Carlsen loses twice in a row
Eight 2700+ grandmasters — including perennial favourite Magnus Carlsen — and two rating underdogs are playing rapid and blitz chess in Zagreb. While Ivan Saric and Constantin Lupulescu, the aforementioned underdogs, are struggling after two days of action, a fierce fight for the top spots is taking place between stellar competitors.
After Vishy Anand scored two wins and a draw on Wednesday to take the sole lead, Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi showed their class to catch the Indian legend on the second day of play. Caruana kicked off the day with a quick victory over Carlsen, drew Anand, and beat Jan-Krzysztof Duda, while Nepo recovered from a winless first three rounds by scoring three wins in a row on Thursday.
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 how to successfully organise your games strategically, and how to keep your opponent permanently under pressure.Duda and Dommaraju Gukesh stand a point behind the leaders (wins are worth two points in the rapid), while Carlsen and Richard Rapport stand a further point back.
Shockingly, Carlsen lost two games in a row at the start of the day. The former world champion was surprised in the opening by Caruana, and then faltered in a queen endgame against Alireza Firouzja. A major consolation for the Norwegian was his sixth-round victory over Anand, as a technical position with a rook and knight per side saw Carlsen outplaying his esteemed opponent.
Three more rounds of rapid chess are left to be played in Zagreb. The ever-streaky Nepomniachtchi is set to face current co-leaders Caruana and Anand in rounds 8 and 9, respectively.
Two of the best ever — Magnus Carlsen beat co-leader Vishy Anand after losing two consecutive games in Zagreb | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Firouzja 1 - 0 Carlsen
Analysis by Karsten Müller
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 a5 8.0-0 Bb6 9.Kh1 g5 10.Bg3 Nh5 11.Nbd2 Bg4 12.h3 Bd7 13.Bb5 Nf4 14.Nc4 h5 15.Nxb6 cxb6 16.Nd2 Kf8 17.d4 Ne7 18.Bxd7 Qxd7 19.dxe5 dxe5 20.Nf3 Qc7 21.Nxg5 Rd8 22.Qc2 Neg6 23.Rad1 Kg7 24.Nf3 Ne6 25.Nh4 Nxh4 26.Bxh4 f6 27.f3 b5 28.Bf2 Qc4 29.b3 Qc6 30.Be3 Rxd1 31.Rxd1 Rd8 32.Rxd8 Nxd8 33.Qd3 Nf7 34.c4 bxc4 35.bxc4 Nd6 36.c5 Nf7 37.Kh2 a4 38.Qd5 Qb5 39.Bf2 Nh8 40.f4 Qb2 41.Bg3 exf4 42.Bxf4 Nf7 43.Be3 Ne5 44.Bf4 a3 45.Bxe5 fxe5 46.Qe6 h4 47.Qg4+ 47...Kf7? 47...Kf8! 48.Qxh4 Qxa2 49.Qh8+ Qg8 50.Qxe5 a2= 48.Qxh4 Qxa2 49.Qh7+ Kf6 50.Qxb7 Qc4 51.Qb6+ 51...Kg5 52.c6 52.c6 a2 52...Qxe4 53.Qd8+ Kh5 54.Qh8+ Kg6 55.Qg8+ Kh5 56.Qf7+ Kg5 57.c7 Qc6 58.Qg8+ Kf4 59.c8Q+- 53.Qe3+! Kh5 54.c7 a1Q 54...Qxc7 55.Qe2++- 55.Qf3+ Kg6 56.Qf5+ Kg7 57.c8Q+- 1–0 
Alireza Firouzja got the better of Magnus Carlsen | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Saric ½ - ½ Caruana
Analysis by Charles Sullivan and Karsten Müller
