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Chess superstar Magnus Carlsen had last played in the Bundesliga in 2008, at the age of 17. Now, only days after getting married, he made a sensational return to the world's most competitive chess league. Thanks to the support of chess patron Jan-Henric Buettner, Carlsen joined the St. Pauli squad and debuted in round 5 of the 2024/25 season.
St. Pauli faced Solingen in this round, a team boasting a perfect 3/3 record from their initial matches of the season. As expected, Carlsen played on the top board, and two other players who made their debut this season joined him in the lineup: three-time British champion David Howell and Peter Heine Nielsen, Carlsen's long-time second. Carlsen, armed with the black pieces, was paired against Dutch grandmaster Max Warmerdam.
The match concluded with a resounding 5½-2½ victory for St. Pauli, marking a turning point for the team. Carlsen delivered one of the four wins for his side, with Nielsen, Jonas Bjerre and Bartosz Socko also emerging victorious. Howell, however, succumbed to seasoned Dutch GM Erwin l'Ami. Carlsen's performance stood out as he employed remarkable strategic play to outplay Warmerdam. The Norwegian spent about 10 minutes before deciding how to reply to 1.c4 and admitted afterwards that his move 9...e4 was "kind of a bluff".
This win was St. Pauli's first of the season, as the team had struggled with two losses and a draw in earlier rounds.
Although Magnus Carlsen's return to the Bundesliga stole the spotlight on Saturday, the most significant match of round 5 was the showdown between defending champions Viernheim and perennial powerhouses Baden-Baden. Baden-Baden entered the round with a flawless record after four matches, while Viernheim had struggled with consistency, sitting at 50 percent after recording a win, a draw and a loss in their first three encounters.
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Both squads fielded their strongest line-ups of the season, setting the stage for an intense battle. Baden-Baden welcomed Alireza Firouzja, Levon Aronian and Vincent Keymer to their roster for the first time this campaign, while Viernheim introduced an equally formidable quartet: Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Parham Maghsoodloo. With so much star power on display, fans were treated to a gripping encounter that promised high-quality chess.
In a tightly contested match, 7 of the 8 games ended in draws, leaving David Anton's victory over Rustam Kasimdzhanov as the decisive result. Playing with the white pieces, the Spanish grandmaster showcased exceptional technique to convert a double-rook endgame with three pawns against two after 67 moves. Anton's crucial win secured a narrow 4½-3½ victory for Viernheim, propelling the team to a stronger position in the league standings.
This upset allowed Schachfreunde Deizisau to take sole possession of the lead with 9/10 match points, having amassed four wins and one draw by that point in the season (team victories grant 2 match points). On Saturday, Deizisau edged past Heimbach-Weis-Neuwied in a closely contested 4½-3½ victory. Daniel Dardha and Benjamin Gledura played pivotal roles, scoring wins that kept their team at the top of the standings.
Chess fans were eager to witness Carlsen take on newly-crowned world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in round 6. However, Gukesh was not fielded by Düsseldorf in their match against St. Pauli, leaving spectators to enjoy another marquee clash: Carlsen playing white against Wei Yi. The Chinese grandmaster, fresh off a stellar 2024 that included a victory in the Tata Steel Masters - where he defeated Gukesh in tiebreaks - provided a worthy opponent for the Norwegian star.
Wei opted for the Sicilian Defence in response to Carlsen's 1.e4, setting the stage for a dynamic and tense battle. Carlsen, determined to secure a crucial point for his team, took calculated risks in search of a win. Nevertheless, Wei's resourceful play ensured the equilibrium was never broken, and the players agreed to a draw after 36 moves. Wei, who had defeated Velimir Ivic in the previous round, boosted his rating by 4.3 points with his 1½/2 performance over the weekend, climbing to 8th place in the live ratings list.
Despite Carlsen's efforts, the match ended in favour of Düsseldorf, who extended their perfect record with a fifth consecutive victory. St. Pauli managed an individual win on board 7, with Bartosz Socko scoring his second full point in a row by defeating Raunak Sadhwani. However, Düsseldorf's Jorden van Foreest and Javokhir Sindarov both delivered vital wins. Van Foreest claimed his third consecutive victory in the league, while Sindarov continued his remarkable form, achieving his fifth win in as many games despite playing four of them with the black pieces.
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While St. Pauli faced Düsseldorf in a highly anticipated match, Viernheim and Baden-Baden were also put to the test in key challenges against strong teams. Viernheim went up against sole leaders Schachfreunde Deizisau, while Baden-Baden took on Heimbach-Weis-Neuwied, with both teams needing victories to stay in the hunt for the championship.
Both matches ended decisively with narrow 4½-3½ victories. Viernheim's Parham Maghsoodloo and Aravindh Chithambaram delivered crucial wins to hand their team overall victory, knocking the leaders off the top spot. Baden-Baden also edged out their opponents, thanks to a key victory by Rustam Kasimdzhanov. This marked a redemption moment for Kasimdzhanov, who had suffered a loss to David Anton in the previous round. Seven of the games in the Baden-Baden match ended in draws, mirroring the trend from their clash with Viernheim in round 5.
These results left Düsseldorf and Baden-Baden tied for first place with 10 match points each. Crucially, Düsseldorf still has a game in hand, giving them an edge in the standings. With rounds 7 and 8 scheduled for 1-2 February, the race for the Bundesliga title remains wide open.
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