Sl am Fi nal , Bi l bao 2nd-3rd 1 3/30* 3 4 3
I nternati onal Tournament, Cap d'Agde (rapi d) semi -fi nal 8%/1 3 5 7 1
2009
Aker I nternati onal Tournament, Gjovi k (rapi d) 2nd 4%/8 3 3 2
I nternati onal Tournament, Wi jk aan Zee 5th-6th 7/1 3 2 1 0
I nternati onal Tournament, Li nares 3rd 712/1 4 3 9 2
Mel ody Amber Tournament, Ni ce 4th 1 3/22 8 1 0 4
Mtel Masters Tournament, Sofi a 2nd-3rd 6/1 0 3 6 1
I nternati onal Tournament, Leon (rapi d) 1 st 7%/1 3 4 7 2
Sparkassen Tournament, Dortmund 2nd-4th 5%/1 0 2 7 1
Pearl Spri ng Tournament, Nanji ng 1 st 8/1 0 6 4 0
Tal Memori al Tournament, Moscow 2nd-3rd 512/9 2 7 0
Worl d Bl i tz Champi onshi p, Moscow 1 st 31/2 28 6 8
Chess Cl assi c Tournament, London 1 st 1 3/21 * 3 4 0
2010
I nternati onal Tournament, Wi jk aan Zee 1 st 8%/1 3 5 7 1
Mel ody Amber Tournament, Ni ce 1 st-2nd 1 4%/22 1 3 3 6
Ki ng's Tournament, Bazna 1 st 7%/1 0 5 5 0
276
-
+
Arcti c Stars Tournament, Kri sti ansund (rapi d) 1 st 5/8 3 4 1

Grand Sl am Fi nal , Bi l bao 3rd 2%/6 1 3 2
Pearl Spri ng Tournament, Nanji ng 1 st 7/1 0 4 6 0
Worl d Bl i tz Tournament, Moscow 3rd 23%/38 1 9 9 1 0
Chess Cl assi c Tournament, London 1 st 1 3/21 * 4 1 2
2011
I nternati onal Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 3rd-4th 8/1 3 5 6 2
Mel ody Amber Tournament, Monaco 2nd 1 4%/22 1 1 7 4
Ki ng's Tournament, Medi as 1 st-2nd 6%/1 0 3 7 0
I nternati onal Tournament, Bi el 1 st 1 9/30* 5 4
*These tournaments empl oyed the scori ng system of 3 poi nts for a wi n and 1 poi nt
for a draw.
I NDIVI DUAL MATCHES
FI DE World Champi onshi p
2004 v. Aroni an, Tri pol i s (1 st round) 1 %-2% 0 3
2007 v. Aroni an, El i sta (Candi dates 1 /8 fi nal ) 5-7 3 4 5
FI DE World Cup
2005 Khanty- Mansi ysk
v. Azmai parashvi l i (1 st round) 3-1 3 0
v. Amonatov (2nd round) 1 %-% 1 0 1
v. Chepari nov (3rd round) 3-1 3 0 1
v. Bareev (4th round) 2%-1 % 1 3 0
v. Lauti er ( pl aces 9-1 6) 1 %-% 1 0
v. Mal akhov ( pl aces 9-1 2) 3%-2% 2 3
v. Kamsky ( pl aces 9-1 0) 1 -3 1 0 3
2007 Khanty- Mansi ysk
v. Zhao Zong Yuan (1 st round) 2-0 2 0 0
v. Nai di tsch (2nd round) 3-1 2 2 0
v. Domi nguez (3rd round) 1 %-% 1 1 0
v. Adams (1 /8 fi nal ) 1 %-% 1 1 0
v. Chepari nov ( 1/4 fi nal ) 1 %-% 1 1 0
v. Kamsky (1 /2 fi nal ) %-1 12 0 1 1
77
Other Matches +
2004 v. Kasparov (rapi d) %-1 % 0 1 1

