11/14/2017 – One match is still running at the Champions Showdown in St. Louis: Magnus Carlsen vs Ding Liren. In round three, on November 13, the World Champion and China's first World Championship Candidate had to play eight 10-minute games. Ding Liren started well but then suffered a debacle. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
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Champions Showdown, Day 5: Carlsen scores and scores and scores
The Champions Showdown began on November 9, but Carlsen and Ding Liren started their match two days later than the other six players because the World Champion was scheduled to play a handicap simul in Hamburg. But the longer Carlsen is in St. Louis the stronger he seems to play. The first three rapid games with a time-control of 30 minutes for the whole game ended in draws but then Carlsen won game four.
On the second day of the match Carlsen won three and drew three of the six games with a time-control of 20 minutes for the whole game. The third day of the match saw eight blitz games with a time-control of 10 minutes for the whole game.
Magnus Carlsen vs Ding Liren | Photo: Lennart Ootes
After scoring his first win of the match in the first 10-minute game it seemed as if Ding Liren could bounce back. The Chinese number one had Black in a Sicilian Taimanov and convincingly outplayed the World Champion to reach a won endgame:
The Sicilian has been known for decades as the most reliable way for Black to obtain an unbalanced but good position. Among the most popular Sicilians at the top level the two that certainly stand out are the Najdorf and the Paulsen.
But then Carlsen hit back and won the next four games.
Scarcely any world champion has managed to captivate chess lovers to the extent Carlsen has. The enormously talented Norwegian hasn't been systematically trained within the structures of a major chess-playing nation such as Russia, the Ukraine or China.
In game 3 Carlsen followed in the footsteps of Bobby Fischer by playing and winning a fine Kings Indian Attack against Ding Liren's Sicilian:
No other World Champion was more infamous both inside and outside the chess world than Bobby Fischer. On this DVD, a team of experts shows you the winning techniques and strategies employed by the 11th World Champion.
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After Carlsen had gained the momentum everything went his way:
Ding Liren managed to draw game 6 but then Carlsen won games 7 and 8 to complete Ding Liren's debacle.
Magnus Carlsen vs Ding Liren | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Today, November 14, Ding Liren and Carlsen will finish the match with 12 games with a time-control of 5 minutes for the whole game. One can only hope that things go better for Ding Liren. After all, should the Chinese win the Candidates Tournament in Berlin in March 2018, memories of his blitz-debacle against Carlsen might turn out to be a heavy psychological burden when fighting for the World Championship.
But the Champions Showdown match is decided: after three days Carlsen leads by 50-18 and this is enough to win the match and the 60,000$ prize-money. Even if Ding Liren won all 12 blitz-games on the final day of the match he would not catch up to Carlsen.
On-demand playlist
Illustrating the effect of no increment time control, last week GM commentators Alejandro Ramirez and Christian Chrila played a trio of bullet games.
You can also find each days complete commentary in the playlist menu (click or tap the icon in the upper left of the video player).
2017 Champions Showdown playlist | Source: CCSCSL on YouTube
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