Endgames from the Global Chess League: A Pragg & Carlsen special

by Karsten Müller
8/5/2023 – The inaugural edition of the Global Chess League took place last month in Dubai. The Triveni Continental Kings, led by Levon Aronian, emerged victorious. GM Karsten Müller followed the games closely, looking for interesting positions to analyse. Find here four instructive endings, two featuring rising star Praggnanandhaa and two featuring endgame wizard Magnus Carlsen! | Photo: Maria Emelianova
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Carlsen beats two former challengers

A technical savant, Magnus Carlsen beat two former challengers for the world crown while representing the SG Alpine Warriors at the Global Chess League in Dubai. Carlsen got the better of Vishy Anand in a bishop vs knight endgame (with six pawns per side) and made the most of a mistake by Ian Nepomniachtchi in a setup with rooks and bishops of opposite colours.

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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Nc6 7.Qg4 g6 8.h4 h6 9.h5 g5 10.f4 Qa5 11.Bd2 f5 12.Qg3 g4 13.dxc5 Nge7 14.Bd3 Qxc5 15.Ne2 Na5 16.Qf2 Qxf2+ 17.Kxf2 Bd7 18.a4 Kf7 19.Rhb1 b6 20.Bc1 Nec6 21.Ba3 Nd8 22.Bb4 Ndb7 23.Nd4 Rhb8 24.Nb3 Nc4 25.Bxc4 dxc4 26.Nd4 Rc8 27.a5 b5 28.Rd1 Be8 29.Ne2 a6 30.Rd4 Rd8 31.Rad1 Rxd4 32.Rxd4 Bc6 33.Rd2 g3+ 34.Kg1 Rg8 35.Nd4 Rd8 36.Bd6 Be4 37.Bb4 Rd5 38.Kf1 Nd8 39.Ke1 Nc6 40.Ne2 Rxd2 41.Kxd2 Bxg2 42.Nxg3 Bf3 43.Ke3 Bd1 44.Kd2 Bg4 45.Ke3 Ke8 46.Kd2 Ne7 47.Bxe7 Kxe7 48.Kc1 Kd7 49.Kb2 Kc6 50.Ka2 Kd5 51.Ka3 Kc5 52.Kb2 Bd1 53.Kc1 Bf3 54.Kb2 Magnus' mighty c-pawn. The duel bishop against knight can be very deep: b4? Black rushes. The bishop must be improved first, e.g 54...Bc6 55.Nf1 Be8 56.Ng3 b4 57.cxb4+ Kd4-+ 55.cxb4+ Kd4 55...Kxb4 56.c3+ Kxa5 57.Ka3 is drawn as well, as all inroads into White's burg are closed. 56.c3+ Kd3 57.b5 axb5 58.a6 Kd2 59.a7 Bd5 60.Nxf5? Black's c-pawn will win now. 60.Nf1+ Kd3 61.Ng3 b4 62.cxb4 Kd2 63.Nf1+ draws. 60...exf5 61.e6 b4 62.e7 bxc3+ 63.Ka2 c2 64.a8Q Bxa8 65.e8Q Be4? Black does not have time for this. The direct 65...c3 wins, e.g. 66.Qxa8 c1Q 67.Qg2+ Kd3 68.Qf3+ Kd4 69.Qf2+ Qe3-+ 66.Qd8+ Bd3 67.Qd4? The wrong square. 67.Qb6 draws, e.g. c1N+ 67...c1Q 68.Qe3+ Kc2 69.Qxd3+ cxd3 stalemate 68.Ka3 c3 69.Qxh6 c2 70.Qc6 Ne2 71.h6 c1Q+ 72.Qxc1+ Kxc1 73.h7 Nxf4 74.h8Q Ne2= 67...c1N+‼ A winning underpromotion. Of course not 67...c1Q? 68.Qe3+ Kc2 69.Qxd3+ Kxd3 Stalemate. 68.Ka3 c3 69.Qb6 Ne2 70.Qxh6 70.Qb4 Ke3 71.Qc5+ Kxf4 72.Qd6+ Ke3 73.Qxh6+ Kf3 74.Qg5 c2-+ 70...c2 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Viswanathan Anand-Magnus Carlsen-0–12023C18Tech Mahindra Global Chess League7.1
Nepomniachtchi,I2779Carlsen,M28530–12023B2216.1

Vishy Anand, Magnus Carlsen

A duel of legends: Vishy Anand facing Magnus Carlsen | Photo: Maria Emelianova

Pragg defeats two fellow prodigies

At 17, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu is the fourth highest-rated junior player in the world (only Firouzja, Gukesh and Abdusattorov have higher ratings). The Indian faced two fellow prodigies in Dubai while representing the SG Alpine Warriors alongside Carlsen. 

Pragg beat Jonas Buhl Bjerre (aged 19, 14th in the juniors’ ranking) and Javokhir Sindarov (aged 17, 8th in the juniors’ ranking) after showing good technique in endgames with queens on the board for both sides.

