1.d4
Nf6
2.c4
g6
The decision to play this over 2...e6 was decided by a 51% vote.
3.Nf3
Bg7
4.g3
Magnus chooses a solid continuation, a wise choice since two of the advisors are very sharp players.
4...0-0
5.Bg2
d6
6.Nc3
Nc6
7.0-0
e5
8.d5
Ne7
9.e4
c6
This was Nakamura's move – Lagrave suggested Nd7, Judit Ne8.
10.a4
Bg4
11.a5
11...cxd5
This was a critical move, suggested by Judit and Maxime Lagrave. Nakamura, who thought this was a mistake, suggested Qd7. Magnus said that after this he felt he had a good position which was quite easy to play.
12.cxd5
Qd7
13.Be3
Rfc8
14.Qa4
Ne8
15.Nd2
Qd8
Exchanging queens would give White a favourable endgame. Judit and Maxime recommended this move to avoid it, Nakamura proposed 15...Nc7. From the faces of the three advisors you could tell that they were not happy with the position. At this stage Deep Fritz already gives White an advantage of two whole pawns.
16.Qb4
Nc7
Here Magnus' left brain suggested 17.f3 or 17.h3, while his right brain wanted 17.Nc4. His corpus callosum selected the latter. Fritz would have gone for 17.f3 with a +2.67 advantage.
17.Nc4
Na6
18.Qxb7
Rxc4
19.Qxa6
Rb4
20.f3
Bc8
21.Qe2
White is a clear pawn up and has excellent winning chances. But The World can breathe a sigh of relief: it is not getting completely crushed.
21...f5
22.Qd2
Ba6
23.Rfc1
Qb8
24.Na4
Rb3
25.Rc3
Rb4
26.Rca3
f4
27.Bf2
Bh6
At this stage Kasparov was predicting 28.g4 with a very comfortable position and an easy win for Magnus. It was here he started betting with commentator Maurice Ashley how long the game would last. Kasparov thought it would be over very soon. To his surprise Magnus took one of his options for extra time and started thinking . Then to Kasparov's dismay he played:
28.Nb6!?
It turned out that Magnus wanted to give the audience something exciting to see, rather than grind out a victory after 28.g4.
28...fxg3
29.Qxb4
gxf2+
30.Kxf2
Polgar suggests 30...axb6, Nakamura 30...Bc8, Lagrave 30...Bf4.
30...Bc8
Later Magnus said he was slightly worried about 30...Bf4 with some play against his king. Now he was relieved.
31.Rb3
Around this stage Kasparov stopped complaining about the missed chance 28.g4 and gave his young student the praise he deserved: it is clear that Magnus is a fighter and prefers an interesting game to a pragmatic win.
31...axb6
32.Qxb6
Qa7
33.a6
Kf7
34.Qxa7
Rxa7
35.Rb6
Ke8
36.Rxd6
Kasparov and Ashley explained that the "rook and three pawns against two bad pieces" meant it was over for Black. They started betting again how long the game would last.
36...Bf8
37.Rb6
37...Nxd5
A tricky move suggest by all three coaches.
38.Rb8!
[38.exd5??
Bc5+
39.Kg3
Bxb6
would be winning for Black. But of course Magnus, as you may have heard, is a pretty strong player and not going to fall for something like this.]
38...Bc5+
39.Kg3
Ne7
40.Bh3
Kd8
41.Bxc8
At this stage Liv Tyler, who is Magnus' current partner in the G-Star promotion, was chatting with Maurice Ashley. She was amazed at the cracking action as Magnus lopped off the bishop. Liv told Maurice that she loved chess and played it years ago in a little chess shop in New York. She also described their photo shoot in Florida, where it was 100 degrees, but Magnus had stayed "cool as a cucumber." She thought he looked "amazing" in the playing venue, in front of the New York backdrop.
41...Nxc8
42.Rc1
"Resign, resign, resign, resign", Garry kept chanting. He had a third bet running with Maurice.
42...Rc7
43.Rxc5!
Here Magnus, who was alone in the room, reached over to his right to pick up the white queen. The spectators watching him on video understood why.
43...Rxc5
44.a7
And here Polgar, Vachier and Nakamura all stood up and, after glancing at each other, resigned for The World. [It was clear that after 44.a7
Ra5
45.a8Q
Rxa8
46.Rxa8
Black was an exchange and a pawn down, without the ghost of a chance to save the game.] 1-0