Magnus Carlsen

Chess has got better over the years and the top players today play a very subtle game, which is not easy to explain.

So what can we learn from the best player, Magnus Carlsen?

 

The eternal advice to 'look at every check and every capture, every move' applies to super-Grandmasters as much as the rest of us!

On move 26, Carlsen allows a tactic -- and Anand doesn't notice either!

[Event "Carlsen - Anand World Championship"]
[Site "Sochi RUS"]
[Date "2014.11.15"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B41"]
[Annotator "blunders: look!"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2014.11.07"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Qd3 Nc6 8.
Nxc6 dxc6 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. e5 Nd7 11. Bf4 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Kc7 13. h4 b6 14. h5
h6 15. O-O-O Bb7 16. Rd3 c5 17. Rg3 Rag8 18. Bd3 Nf8 19. Be3 g6 20. hxg6 Nxg6
21. Rh5 Bc6 22. Bc2 Kb7 23. Rg4 a5 24. Bd1 Rd8 25. Bc2 Rdg8 26. Kd2 $4 (26. Rg3
) 26... a4 $4 (26... Nxe5! 27. Rxg8 Nxc4+! 28. Kd3 Nb2+ 29. Kd2 Rxg8)
 27. Ke2 a3 28. f3 Rd8 29. Ke1 Rd7 30. Bc1 Ra8 31. Ke2 Ba4 32. Be4+ Bc6
33. Bxg6 fxg6 34. Rxg6 Ba4 35. Rxe6 Rd1 36. Bxa3 Ra1 37. Ke3 Bc2 38. Re7+ 1-0

Here's a bright mating finish: mate in four in the main line from the start position (or Black loses material)

Click [...] to see the solution

[Event "Politiken Cup 25th"]
[Site "Copenhagen"]
[Date "2003.07.23"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Harestad, Hans Krogh"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C98"]
[WhiteElo "2385"]
[BlackElo "2249"]
[Annotator "tactic: mate"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r7/3bb1kp/q4ppN/1pnPp1n1/2p4Q/2P3N1/1PB3P1/2B2RK1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2003.07.14"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "DEN"]

1. * 1-0

[Event "Politiken Cup 25th"]
[Site "Copenhagen"]
[Date "2003.07.23"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Harestad, Hans Krogh"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C98"]
[WhiteElo "2385"]
[BlackElo "2249"]
[Annotator "tactic: mate"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2003.07.14"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "DEN"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. Re1 d6 8. c3
O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Nc6 13. d5 Nd8 14. a4 Ra7 15. Nf1
g6 16. Bh6 Re8 17. Ng3 Nd7 18. Nh2 f6 19. Be3 Nb6 20. axb5 axb5 21. Bd3 Bd7 22.
Qd2 Nf7 23. Rxa7 Qxa7 24. Qe2 Qa6 25. Ng4 Kg7 26. Bc1 Na4 27. Bc2 Ra8 28. Qe3
c4 29. Rf1 Nc5 30. Nh6 Ng5 31. f4 exf4 32. Qxf4 Bxh3 33. Qh4 Bd7 34. e5 dxe5 {
[#]} 35. Nh5+ gxh5 36. Qxg5+ fxg5 37. Rf7+ Kxh6 38. Rxh7# 1-0

Sometimes Carlsen plays a game with a clear theme, perhaps an old idea in modern clothes. Here's a game with a Knight outpost :

[Event "Sinquefield Cup"]
[Site "St Louis, MO USA"]
[Date "2015.08.27"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Carlsen"]
[Black "So"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B90"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2779"]
[Annotator "Lessons from Carlsen"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "2015.08.21"]

