All ready for the birthday celebration?
It almost looks as it was scripted, as everything is set up for an exciting final day at the Skilling Open. Magnus Carlsen and Wesley So go into the last mini-match of the tournament with the score tied after having traded blows in the first 4-game confrontation. Moreover, the deciding matchup will be played on the world champion’s 30th birthday.
All four games on Sunday favoured the player with the white pieces. So was the last one to get a win, and later talked to the commentators — as humble as ever, he acknowledged the fact that he is not the favourite to win the event:
My goal in this match is to make it interesting, to try to put up a good fight at least, because Magnus is clearly the better player, and he’s the best player in the world right now, so just to compete with him is a very good feeling. He’s better in all parts of the game, so I have to do my best or try to catch him on an off day.
Of course, we all know that So can beat Carlsen on any given day, but will he manage to do it on the champ’s birthday? After seeing the fierce fight on the first mini-match of the finals, we can safely anticipate another exciting day of online chess.

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Game 1
So kicked off the day by entering a line which Le Quang Liem used twice in the preliminary stage of the tournament — the Vietnamese lost to Anish Giri and drew Jan-Krzysztof Duda with this setup. Black avoids entering sharp continuations, but needs to defend against White’s initiative from the get go:
This DVD allows you to learn from the example of one of the best players in the history of chess and from the explanations of the authors (Pelletier, Marin, Müller and Reeh) how to successfully organise your games strategically, consequently how to keep y
Black needs to continue to be precise after 19.f4, when the central pawn is going to fall but he will get a pair of active rooks — 19...Bg7 20.Rae1 Rf8 21.fxe5 Rf5 22.e6 Bxb2 23.Rd1 Rc7:
White kept putting pressure starting with 24.g4, but So continued to find precise defensive resources at every turn. Until disaster struck on move 33:
Correct here was 33...Kf6, when all simplifications only lead to a draw, albeit with precise play by Black. So’s 33...Rf5, on the other hand, was duly punished by Carlsen, who noticed that entering an endgame with new queens for both sides was favourable to him — 34.Rxb3 axb3 35.e7 bxa2 36.e8Q a1Q:
Getting to give the first check is key in these open positions with heavy pieces on the board. There followed 37.Qe7+ Kh6 38.Rh4+ Rh5 39.Qf8+ Qg7:
Carlsen knew he had the win by this point, as everything is forced — 40.Qf4+ g5 41.Qd6+ Qg6 42.Qf8+ Qg7 43.Rxh5+:
Game over.
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 cxd4 6.Qxd4 exd5 7.e4 dxe4 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Ng5 Be6 10.Nxe6+ fxe6 11.Bc4 Ke7 12.0-0 Nbd7 13.Be3 Rc8 14.Bb3 Nc5 15.Bxc5+ Rxc5 16.Rfe1 g6 17.Nxe4 Nxe4 18.Rxe4 e5 19.f4 Bg7 20.Rae1 Rf8 21.fxe5 Rf5 22.e6 Bxb2 23.Rd1 Rc7 24.g4 Rf8 25.Kg2 b5 26.Re2 Bc3 27.Re3 Bb4 28.Red3 a5 29.Rd7+ Rxd7 30.Rxd7+ Kf6 31.Rb7 a4 32.g5+ Kxg5 33.Rxb5+ Rf5 33...Kf6 34.Rxb4 34.Bxa4 Be7 34...Bd6 35.Bb3 Rb8 35.Bb3 34...axb3 35.Rf4+ Ke7 36.Rxf8 Kxf8 37.axb3 Ke7 34.Rxb4 axb3 35.e7 bxa2 36.e8Q a1Q 37.Qe7+ Kh6 38.Rh4+ Rh5 39.Qf8+ Qg7 40.Qf4+ g5 41.Qd6+ Qg6 42.Qf8+ Qg7 43.Rxh5+ 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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Carlsen,M | 2881 | So,W | 2741 | 1–0 | 2020 | D41 | Skilling Open CCT KO 2021 | 3.1 |
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Game 2
It was a dramatic day throughout, but certainly the most dramatic game of the day was the second one. So, playing white, obtained a winning position in a sharp setup with queens and bishops of opposite colours on the board:
Wesley So published two new opening DVDs: 1.b3, the so called Nimzo-Larsen-Attack, for White and his black secrets in the modern Italian. Get them in a package and save money!
The key feature of the position is the weakness of the black king, but if White gives his opponent a couple of tempi he will be able to push his dangerous c-pawn and create threats along the dark squares.
So needed to be precise to convert his advantage, by going for 36.Bd3 here, when after 36...Qd1 there is 37.Qxd6, protecting the bishop and threatening to go ahead with the discovered attack. As the engines point out, White wins in every line (even after 37...e5, which is not the strongest). Of course, seeing all this in a rapid game is very difficult, and So opted for 36.e5 instead.