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 a6 8.a3 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bc5 10.Qd2 g5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bxc5 Nxc5 13.Bd3 Qb6 14.fxg5 a5 15.Qf2 Rb8 16.0-0 Nd7 17.Qxb6 Rxb6 18.Na4 Rb7 19.Rae1 Ke7 20.h4 c5 20...Ra7 21.Kh2 c5 22.b3 Ba6 23.Bxa6 Rxa6 24.Kh3 Rb8 25.g3 Raa8 26.Rf4 Rh8 27.Nb2 a4 28.Rxa4 Rxa4 29.Nxa4 Ra8 30.Kg4 Kf8 31.Ra1 c4 32.Kh5 Kg7 33.Nc3 Nxe5 34.Nb5 Rh8 35.b4 h6 36.a4 hxg5+ 37.Kxg5 c3 38.Ra3 Ra8 39.h5 f6+ 40.Kh4 Nc4 41.Ra2 Rb8 42.Kh3 Ne3 43.Nxc3 Rh8 44.g4 f5 45.gxf5 Rxh5+ 46.Kg3 Nxf5+ 47.Kf2 Nd4 48.b5 Nxc2 49.Kg3 Nb4 50.Rb2 Nd3 51.Rd2 Nc5 52.a5 Kf6 53.a6 Rh7 21.c4 21.b3 Ra7 22.Rf4 h6 23.gxh6 Rxh6 24.Bb5 Rc7 25.Nb2 Rh7 26.g3 Rh5 26...Nf8 27.Ra4 Ra7 28.Rg4 Rh6 29.a4 Rg6 30.Rxg6 fxg6 31.Nd3 Rc7 32.Kf2 Bd7 33.Ra1 Be8 34.Ke3 Bc6 35.Nf4 Rc8 36.Kf3 Kf7 37.Rf1 Kg7 38.Ke3 Be8 39.Kd2 Bc6 40.Nh3 Nh7 41.g4 Kg8 42.Bd3 Be8 43.Ke3 Rc7 44.Bb5 Rc8 45.g5 Nf8 46.Bxe8 Rxe8 47.Rf6 c4 48.Nf4 cxb3 49.cxb3 Rb8 50.Nxe6 Nxe6 51.Rxe6 Rxb3+ 52.Kd4 27.Nd3 Nf8 28.Ref1 Rh7 29.Ra4 Ng6 30.Kg2 Rh8 31.Kh3 Kf8 32.Rxa5 c4 33.bxc4 dxc4 34.Nf4 Nxe5 35.Ba4 Nc6 36.Rc5 e5+ 37.g4 Rg8 38.Nd5 Ra7 39.Bxc6 Rxa3+ 40.Kh2 Rxg4 41.Re1 Rxh4+ 42.Kg1 Rg3+ 43.Kf2 Rg5 44.Ke2 Rh2+ 45.Kd1 e4 46.Rxc4 Be6 47.Rd4 Rf2 48.Kc1 f5 49.Kb2 Rg6 50.Ne3 Kg7 51.Rb4 Rg3 52.Rb6 Rff3 53.Nd5 Bxd5 54.Bxd5 Rf2 55.Bb3 Rg5 56.Re6 Rg6 57.Re7+ Kh6 58.Re8 Rg3 59.Ra1 Rg4 60.Ra5 Rg3 21...d4 22.Rf4 Rc7 23.b3 Bb7 24.Bc2 Rcc8 25.Nb2 Rcg8 26.g4 h6 27.gxh6 Rxh6 28.g5 Rxg5+ 29.hxg5 Rh1+ 30.Kf2 Rh2+ 31.Kf1 Rxc2 32.Nd3 Rc3 33.Ke2 Bg2 34.b4 axb4 35.axb4 Rxc4 36.bxc5 Nxc5 37.Nxc5? 37.Ra1! Rc2+ 37...Nd7 38.Kd2 Rc7 39.Rxd4 Bd5 40.Rda4 Nb6 41.Ra7 Rxa7 42.Rxa7+ Kf8 43.Rc7 Kg7 44.Ke3 Bh1 45.Nf4 Nd5+ 46.Nxd5 Bxd5 47.Rc2 Kg6 48.Rf2 Kg7 49.Kd4 Kg6 50.Kc5 Be4 51.Kd6 Bf5 52.Ke7 Kg7 53.Ke8 Bg6 54.Rf6 Bh5 55.g6 Bxg6 56.Ke7 Bh5 57.Rf2 Bg6 58.Rg2 Kh7 59.Kf6 Kg8 60.Rxg6+ fxg6 61.Kxg6+- 38.Kd1 Nxd3 39.Ra7+ Ke8 40.Rh4 Rc1+ 40...Kf8! 41.Kxc2 Nxe5 42.Rc7 d3+ 43.Kc3 Kg8 44.Rb4 Kg7 45.Kd2 Kg6 46.Rc8 Kxg5 47.Rg8+ Ng6 48.Kxd3 f5= 41.Kd2 Rh1 42.Rxh1 Bxh1 43.g6 fxg6 44.Kxd3 g5 45.Kxd4 g4 46.Rg7 Bf3 47.Ke3+- 37...Rxc5 38.Kd3 Bh3! 39.Kxd4 Ra5 40.Rf3 Bf5 41.Rc3 Rd5+ 41...Ra4+?! 42.Rc4 Rxc4+? 42...Ra8= 43.Kxc4+- 42.Kc4 Kf8 43.Rf3 Ra5 44.Rxf5 44...exf5 45.e6 Ke7 46.exf7+ Kxf7 47.Kd4 Ra3 48.Ke5 Rf3 49.Rb1 Kg6 50.Rg1 Rf2 51.Rg3 Rf1 52.Rg2 Rf3 53.Rg1 Rf2 54.Rg3 Ra2 55.Kf4 Ra4+ 56.Kf3 Ra3+ 57.Kf2 Rxg3 58.Kxg3 Kxg5 59.Kf3 f4 60.Kf2 f3 61.Kxf3 ½–½ 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 how to successfully organise your games strategically, and how to keep your opponent permanently under pressure. 
Fabiano Caruana | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Standings after round 6 (win = 2 pts; draw = 1 pt)
All games
| Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
- 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.
Links
.jpeg)