2006 v. Svi dl er, Longyearbyen (rapi d) %-1 % 0 1
v. van Wel y, Schagen 5%-2% 4 3
2007 v. Radjabov, Porto Vecchi o 2-3 1 2 2
2008 v. Leko, Mi skol c (rapi d) 5-3 2 6 0
TEAM EVENTS
World Chess Olympiad
2004 Cal vi a, board 1 3/5 2 2
2006 Turi n, board 1 6/8 4 4 0
2008 Dresden, board 1 7%/1 1 5 5 1
201 0 Khanty- Mansi ysk, board 1 4%/8 4 1 3
European Team Championshi p
2007 Crete, board 1 6%/9 5 3
European Club Cup
2001 Panormo, board 6 4%/7 3 3
2003 Rethymnon, board 1 3%/7 3 1 3
2007 Kerer, board 3 4%/7 3 3 1
2008 Kal l i thea, board 1 3/6 2 2 2
278
I ndex of Carl sen' s Opponents
I ndex of Carl sen' s Opponents
A L
Adams, M . . . 84, 1 43 Leko, P 230
Adly, A . 1 9 Li e, K 62
Amonatov, F . 71
M
Anand, V . . . . 208, 240
Aroni an, L. 1 7, 20, 1 1 2, 1 1 5, 1 1 8, 1 23, 1 66,
1 95, 1 98, 256
Maki Uuro, M 1 4
Morozevi ch, A 90, 95, 1 01
N
B
Nai di tsch, A 1 9
Bacrot, E . . 265
Nakamura, H 269
Bel i avsky, A . . . 77, 80, 201
Ni el sen, P. H . . 50
Bi ndri ch, F . . 1 5
Ni kol i c, P . . . . 57
Ni si peanu, L. -D 258, 271
c
Nunn, J 81
Chepari nov, I . . 55, 1 49
0
D
Oni schuk, A . . 1 7, 1 25
Dol matov, S . . 34 P
Domi nguez, L. . . . . . . 1 40, 1 87, 205, 21 2 Pal o, D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
E
Pavasovi c, D . 1 6
El. p 1 55
Pedersen, C . 1 8
J anov, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ernst, s . . 31
Pel l eti er, Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 25, 1 84
Ponomari ov, R 244, 261
G
R
Gri schuk, A. 21 5
R d
'
b T 1 29 1 74 1 91 237 a Ja ov, . . . . , , ,
H Rozental i s, E 1 6
Harestad, H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
s
Shaposhni kov, E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
l vanchuk, V . . 1 07, 1 78
Shi rov, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 , 99
J
Short, N . . 46
Jakovenko, D . . . 1 35, 226
T
Jobava, B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Topalov, V 1 07, 1 63, 1 69, 21 8, 233
K
v
Kachei shvi l i , G . . . 1 4
Vl adi mi rov, E 41
Kamsky, G . . . . 1 8, 73 W
Karjaki n, S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Wang Yue 221
Kasparov, G 39
Kedi k, D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 Z
Kramni k, V . . 1 33, 1 58, 247 Zhi gal ko, S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
279
I ndex of Openi ngs
I ndex of Openi ngs
Al ekhi ne Defence [ 804 ] 1 63
Caro- Kann Defence [ 81 9 ] 31
Catal an Openi ng [ E05 ] 1 33
Engl i sh Openi ng [ A28 ] 1 69, [ A29 ] 247,
[ A30 ] 1 1 2, 1 58, [ A32 ] 1 95
French Defence [ COS ] 57, [ C1 1 ] 252
Queen's I ndi an Defence [ E1 2 ] 66, 1 1 5,
[ E1 5 ] 1 84
Reti Openi ng [ A04 ] 34
Ruy Lopez [ C67 ] 226, [ C84 ] 201 ,
[ C88 ] 1 66, [ C91 ] 77, [ C95 ] 51 ,
[ C98 ] 23
Grinfel d Defence [ D81 ] 205, [ D87 ] 1 07,
Scotch Game [ C45 ] 230, 265
[ D91 ] 1 55
I rregul ar Openi ng [ 807 ] 1 29
Ki ng's I ndi an Defence [ E62 ] 62,
[ E66 ] 1 01 , [ E81 ] 261 , [ E90 ] 233,
[ E97 ] 90, 1 78
Ni mzo- l ndi an Defence [ E20 ] 84, 1 35,
[ E32 ] 43, [ E36 ] 1 43, [ E38 ] 35
Queen's Gambi t Accepted [ D27 ] 271
Queen' s Gambi t [ D37 ] 46, [ D39 ] 240,
[ D43 ] 1 25
Semi -Sl av Defence [ D43 ] 21 8,
[ D45 ] 208, [ D47 ] 1 98
Si ci l i an Defence [ 830 ] 95, 237,
[ 833 ] 26, 55, [ 843 ] 73, [ 867 ] 41 ,
[ 876 ] 258, [ 878 ] 1 74, 1 87, 1 91 ,
21 2, [ 885 ] 21 5, [ 890 ] 71 , 81 , 244,
[ 892 ] 1 40, [ 892] 269
Sl av Defence [ D1 5 ] 221 , [ D1 7 ] 1 1 8
Torre Attack [ A48 ] 1 49
280

