Carlsen wins Norway Chess, Firouzja shines

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
9/18/2021 – Magnus Carlsen beat Ian Nepomniachtchi in Armageddon to secure first place at the 2021 Norway Chess Tournament. This is the world champion’s third straight triumph in his home super-tournament. Alireza Firouzja had a great performance, ending the tournament with four wins in a row to get sole second place and climb to ninth place in the world ranking. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

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Streaks

Perennial favourite Magnus Carlsen won the ninth edition of the Norway Chess Tournament in Stavanger after getting an Armageddon victory over Ian Nepomniachtchi in the tenth and final round of the event. The world champion came from scoring four consecutive wins in classical games to snatch the lead away from long-time sole leader Richard Rapport. This is Carlsen’s third straight triumph in his home super-tournament, as the man from Tønsberg has won all editions that featured the current pointing system.

The highest-rated player in the world was not the only streaky participant in Stavanger, though, as Alireza Firouzja also won four in a row to climb to sole second place in the final standings after a rather disappointing start. The 18-year-old star gained 16.2 Elo points and climbed to ninth place in the live ratings list. For comparison’s sake, at the same age (18 years and 3 months), Carlsen had a 2770 official rating, the exact same rating Firouzja reached thanks to his strong performance! The sky is the limit for the French representative.

Rapport finished in third place, as he seemed to run out of steam towards the end of the tournament. The Hungarian nevertheless left a strong impression — he gained 10 rating points and, like Firouzja, he also joined the world’s top 10. At 25, the ever-creative Rapport is a force to be reckoned with, and we expect to see him getting more invitations to elite tournaments in the months to come.

As for the World Championship challenger, it was an uneven performance for Ian Nepomniachtchi. After failing to make it to Stavanger in time, the Russian won one game and lost two in classical chess throughout the event. It was apparent during the post-game interviews that Nepo is mostly focused on the coming match against the world champion, as we are only two months away from the much-anticipated confrontation.

Richard Rapport, Alireza Firouzja

It has been a gruelling event | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Nepomniachtchi 1 - 1½ Carlsen

A theoretical discussion out of an Italian in the classical game finished drawn after 33 moves. In Armageddon, Carlsen was a pawn down but had the bishop pair and much more active pieces in the endgame.

 
Nepomniachtchi vs. Carlsen - Armageddon

Black is winning here. Carlsen could have gained a piece with 48...Ke4, when there is no way to save the knight without making decisive concessions both after 49.Nh4 and 49.Ne1. However, all that the world champion needed was a draw, so he went for the simple 48...Bxf3.

Nepo faltered soon after, and had to resign on move 56. The World Championship challenger later talked about his performance with Anastasiya Karlovich:

The result is disgusting, completely disgusting, considering all the chances I spoiled — especially these two games against Firouzja and Aryan. But, at the same time, I believe it was quite useful.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Be3 C54: Giuoco Piano: 4 c3 Nf6, main lines with 5 d4 and 5 d3. Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qc2 Nxc3 13.bxc3 f6 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.Be2 Na5 16.0-0 Bxf3 17.Bxf3 c6 18.Rae1 Nc4 19.Bc1 Qg6
20.Qd1N Predecessor: 20.Qxg6 hxg6 21.Re7 Rf7 22.Re2 Ba5 23.Rc2 Re8 24.Be2 Rfe7 25.Bd3 Kf7 26.g3 1/2-1/2 (48) So,W (2772) -Carlsen,M (2847) chess24.com INT 2021 20...Rae8 The position is equal. 21.Rxe8 Qxe8 22.Be2 Qe6 23.Bxc4 dxc4 24.Re1 Qf7 25.Qe2 Ba5 26.Qe3 h6 27.Ba3 Rd8 28.h4 Kh7 29.Re2 Qf5 30.Qc1
Black must now prevent Re5. 30...Rd5 31.f3 b5 32.Re4 Bb6 33.Be7 An uneventful encounter. Weighted Error Value: White=0.02/Black=0.02
½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nepomniachtchi,I2792Carlsen,M2855½–½20219th Norway Chess 202110.1
Nepomniachtchi,I2792Carlsen,M28550–120219th Norway Chess 202110.2

Ian Nepomniachtchi, Magnus Carlsen

Ian Nepomniachtchi and Magnus Carlsen | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Firouzja 3 - 0 Rapport

Unsurprisingly, the latest additions to the world’s top 10 played the sharpest game of the day. Firouzja deviated from theory on move 11, entering a line in which he was ready to give up an exchange for a strong initiative.

 
Firouzja vs. Rapport - Classical

The database shows that this position was last reached back in 1978, when White played the natural 11.Qa4+ and went on to win the game. Firouzja had a different plan though, as he opted for 11.Qxd4 Nc2 12.Qe4, leaving his rook undefended. 

After 12...Nxa1, Firouzja spent over half an hour on 13.Bf4. The game continued 13...Be6 14.Rxa1 Rc8 15.Nd5 dxe5 16.Nxe5 and Rapport had a difficult decision to make in this critical position.

 

With 16...Rxc4, Black would go for a close-to-equal endgame in which he still needs to be precise — 17.Qxc4 Qxd5 18.Qxd5 Bxd5. The other alternative, the one chosen by Rapport, leads to a tactical skirmish: 16...f6 17.Nf3 Bxd5 18.cxd5 and White’s position still has plenty of attacking potential.