{Carlsen plays with a subtlety few can match or understand, but sometimes he
plays a game where the themes are clearer. Here he is demonstrating the d5
outpost in a modern setting, the Maroczy Bind, and the virtues of the French
Defence.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3
Be6 8. f3 Nbd7 9. Qd2 b5 10. O-O-O Be7 11. g4 b4 12. Nd5 Bxd5 13. exd5 Nb6 14.
Na5 Nbxd5 {All theory so far.} 15. Nc4 $1 {Sacrificing a pawn to get a bind.}
Nxe3 16. Nxe3 O-O 17. Bc4 Nd7 18. h4 a5 19. g5 Rc8 20. Bd5 {White dominates d5
while the black Bishop is doing the work of a pawn.} Nb6 21. Kb1 Qc7 22. Rhf1
Nxd5 23. Nxd5 {I've shown outpost games on this site before, but can such a
basic strategy work in the modern era? Well, yes, but you might have to work
harder.. .} Qb7 24. f4 f5 25. Qe3 e4 26. h5 Rc5 27. h6 $1 g6 {White has
greatly weakened the black King's-side.} 28. Qb3 Rf7 29. a4 Bd8 30. Rd4 Kf8 31.
Rfd1 Rc6 32. Ne3 Bb6 {The Bishop is finally allowed to speak, having
transferred to the Queen's-side. However, there is no easy way back to defend
the King.} 33. Nc4 $1 Bxd4 34. Nxa5 Qb6 35. Nxc6 Bc5 36. Qd5 e3 37. a5 Qb5 38.
Nd8 Ra7 39. Ne6+ Ke8 40. Nd4 Qxa5 41. Qg8+ Kd7 42. Qxh7+ {Now White will have
a huge asset in any endgame.} Kc8 43. Qg8+ Kb7 {The King races to be with the
rest of his gang.} 44. c3 bxc3 45. Qb3+ {White's King now also enjoys the
protection of other pieces, and can consider pushing the h-pawn.} Qb6 46. Qxb6+
{Safety first} Kxb6 47. bxc3 Bxd4 48. Rxd4 {Black can't run the e-pawn:} Kc6 (
48... e2 49. Rxd6+ Kc5 50. Re6) 49. Kc2 Ra2+ 50. Kd1 Rf2 51. Ke1 Kd7 52. Ra4
Ke6 53. Ra8 Rh2 54. c4 Kf7 55. Rb8 Ke6 56. Rg8 {White cleans up.} 1-0

Lastly, Carlsen has a terrific will to win -- playing on when some people would have agreed a draw, saying "You will make a mistake before I do"!


[Event "World Championship Candidates"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "2013.03.31"]
[Round "13"]
[White "Radjabov"]
[Black "Carlsen"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E32"]
[Annotator "Lessons from Carlsen"]
[PlyCount "178"]
[EventDate "2013.03.14"]

{Carlsen has taken endgame grinding to a new level; everyone is scared of his
ability to find tiny improvements and niggles that add up to a win, at least
in practical play. Perhaps some of these endgames are drawn on paper, but
chess, it should be noted, is played on a board. Offered without notes, as a
study in pure will to win:} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d6 5. Nf3 Nbd7
6. g3 O-O 7. Bg2 e5 8. O-O c6 9. Rd1 Re8 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. a3 Bxc3 12. Qxc3 Qe7
13. b4 Nb6 14. Be3 Ng4 15. Nd2 f5 16. h3 Nxe3 17. Qxe3 e4 18. Rac1 Be6 19. Qc3
Rad8 20. Bf1 c5 21. bxc5 Na4 22. Qb4 Nxc5 23. Nb3 Rxd1 24. Rxd1 Na6 25. Qxe7
Rxe7 26. e3 Kf7 27. Be2 b6 28. Rd8 Nc5 29. Nd4 Kf6 30. Kf1 Rd7 31. Rf8+ Bf7 32.
Ke1 g6 33. h4 h6 34. Rc8 Be6 35. Rf8+ Rf7 36. Rh8 Rc7 37. Nb5 Rd7 38. Nd4 h5
39. Rf8+ Bf7 40. Rc8 Ke5 41. Ra8 a6 42. Rc8 Rd6 43. Nc6+ Kf6 44. Nd4 Be6 45.
Rf8+ Ke7 46. Ra8 Rd7 47. Rb8 Rb7 48. Rxb7+ Nxb7 49. Kd2 Kd6 50. Kc3 Bf7 51. Nb3
Ke5 52. Bf1 a5 53. Be2 Be6 54. Bf1 Bd7 55. Be2 Ba4 56. Nd4 Nc5 57. Kb2 Be8 58.
Kc3 Bf7 59. Nc6+ Kd6 60. Nd4 Nd7 61. Nb5+ Kc5 62. Nd4 Ne5 63. Nb3+ Kc6 64. a4
Kd7 65. Nd4 Kd6 66. Nb5+ Kc5 67. Nd4 Be8 68. Nb3+ Kd6 69. c5+ Kc7 70. Kd4 Nc6+
71. Kc3 Ne7 72. cxb6+ Kxb6 73. Nd2 Bxa4 74. Nc4+ Ka6 75. Na3+ Kb7 76. Nc4 Ka6
77. Na3+ Ka7 78. Kd4 Nc6+ 79. Kc5 Ne5 80. Nc4 Nd3+ 81. Kd4 Nc1 82. Bf1 Bb5 83.
Nxa5 Bxf1 84. Nc6+ Kb6 85. Ne7 Nd3 86. Nxg6 Kc7 87. Ne7 Bh3 88. Nd5+ Kd6 89.
Nf6 Bg4 0-1

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