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1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 g6 7.h4 Bg7 8.h5 Bf5 9.Ng5 e6 10.Nge4 Bxe4 11.Nxe4 Qe7 12.d3 0-0 13.hxg6 hxg6 14.Bg5 f6 15.Bd2 f5 16.Ng5 f4 17.Bxd5 exd5 18.Bxf4 Rae8 19.Qd2 Nd4 20.e3 Qxg5 21.0-0-0 Qg4 22.exd4 Re2 23.Qa5 Bxd4 24.Rd2 Rfe8 25.Qc7 R2e7 26.Qa5 g5 27.Be3 Qf3 28.Re1 Bxe3 29.Rxe3 Rxe3 30.fxe3 Qxe3 31.Qxa7 Rf8 32.Kc2 Rf7 33.Qb8+ Kg7 34.Rh2 Rf2+ 35.Rxf2 Qxf2+ 36.Kb3 Qd4 37.Qxb7+ Kf6 38.Qb5 Qg1 39.a4 Qxg3 40.Qc6+ Kg7 41.Qxd5 g4 42.a5 Qf3 43.Qd7+ Kf6 44.Qd6+ Kf7 45.a6 g3 46.a7 g2 47.Qc7+ Kg6 48.Qd6+ Kg7 49.Qd7+ Kh6 50.Qe6+ Kh7 51.Qe4+ Qxe4 52.dxe4 g1Q 53.a8Q Qd1+ 54.Ka2 Qd4 55.Qd5 Qa4+ 56.Kb1 c4 57.e5 Activate the king. This is important even in queen endings: Qb4? Now Black's king is too weak. Amazingly 57...Kg7‼ draws as Black's king plays and White's does not, e.g. 58.e6 58.Qd4 Kf7 59.Kc1 Qb3 60.Kd2 Ke7= 58...Kf6 59.Qd6 Qa7 60.Kc2 Qa4+ 61.Kc3 Qb3+ 62.Kd4 Qxb2+= 58.Qf7+ Kh6 59.Qf6+! The only winning move. 59.Qf4+? Kh5 60.Qf5+ Kh4= 59.e6? Qe1+ 60.Kc2 Qe2+ 61.Kc3 Qd3+ 62.Kb4 Qb3+ 63.Kc5 Qe3+ 64.Kxc4 Qe4+ 65.Kc5 Qe5+ 66.Kc6 Qe4+ 67.Kd7 Qd5+ 68.Ke8 Qa8+ 69.Ke7 Qb7+ 70.Kf8 Qb8+= 59...Kh7 60.Qf5+ Kg7 61.e6 Qe7 After 61...Qe1+ 62.Ka2+- the checks have run out. 62.Kc2 Finally White's king comes to decide the day. Qb7?! Now White can force the exchange of queens. 62...Qb4 is more tenacious, but does not defend, e.g. 63.Qg5+ Kh7 64.e7 Qa4+ 65.Kc3 Qb3+ 66.Kd4 Qxb2+ 67.Ke4 Qe2+ 68.Kd5 Qd3+ 69.Ke5 Qe2+ 70.Kf6 Qf2+ 71.Qf5++- 63.Qg5+ 63.Qf7+ is possible directly: Qxf7 64.exf7 Kxf7 65.Kc3 Ke6 66.Kxc4+- 63...Kh7 64.Qf5+ Kh6 64...Kg7 is also met by 65.Qf7+ Qxf7 66.exf7 Kxf7 67.Kc3 Ke6 68.Kxc4+- 65.Qf6+ Kh7 66.Qf7+ Qxf7 67.exf7 Kg7 68.Kc3 68.Kc3 Kxf7 69.Kxc4 Ke6 70.Kc5 Kd7 71.Kb6 Kc8 72.b4 Kb8 73.b5 Ka8 74.Kc7+- 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
R Praggnanandhaa-Jonas Buhl Bjerre-1–02023A35Tech Mahindra Global Chess League8.6
Sindarov,J2646Praggnanandhaa R26900–12023C5014.6

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu

Praggnanandhaa facing Jonas Buhl Bjerre | Photo: Maria Emelianova

Let endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller show and explain the finesses of the world champions. Although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well, so take the opportunity to enjoy and learn from some of the best endgames in the history of chess.

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Karsten Müller is considered to be one of the greatest endgame experts in the world. His books on the endgame - among them "Fundamentals of Chess Endings", co-authored with Frank Lamprecht, that helped to improve Magnus Carlsen's endgame knowledge - and his endgame columns for the ChessCafe website and the ChessBase Magazine helped to establish and to confirm this reputation. Karsten's Fritztrainer DVDs on the endgame are bestsellers. The mathematician with a PhD lives in Hamburg, and for more than 25 years he has been scoring points for the Hamburger Schachklub (HSK) in the Bundesliga.

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