World champion Magnus Carlsen took advantage of an awful mistake by challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi in Game 8 of the 2021 FIDE World Chess Championship Match in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to win for the second time in their 14-game duel and take a commanding 5-3 lead with six games to go.
Nepomniachtchi’s terrible 21st move b5? In a Petrff’s Defense opened the floodgates of defeat for the challenger who now has the unenviable, if almost impossible, task of catching up. Truth to tell, it’s difficult to imagine Nepomniachtchi recovering from this secpnd loss and the scuttlebutt in the international chess community says he may have to resort to changing his openings to the ones he is famous as an specialist, particularly the King’s Gambit and the Gruenfeld.
The protagonists take a rest day after this game.
Carlsen,M (2855)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2782) [C43]
Dubai (wch/8) 2021
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Nxd7 Bxd7 7.Nd2 Nxd2 8.Bxd2 Bd6 9.0-0 h5!
Nepomniachtchi uncorks a novelty which indicated the challenger’s readiness for a fight. Previously seen was 9…Qh4 played in Gergacz-Bodo, Hungary 2010 which continued 10.Qe1+ Kf8 11.f4 Qxe1 12.Raxe1 Re8 13.a3 a6 14.Bb4 Bxb4 15.axb4 f6 16.Rxe8+ Kxe8 17.Kf2 Kf7 18.Re1 g6 19.h4 Re8 20.Rxe8 Bxe8 21.h5 Bb5 22.hxg6+ hxg6 23.Bxb5 axb5 24.g4 g5 25.fxg5 fxg5 26.Ke3 Ke6 27.Kd3 Kd6 28.Ke3 Ke6 29.Kd3 Kd6 30.Ke3 Ke6 31.Kd3 DRAW.
10.Qe1+ Without doubt, the text was an offer of draw, as the tired Magnus, worn by the amount of energy spent for the protacted Game 6 victory, could have gone for complications here with 10.c4!?.
10…Kf8 11.Bb4 Qe7 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.Qd2 Re8 14.Rae1 Rh6 15.Qg5 c6 16.Rxe8+ Bxe8 17.Re1 Qf6 18.Qe3 Bd7 19.h3 h4 20.c4 dxc4 21.Bxc4 b5?
And here, Nepo makes an uncharacteristic blunder which allows White to grab a pawn while simultaneously attacking the bishop on d7.
22.Qa3+ Kg8 23.Qxa7 Qd8 24.Bb3 Rd6 25.Re4 Be6 26.Bxe6 Rxe6 27.Rxe6 fxe6 28.Qc5 Qa5 29.Qxc6 Qe1+ 30.Kh2 Qxf2 31.Qxe6+ Kh7 32.Qe4+ Kg8 33.b3 Qxa2 34.Qe8+ Kh7 35.Qxb5 Qf2 36.Qe5 Qb2 37.Qe4+ Kg8 38.Qd3 Qf2 39.Qc3 Qf4+ 40.Kg1 Kh7 41.Qd3+ g6 42.Qd1 Qe3+ 43.Kh1 g5 44.d5 g4 45.hxg4 h3 46.Qf3 1-0
******
PUZZLERS
WHITE TO MOVE, MATE IN TWO.
The key to our last problem is 1.f4!, and Black’s futile options are: 1…Qe6/h3/xf4 2.Q(x)e6#; 1…Qxc6, Bxc6 2.Qe5#; 1…Re2 2.Nxc3#; 1…Ng4/xd1 2.Qe4#.
