Magnus Carlsen in the 2nd league
Many games by famous positional players like Capablanca, from today's perspective, lack a bit of drama. Again and again you see how Capablanca plays the opening unpretentiously, gains a small advantage seemingly effortlessly, and bags the victory. Such games are not as hard fought as most modern grandmaster games, but they illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of certain strategic motives with a clarity that is rare today.
Away from any live cameras, a week before heading to India, Magnus Carlsen took the opportunity to play in the Norwegian Second League, first against a young player Andreas Garberg Tryggestad, born in 2002. The world champion produced a one-sided, yet instructive win.
1.e4 | 1,165,570 | 54% | 2421 | --- |
1.d4 | 946,474 | 55% | 2434 | --- |
1.Nf3 | 281,312 | 56% | 2441 | --- |
1.c4 | 181,937 | 56% | 2442 | --- |
1.g3 | 19,688 | 56% | 2427 | --- |
1.b3 | 14,236 | 54% | 2427 | --- |
1.f4 | 5,886 | 48% | 2377 | --- |
1.Nc3 | 3,796 | 51% | 2384 | --- |
1.b4 | 1,753 | 48% | 2380 | --- |
1.a3 | 1,197 | 54% | 2403 | --- |
1.e3 | 1,068 | 48% | 2408 | --- |
1.d3 | 948 | 50% | 2378 | --- |
1.g4 | 662 | 46% | 2361 | --- |
1.h4 | 446 | 53% | 2374 | --- |
1.c3 | 426 | 51% | 2425 | --- |
1.h3 | 279 | 56% | 2416 | --- |
1.a4 | 108 | 60% | 2468 | --- |
1.f3 | 91 | 47% | 2431 | --- |
1.Nh3 | 89 | 66% | 2508 | --- |
1.Na3 | 42 | 62% | 2482 | --- |
Please, wait...
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nbd2 d5 4.b3 Bg7 5.Bb2 0-0 6.e3 Bf5 7.c4 c5 8.Rc1 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bg4 10.Be2 Bxe2 11.Qxe2 Nc6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.0-0 a5 14.Nf3 a4?! 14...Qb6 15.b4 a3 16.Bd4 Qb8 17.b5 cxb5 18.cxb5 Qb7 19.Qd3 Rfb8 20.Be5 Rc8 20...Qxb5 21.Rc8+ 21.Rxc8+ Qxc8 22.Rb1 Qb7 23.Nd4 Ne4 24.Bxg7 Kxg7 25.Nc6 Nf6 26.Qd4 Kg8 27.h3 Qd7 28.Rb3 Ne4? 28...Kf8 28...Qb7 29.f3 Ng3 30.Qxd5! Ne2+ 31.Kf1 Qxd5 32.Nxe7+ Kg7 33.Nxd5 Nc1 34.Rc3 Nxa2 35.Rc2 1–0
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Carlsen,M | 2870 | Tryggestad,A | 2365 | 1–0 | 2019 | | Norwegische Liga | |
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How do you play against stronger players?
Inge Sandstad Skrondal, Carlsen's opponent in the second game has an Elo rating of 2311, so to say he's an underdog against the 2870-rated world champion is an understatement. But how to approach such a game? If you play main-line theory as an outsider, you're surely on terrain your opponent knows far better and probably has thoroughly researched. However, you also put the stronger player under more pressure because — if he wants to win — he has to avoid lines which are excessively drawish. A practical advantage of this is that the stronger player probably knows much better what lines to avoid, and therefore may sometimes choose objectively weaker options just to unbalance the position.
But Skrondal decided on a different approach against Carlsen. Although he had the white pieces, he took his chances in a sideline. While perhaps the greater theoretical knowledge of the super-GM is neutralized, this approach has other dangers — as is evident in the game.
1.e4 | 1,165,570 | 54% | 2421 | --- |
1.d4 | 946,474 | 55% | 2434 | --- |
1.Nf3 | 281,312 | 56% | 2441 | --- |
1.c4 | 181,937 | 56% | 2442 | --- |
1.g3 | 19,688 | 56% | 2427 | --- |
1.b3 | 14,236 | 54% | 2427 | --- |
1.f4 | 5,886 | 48% | 2377 | --- |
1.Nc3 | 3,796 | 51% | 2384 | --- |
1.b4 | 1,753 | 48% | 2380 | --- |
1.a3 | 1,197 | 54% | 2403 | --- |
1.e3 | 1,068 | 48% | 2408 | --- |
1.d3 | 948 | 50% | 2378 | --- |
1.g4 | 662 | 46% | 2361 | --- |
1.h4 | 446 | 53% | 2374 | --- |
1.c3 | 426 | 51% | 2425 | --- |
1.h3 | 279 | 56% | 2416 | --- |
1.a4 | 108 | 60% | 2468 | --- |
1.f3 | 91 | 47% | 2431 | --- |
1.Nh3 | 89 | 66% | 2508 | --- |
1.Na3 | 42 | 62% | 2482 | --- |
Please, wait...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.h3 Nc6 5.d3 e5 6.Be2 g6 7.0-0 Bg7 8.Be3 0-0 9.Nbd2 Qe7 10.Re1 d5 11.Bg5 d4 12.Nf1 h6 13.Bd2 Be6 14.Qa4?! 14.Ng3 14...Nd7 15.Qa3 a5 16.cxd4 exd4 17.Qa4 Rfb8 18.Bf4 b5 19.Qc2 Rc8 20.a4 20.Qd2 g5 21.Bg3 c4 20...c4! 21.axb5 Nb4 22.Qb1 cxd3 23.Bxd3 Nc5 24.Be2 Bb3! 25.Rc1 25.Bd1 d3 26.Bxb3 Nxb3 27.Ra3 a4 28.b6 Nc2 29.Rd1 Qxe4 30.Bc7 Nxa3 31.bxa3 Nc5 25...d3 26.Bd1 Bc2 27.Bxc2 dxc2 28.Rxc2 Nxc2 29.Qxc2 Ne6 30.Qd2 Nxf4 31.Qxf4 Qb4 32.Ne5 Rf8 0–1
- 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.
Skrondal,I | 2311 | Carlsen,M | 2870 | 0–1 | 2019 | B50 | Norwegian League | |
Please, wait...
After these two wins, Carlsen has been unbeaten for 103 consecutive classical games.
Translation from German: Macauley Peterson
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