4/21/2021 – Magnus Carlsen loves chess and he loves a challenge. On Monday, after commentating round 8 of the Candidates for several hours live, the World Champion played a 22 game 3+0 Banter Blitz match against the "Challengers", 20 of the world's most promising juniors. Carlsen convincingly won the match with a score of 19.5-2.5. He only lost against Nihal Sarin and Awonder Liang and drew against Vincent Keymer.
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Magnus Carlsen vs Julius Baer Challengers
In the Julius Baer Challenge Tour, 20 juniors, ten male and ten female, compete against each other in a series of tournaments. The idea is to give young talents an opportunity to gain experience against strong opponents, but also to promote female talents by giving them a chance to test their skills against male juniors.
To further fuel the ambition of the young players, on Monday evening World Champion Magnus Carlsen played all 20 Challengers one after the other in a Banter Blitz (3+0) match on Chess24. Anna Muzychuk and Artur Kogan, two of the coaches, who support the talents in the Julius Baer Challenge, also took the opportunity to play blitz against the World's number one.
Carlsen clearly dominated the match and won 19.5-2.5, but he did not win all his games. He lost against Nihal Sarin (India) and Awonder Liang (USA) and drew against Vincent Keymer (Germany).
Carlsen vs Nihal Sarin
Sagar Shah commentated Nihal Sarin's convincing win against the World Champion for ChessBase India.
Awonder Liang was the other player who managed to beat Carlsen – but this game could easily have ended differently.
Carlsen vs Awonder Liang
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1.d3Nf62.Nf3g63.g3Bg74.Bg20-05.0-0c56.Nbd2Nc67.e4d68.Re1Qc79.a4b610.e5dxe511.Nxe5Nxe512.Bxa8Bg413.Bf3Nxf3+14.Nxf3Qd7?White is an exchange up but Black has sufficient compensation. However,
this tactical oversight allows White to simplify the position favourably.
After14...Nd5chances are about equal.15.Ne5!Qf516.Nxg4Nxg417.Qe2Bd418.Rf1Rd819.c3Bf620.Kg2Rxd321.f3Ne522.Bf4Nc623.Rad1c424.Rxd3cxd325.Qe4Qc826.Qxd3Now White is a clear exchange and should
be winning. In the match against the juniors Carlsen often had bad positions
which he saved through his defensive skills and/or by playing incredibly fast
and using the clock to his advantage. But in this game, Carlsen found no way
to overcome the stubborn defense of his opponent and even lost in the end.g527.Be3Ne528.Qe4Qd729.Bd4Ng630.Bxf6exf631.Rf2Kg732.Qd4Qe633.Rd2h534.Qe4Qc835.Rd6Qc536.Qd4Qf537.b4Qc2+38.Kf1Qb1+39.Ke2Qc2+40.Qd2Qf541.Qd3Qe5+42.Kd2Qe743.Qd5Ne544.Kc2Qc745.f4Nc446.Qc6Qxd647.Qxc4Qd748.fxg5Qxa4+49.Kb2fxg550.Qd4+f651.Qe4Qd752.Qe2h453.gxh4g454.Qe3Qf555.Qg3Qf356.Kb3Qd1+57.Kc4Qe2+58.Kd4a559.bxa5bxa50–1
Only one of the 22 games ended in a draw, and here both players missed chances to win.
Carlsen vs Vincent Keymer
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1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3Bb44.a3Bxc3+5.bxc3c56.f3d67.e4Nc68.Ne2h69.Ng3e510.dxc5dxc511.Qxd8+Kxd812.Be2Carlsen wound up in a somewhat dubious line of the Nimzo-Indian.
White's pawn on the c-file are permanent weaknesses and it is hard to see how
White can drum up counterplay.b613.Nf1Ba614.Ne3Na515.Kf2Kc716.Nd5+Kb717.Rd1Rad8After17...Bxc418.Bxc4Nxc419.Nxf6gxf620.Rd7+
White has counterplay.18.Nxf618.Ne3Rxd119.Bxd1also loses the pawn
on c4.18...Rxd119.Bxd1gxf620.f4Bxc4Black finally won the pawn on
c4 and is clearly better but in the game he found no way to convert.21.fxe5fxe522.Be3Be6Or22...Bd3!?23.Bf3Kc624.Rd1Bc225.Rd2Bb3
with a dominant position for Black.23.Bh5Nc424.Bc1a525.a4Kc726.h4Nd627.Bf3Bb328.g4Bc229.Ke3Nc4+30.Kf2f631.h5Nd632.Ke3Nf733.Ra2Bb334.Rf2Ng535.Be2Rf836.Bb5Be637.Rg2Bc837...c4!?with the
idea38.--Rd839.Rd2Rxd240.Bxd2might have been a good alternative.
AfterBxg441.Bxc4Bxh5Black is two pawns up and should win.38.Rg1Bb7Black is better and a pawn up but fails to find a win.39.Bd3Bc640.Bc2Rf741.Rf1Bd742.Rg1Nh343.Rg3Nf444.Rg1Rg745.Kf3Nh346.Rg3Ng5+47.Ke2Be648.Ke3Bc449.Rg1b5A last attempt to make progress but it
does not yield anything.50.axb5Bxb551.Ba3Kc652.Rd1Rd7?With only
seconds on the clock Black commits a serious tactical error that might have
led to a loss.53.Rxd7?Carlsen, who was probably happy to cash in on c5,
also fails to see the unexpected chance to win the game.After53.c4!afterRxd1or53...Ba654.Ba4+54.cxb5+
White takes on b5 with check and wins a piece.53...Kxd754.Bxc5Ne655.Ba3a456.Kf3Ng5+57.Ke3Ne658.Bc1Kc659.Ba3Kd7½–½
All in all a fantastic performance by Magnus Carlsen – after all, despite their young age, a lot of his opponents are experienced Grandmasters and exceptionally strong blitz players.
Results
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1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3a66.Be3e67.Be2Be78.0-00-09.f4Qc710.Kh1b511.a3Bb712.Bf3Nbd7B85: Sicilian Scheveningen: 6
Be2 a6, lines with early Be3.13.Re113.Qe1=13...Rac8
14.Qd2NPredecessor:14.Bf2Rfe815.Bg3e516.fxe5dxe517.Nd5Nxd518.exd5Bd619.Nf5g620.Nh6+1-0 (37) Massoni,M (2373)-Burg,T (2479) La
Massana 201314...Nb6Black is better.15.Qf2Nc416.Bc1Rfd817.Nd1d518.e5Ne419.Bxe4dxe420.c3Bc5 Keeping
White busy.21.b3
21.Be3is a better defense.21...Na5!-+22.Be3Bxd423.Bxd4Nxb324.Bb6
24...e3!25.Qxe3Qc626.Qf226.Ra2Rd727.Rc226...Rd2
Black took control after the opening. Weighted Error Value: White=0.58/
Black=0.110–1
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