Mikhalchishin - Stetsko - Fighting Chess With Magnus Carlsen, 2012 PDF

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Mikhalchishin - Stetsko - Fighting Chess With Magnus Carlsen, 2012 PDF

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Mikhalchishin/Stetsko

have been countless examples of success

xf7 31 . fxg4 - woul d have

f6, si nce i n the event of 34. h6?

g8 i t i s Bl ack who wi ns.

d7. 46 ... h2 47. xg6+ b5 48. g5+ b6

h2 or i mmedi ately 69.

f4 woul d Such a move i s si mpl y i nconcei vabl e for a

g3 ' school i ng'. 46 . . .

e7 47. gS hxg5+ 48. hxgS

c4 White woul d have

g4 - woul d have enabl ed hi m

f1 ! Whi te woul d agai n have won:

xd6 53. a?.

a6 White l oses Whi te' s posi t i on is cl ose to wi nni ng,

xb8+ but he sti l l has to make a few accurate

d2 gb2+ 32. gc2, retai ni ng wi nni ng

e7 gxh4 are uncl ear.

f3 there can fol l ow 36 . . . gxe2 (not

f4 gb5! and Bl ack hol ds the posi ti on.

e5 woul d merel y compl i cate

g6 was the onl y defence.

g8, wi t h the i ntent i on of

xf6, when White

xh6 33. h4 f8 34. hxg5+

xg5, al though here

however, Magnus succeeds i n demon

g4+ there i s no sat

xc3 22. Ab1

xf5 exf3 24.

e3 and g2-g4) or even

c2 Whi te' s chances are

e3! ) . After 1 8 . . . .b8 Whi te has ti me

d3, after whi ch White woul d prob

xe8 40. !d2 aS 41 .

g8 45. !h3 !xf4 46.

d7, si nce a kni ght

M. Carl sen - S. Ernst

From Master to Grandmaster

xeS gxh6 23. xh6

xdS 23. hxg7

The capture on c2 is dangerous for Bl ack,

d2 0-0-0) 1 2 . . . 0-0-0 1 3. a4 b4!

From Master to Grandmaster

12. lg1 txh2 1 3. tgS!

xe4, and the

b8 1 8. lxg7 was even better,

xh7). After 20. gg3 Bl ack i s agai n

xd8, and i f 23.

aS! . Now Whi te' s

c7 26. Af6 Ac6

b7 28. Axf3 Axf3 29. Ae7! or

c7 26. gha gxh8

xf6+ 28. Axf6 ge1 ! 29. Ag4

ri sky for Bl ack) 21 . xh2 xe4+

From Master to Grandmaster

xd6 xd6 26. e8+

M. Carl sen - E. Vl adi mi rov

f4 .c8 wi th good counter-

b1 fd8 was cor

g8 29. d6?? (29.

xe6+ l eads to mate:

a1 and he has to run wi th hi s