 

Firouzja began to create threat after threat with the black king stuck in the centre. A visibly exhausted Rapport could not find the right defensive ideas and saw his position collapsing rather quickly.

Firouzja’s bold play was rewarded, as he collected 3 points to finish in sole second place behind the world champion.

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nd4 5.e5 Nxb5 6.Nxb5 Nd5 7.0-0 a6
8.c4! Nb4 B30: Sicilian: 2...Nc6 3 Bb5, lines without ...g6. 9.Nc3 d6 10.d4 cxd4
Overworked Piece. The position is equal. 11.Qxd4N Predecessor: 11.Qa4+ Nc6 12.Nd5 dxe5 13.Nxe5 Bd7 14.Nxd7 Kxd7 15.c5 Ke8 16.Nb6 Ra7 17.Bf4 1-0 (37) Whitehead, P-Rohde,M (2425) Memphis 1978 11...Nc2! Double Attack 12.Qe4 Nxa1 13.Bf4
13...Be6! 14.Rxa1 Rc8 15.Nd5 15.b3!= 15...dxe5 16.Nxe5 Black should prevent Rd1. f6 17.Nf3 Bxd5 17...Qd7 18.cxd5= Rc5 19.d6 Qd7 20.b4 Rc6 21.Re1 Kf7 21...e5= remains equal. 22.Bxe5 Kd8 22.Nd4± e5 23.Qd5+ 23.Nxc6 Qxc6 24.Qe2 24.Qxc6 bxc6 25.Be3 Bxd6 24...Bxd6 23...Kg6? 23...Ke8± was called for. 24.Bxe5 24.Nxc6 bxc6 25.Qc4 Qxd6± 24...fxe5 25.Qxe5+ 25.Nxc6 Qxc6 26.Qxe5+ Kd8± 25...Kd8 24.Bxe5!+- 24.Nxc6 bxc6 25.Qe4+ Kf7= 24...Rxd6? But not 24...fxe5? 25.Nf3+- 24...h5 25.Bxd6 Bxd6 26.Qe4+? 26.g3+- 26...Kf7± 27.Qd5+? 27.Nf5!± Rd8 28.Nxd6+ Qxd6 29.Qxb7+ Kf8 30.Qe4 27...Kg6+- Threatens to win with ...Bxh2+! 28.g3 h6 29.Rd1 And not 29.Re6 Rd8= 29...Re8
30.Nf3 White is clearly winning. Re6 Black hopes to continue with ...Kh7. 31.Nh4+ Kh7
32.Qd3+! Weighted Error Value: White=0.40/Black=0.30
1–0
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Firouzja,A2754Rapport,R27601–020219th Norway Chess 202110.1

Alireza Firouzja

Alireza Firouzja | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Karjakin 1½ - 1 Tari

Much like his compatriot Nepomniachtchi, Karjakin had an uneven performance in Stavanger. After beating tailender Tari in Armageddon, he explained:

I just wanted to play to enjoy playing because I don’t know when I will play a tournament game [again]. I was trying to play creatively.

Meanwhile, Tari, who got to beat Nepomniachtchi in round 8, confessed:

It was much better than last year at least. I’m very happy I won one game here, it’s very difficult to beat these guys, so the fact that I won with black against Ian was a big achievement.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.e3 b6 5.Nc3 Bb7 6.cxd5 exd5 7.g3 E14: Queen's Indian: Classical Variation (4 e3). Nbd7 8.Bg2 Bd6 9.0-0 0-0 10.b3 a6 11.Bb2 Re8 12.Rc1 Rc8 13.Rc2 Qe7 14.Ne2 Ne4 15.Nf4
15...a5N Predecessor: 15...g6 16.Qe2 h5 17.Nd3 f6 18.Rfc1 Kh7 19.Nf4 Qf7 20.Nd2 Nxd2 21.Qxd2 f5 1/2-1/2 (38) Mareco,S (2653)-Diaz Camallonga,C (2444) Barcelona 2018 16.Qa1 a4 17.bxa4 Ra8 18.Rfc1 Qd8 19.Bf1 19.Ne5 seems wilder. Rxa4 20.Nc6 Bxc6 21.Rxc6 Ndf6 22.Qb1 19...c6 19...Rxa4 with more complications. 20.Bb5 Ra5 21.a4 g5 22.Nh5 Ba6 20.Rxc6 Bxc6 21.Rxc6 Bxf4 22.exf4 Rxa4 23.Bb5 Rb4 24.a4 Rb3 25.Ne5 Nxe5 26.dxe5 Qe7! 27.Qc1
Strongly threatening Rc7. 27...Qb4 28.Rc8 Rxc8 29.Qxc8+ Qf8 30.Qc2 The position is equal. Qb4 31.Qc8+ Qf8 32.Qc2 Qb4 33.Qc8+ Weighted Error Value: White=0.06/Black=0.05
½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Karjakin,S2758Tari,A2642½–½20219th Norway Chess 202110.1
Karjakin,S2758Tari,A26421–020219th Norway Chess 202110.2

Final standings

Player Games Points
Magnus Carlsen 10 19½
Alireza Firouzja 10 18
Richard Rapport 10 16½
Ian Nepomniactchi 10 12
Sergey Karjakin 10 10
Aryan Tari 10 7

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.

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