The evaluation was now balanced, but precise calculation was still needed to avoid falling for a deadly attack with each side controlling either the light or the dark squares. So could have gone for a perpetual, but continued to put pressure. Carlsen defended accurately for quite a while — until he faltered on move 89:
89...Be5 would have kept things going, while 89...Kf8 loses on the spot. White now has mate in five: 90.Qe8+ Kg7 91.Qf7+ Kh6 92.Qh7+ Kg5 93.Qh5+ and Carlsen resigned without allowing 93...Kf4 94.Qf5#.
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 h6 7.Re1 0-0 7...a6 8.a4 0-0 9.h3 Re8 10.Nbd2 Ba7 11.b4 Be6 12.Bxe6 Rxe6 13.Bb2 Ne7 14.d4 Ng6 15.c4 a5 16.b5 exd4 17.Nxd4 Re8 18.Ra3 Bxd4 19.Bxd4 Re6 20.Rae3 b6 21.g3 Nd7 22.f4 Re8 23.Qg4 8.Nbd2 a5 9.Nf1 Be6 10.Bb5 Ne7 11.d4 Ba7 12.Ng3 Ng6 13.h3 c6 14.Bd3 a4 15.Be3 Re8 16.Qc2 b5 17.b4N 17.c4 bxc4 18.Bxc4 Bxc4 19.Qxc4 d5 20.Qxc6 exd4 21.Bxd4 Bxd4 22.Nxd4 Ne5 23.Qc3 17...axb3 18.axb3 Qc7 19.Ra6 Qb7! 20.Rea1 Bb6 20...exd4! 21.cxd4 Bb6 22.Rxa8 Rxa8 23.Rxa8+ Qxa8 21.Rxa8± Rxa8 22.Rxa8+ Qxa8 23.dxe5 Qa1+ 24.Bf1! Bxe3 25.exf6 Bb6 25...Bf4 26.fxg7+- Ne5 27.Qd2 27.Nd4!+- 27...Nxf3+± 28.gxf3 Kxg7 29.Kg2 29.Qxd6?! Qxc3 30.Kg2 Qc5= 29...b4 30.Nh5+ 30.Qxd6?! Qe1= 30.cxb4 Qd4 31.Qxd4+ Bxd4 32.b5 cxb5 33.Bxb5 30...Kg6 30...Kh7 31.Bd3 31.Qxd6 Bxh3+ 32.Kh2 Qxf1= 31...Kg6 31.Nf4+ Kh7 31...Kf6± 32.Nxe6+- 32.cxb4 Qg7+ 33.Kh1 Bxb3= 32.Qxd6 Qe1 32...bxc3? 32...fxe6+- 33.Qxd6 Qxc3 33.Qf4 fxe6 34.Qf7+ Kh8 35.Qf8+ Kh7 36.e5? 36.Bd3+- Qd1 37.Qxd6 36...Qd1= 37.Qf7+ Kh8 38.Qe8+ Kh7 39.Qd7+ Kh8 40.Qc8+ Kg7 41.Qd7+ Kh8 42.Qe8+ Kg7 43.Qe7+ Kh8 44.Qxe6 Qd4 45.Qe8+ 45...Kg7! 46.Qe7+ Kg8 47.Qe6+ Kg7 48.Qf6+ Kh7 49.Qe7+ 49...Kg8! 50.Qe6+ Kg7 51.Qd7+ 51...Kf8! 52.Qf5+ Ke8 53.Qc8+ 53...Ke7! 54.exd6+ Qxd6 55.Qf5 Qd4 56.Qc2 Qg7+ 57.Kh1 Qe5 58.Bd3 Bc7 59.Kg2 Qh2+ 60.Kf1 Qxh3+ 61.Ke2 Qe6+ 62.Be4 Be5 63.Qa2 Qd6 64.Qa7+ Kf6 65.Qh7 Qd2+ 66.Kf1 Bd4 67.Qg6+! Ke7 68.Qg3! Bf6 69.Qc7+ Qd7 70.Qf4 h5 71.Qe3 Qd4 72.Qf4 Qd6 73.Qe3 c5 74.Bg6+ Kd8 75.Qe8+ Kc7 76.Be4 h4 77.Kg2 Qd7 78.Qh5 Kb6 79.f4 Qe6 80.Qg6 Ka5 81.Bf5 Qd6 81...Qc6+ 82.Be4 Qa6 82.Qe8 Kb6 83.Be4 Kc7 84.Qa8 Qxf4 85.Qc6+ Kd8 86.Qd5+ Ke8 87.Bg6+ Ke7 88.Qxc5+ Qd6 89.Qe3+ Kf8? 89...Be5= 90.Bd3 Kd8 90.Qe8+ Kg7 91.Qf7+ Kh6 92.Qh7+ Kg5 93.Qh5+ 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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So,W | 2741 | Carlsen,M | 2881 | 1–0 | 2020 | | Skilling Open CCT KO 2021 | 3.2 |
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Game 3
In the third game of the day, Carlsen played a novelty on move 11, to which So responded with a pawn push that left him struggling to restore equality from the early stages of the game:
The Ragozin is being played by every top grandmaster in the world - it is time you also add it to your repertoire to get interesting and dynamic positions against 1. d4!
