The FIDE World Chess Championship Match between reigning champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway and challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia got underway over the weekend in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
After two games, the title match is turning out to be thrilling and exciting as hyped. The first game, a Ruy Lopez Anti-Marshall System, showed neither champion nor challenger made no major blunders or willing to allow tactical fireworks to happen over the board. A draw was thus agreed upon after 45 moves.
The second game was more tense, though. Carlsen, playing White, essayed an Open Catalan and a sharp struggle soon ensued that earned him a clear initiative. However, a steel–nerved Nepomniachtchi deftly defended to keep things under control. Soon, Carlsen’s penchant for creating conditions for complex fighting chess caused him to err on Move 17, giving his Russian challenger some winning chances.
Still, Carlsen isn’t world champion for nothing, and he soon found the right moves and maneuvers to get him out of the fix he created as the Russian himself faltered. Although Nepo was the Exchange up after the critical plays, he had to return it and managed to hold the draw a pawn down on Move 58.
We expect the remaining games of this 14-game title match to be as thrilling as this one.
Nepomniachtchi,I (2782)-Carlsen,M (2855) [C88]
Dubai (wch/1) 2021
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Na5 9.Nxe5 Nxb3 10.axb3 Bb7 11.d3 d5 12.exd5 Qxd5 13.Qf3 Bd6 14.Kf1 Rfb8 15.Qxd5 Nxd5 16.Bd2 c5 17.Nf3 Rd8 18.Nc3 Nb4 19.Rec1 Rac8 20.Ne2 Nc6 21.Be3 Ne7 22.Bf4 Bxf3 23.gxf3 Bxf4 24.Nxf4 Rc6 25.Re1 Nf5 26.c3 Nh4 27.Re3 Kf8 28.Ng2 Nf5 29.Re5 g6 30.Ne1 Ng7 31.Re4 f5 32.Re3 Ne6 33.Ng2 b4 34.Ke2 Rb8 35.Kd2 bxc3+ 36.bxc3 Rxb3 37.Kc2 Rb7 38.h4 Kf7 39.Ree1 Kf6 40.Ne3 Rd7 41.Nc4 Re7 42.Ne5 Rd6 43.Nc4 Rc6 44.Ne5 Rd6 45.Nc4 ½-½
Carlsen,M (2855)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2782) [E06]
Dubai (wch/2) 2021
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2 b5 8.Ne5 c6 9.a4 Nd5 10.Nc3 f6 11.Nf3 Qd7 12.e4 Nb4 13.Qe2 Nd3 14.e5 Bb7 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Ne4 Na6 17.Ne5 Bxe5 18.dxe5 Nac5 19.Nd6 Nb3 20.Rb1 Nbxc1 21.Rbxc1 Nxc1 22.Rxc1 Rab8 23.Rd1 Ba8 24.Be4 c3 25.Qc2 g6 26.bxc3 bxa4 27.Qxa4 Rfd8 28.Ra1 c5 29.Qc4 Bxe4 30.Nxe4 Kh8 31.Nd6 Rb6 32.Qxc5 Rdb8 33.Kg2 a6 34.Kh3 Rc6 35.Qd4 Kg8 36.c4 Qc7 37.Qg4 Rxd6 38.exd6 Qxd6 39.c5 Qxc5 40.Qxe6+ Kg7 41.Rxa6 Rf8 42.f4 Qf5+ 43.Qxf5 Rxf5 44.Ra7+ Kg8 45.Kg4 Rb5 46.Re7 Ra5 47.Re5 Ra7 48.h4 Kg7 49.h5 Kh6 50.Kh4 Ra1 51.g4 Rh1+ 52.Kg3 gxh5 53.Re6+ Kg7 54.g5 Rg1+ 55.Kf2 Ra1 56.Rh6 Ra4 57.Kf3 Ra3+ 58.Kf2 Ra4 ½-½
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PUZZLERS
WHITE TO MOVE, MATE IN TWO.
The key to our last problem is 1.Rh4, and Black’s futile options are: 1…Nc8/e8/b7/f7/b5/c4 2.d6#; 1…Nf5 2.gxf5#; 1…h5 2.gxh5#; 1…Ngf7/h7 2.g5#; 1…Ne6 2.dxe6#; 1…Nf3 2.exf3#.