GM Alejandro Ramirez analyses every single move that White can play once the Ragozin is reached, but due to several transpositional possibilities he always emphasises strategic goals to keep in mind.
11.g4 was Carlsen’s novelty. So responded symmetrically, with 11...g5, and after 12.Bg3 Ne4 the world champion spent over 4 minutes deciding on the strong 13.h4, not fearing 13...Nxg3 14.fxg3. White kept his pawns doubled and the h-file opened up by responding to 14...gxh4 with 15.Rxh4:
White has the worse structure, but also better dynamic chances. It was not all smooth sailing for Carlsen from this point on, but he ended up getting the win in a double rook endgame in which he had the more active pieces:
So resigned in this position.
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qa4+ Nc6 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 0-0 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 Bd7 10.Qc2 Na5 11.g4N 11.cxd5 exd5 12.e3 c5 13.dxc5 Rc8 14.Bd3 Rxc5 15.0-0 Qe7 16.Qb2 Rfc8 17.Qb4 11...g5 11...dxc4= 12.Ne5 c5! 12.Bg3 Ne4 13.h4! Nxg3 13...Nxc4 14.hxg5 hxg5 14.fxg3± gxh4 14...dxc4? 15.hxg5 f5 16.Rxh6+- 15.Rxh4 Kg7 16.g5 16.e4± 16...Rh8 16...Nxc4= 17.Rxh6 Rh8 17.Ne5! Nxc4 17...Qe7 18.gxh6+ Kf8 19.Nxc4 Qg5 20.Kf2 20.Ne5!? Qxg3+ 21.Kd2 Qxh4 22.Nxd7+ Kg8 23.Qb1= 20...dxc4 21.Qc1 Qf6+ 22.Qf4 Ke7 22...Qxf4+= 23.gxf4 Bc6 23.Qxf6+ Kxf6 24.Bg2 Rab8 25.Rh5 Kg6 26.Rah1 f5 27.g4! Rh7 27...fxg4 28.Be4+ 28.g5? 28.Ke3+- 28...Bc6= 29.Bf3 Bxf3 30.Kxf3 Rd8 30...c5!= 31.Kf4± Rd5 31...c5± 32.R5h3+- c5? 32...Rd8 33.Re3 Re8 33.Re3 Rd6 34.dxc5 Ra6 35.Rd1 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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Carlsen,M | 2881 | So,W | 2741 | 1–0 | 2020 | | Skilling Open CCT KO 2021 | 3.3 |
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Game 4
Carlsen went for a Sicilian against So’s 1.e4 in game 4. The American got a better position out of the opening as he seemed to be better prepared in the chosen variation. The world champion equalized in the middlegame, but a tactical oversight ended up costing him the game:
Meanwhile, 1.b3 has also found its way into the practice of today's world elite, and now finally a modern top ten player has taken on the subject for ChessBase: none other than Grandmaster Wesley So!
29...Bf5 was not the best alternative in the position (29...Qc5 was better), but it was not the decisive mistake either. The blunder came after 30.Rh5 Qc8 31.Qxb6:
Carlsen’s 32...Ng4 was a miscalculation. Now White has 33.Ba6, when Black cannot keep everything defended — after 33...Qd7, for example, there follows 34.Bb5 and the queen is overloaded. The game continued 33...Re1+ 34.Ka2 Qe8 35.Rxf5 Ne3 36.Bb5 Qe7 and Carlsen resigned.
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Nd5 Nxd5 8.exd5 Nb8 9.Qf3 a6 10.Qa3 b6 11.Bg5 Be7 11...f6= 12.Be3 Be7 12.Bxe7! Kxe7 13.0-0-0N 13.c4 Bb7 14.Nc3 Nd7 15.Be2 Re8 16.0-0 Qc7 17.Ne4 Nf6 18.Qe3 Nd7 19.f4 13...Bb7! 14.Nc3 Nd7 15.f4 Qc7 16.fxe5 Nxe5 17.Qb4 17.Bd3!? 17...h5 18.Be2 Kf8 19.Rhf1 Re8 20.Rf5 h4 21.Rf4 Qd8 22.Kb1 Rh6 23.Rdd4 h3 24.g3 Bc8 25.a4 Kg8 26.Rde4 Qc7 27.Rh4 a5 28.Qd4 Rxh4 29.Rxh4 Bf5 29...Qc5= 30.Rh5 Qc8 31.Qxb6 31...Ng4? 31...Bg4± 32.Ba6+- Re1+ 32...Qd7 33.Bb5 33.Ka2 Qe8 34.Rxf5 Ne3 35.Bb5 Qe7 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
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So,W | 2741 | Carlsen,M | 2881 | 1–0 | 2020 | B33 | Skilling Open CCT KO 2021 | 3.4 |
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