Carlsen is (still) the champ! - Games and commentary

by ChessBase
12/10/2021 – Magnus Carlsen picked up a fourth win at the World Championship match in Dubai to secure overall victory with three games to spare. Playing black, the world champion saw Ian Nepomniachtchi all but self-destructing for a third time in the match. This was Carlsen’s fourth consecutive defence of the title after becoming world champion in 2013. | Replay all the games with computer analysis. Full report to follow shortly | Photo: Niki Riga

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Game 11 - Carlsen wins it all!

Hosting the World Championship match are the United Arab Emirates. Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi are playing in Dubai, where the match is part of the Expo 2020.

The contest is a best-of-14 match, with rapid and blitz tiebreaks if necessary. This was increased from best-of-12 (in place for every world championship match since 2006), after all twelve regular games were drawn in the previous match in 2018.

The prize fund is 2 million Euros, split 60% vs 40% between winner and loser. If the match is tied after fourteen classical games, the prize fund will be split 55% vs 45% in favour of the tiebreak winner. 

The final moments of the match, captured by the ChessBase India team!

Games and commentary

 

Commentary by Judit Polgar and Anish Giri

Commentary by David Howell, Jovanka Houska and Kaja Snare

Commentary by Anna Muzychuk and Vishy Anand

Schedule

Date Event
Wednesday 24 November Opening ceremony
Thursday 25 November Media day
Friday 26 November Game 1
Saturday 27 November Game 2
Sunday 28 November Game 3
Monday 29 November Rest day
Tuesday 30 November Game 4
Wednesday 1 December Game 5
Thursday 2 December Rest day
Friday 3 December Game 6
Saturday 4 December Game 7
Sunday 5 December Game 8
Monday 6 December Rest day
Tuesday 7 December Game 9
Wednesday 8 December Game 10
Thursday 9 December Rest day
Friday 10 December Game 11
Saturday 11 December Game 12
Sunday 12 December Game 13
Monday 13 December Rest day
Tuesday 14 December Game 14
Wednesday 15 December Tiebreak or closing ceremony
Thursday 16 December Closing ceremony in case of a tiebreak

All games start at 16:30 local time (12:30 UTC, 7:30 ET).

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Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

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tom_70 tom_70 12/5/2021 05:53
The match is effectively over. Maybe next time Nepo will stay at the board and actually work to win , instead of getting up and leaving every 2 minutes.
JanneKejo JanneKejo 12/5/2021 05:52
How about this: Play only classical games and if the score is even after all the games, there will be no world champion until the winner of the next candidates tournament is declared a new world champion. The players of the drawn match would also play in the next candidates tournament.
PCMorphy72 PCMorphy72 12/5/2021 05:37
@Raphael Comprone: with the format you propose, Carlsen (or more generally a player who is by far better at blitz than his opponent is, while it will remain unproved who is better at classical time control) would probably win 12-2 instead of 8-6 like now (just because he would win only the blitz games, and draw all the classical ones).
Raphael Comprone Raphael Comprone 12/5/2021 04:51
Magnus definitely does well in this format because he is a very positionally solid player. Ian was probably playing for the tiebreaks and thought he could escape with draws until the end. At least Carlsen has proven that he deserves to be the world champion. The format could still be changed because it makes no sense to have rapid games in a world championship based on classical games. If there has to be faster time control games, make players play blitz games after each classical game that is drawn until there is a decisive result. Players might just avoid drawish lines if they know that they will have to play a lot of blitz games late until the evening.
Leavenfish Leavenfish 12/4/2021 05:45
@karban - I agree with satman in that current 'Wch' edge of the extra White is enough. Should you be equal at the end of regulation...you have to do something.
My idea of first to 3 wins...test it. In that open ended format, when one gets ahead he is playing 'with house money'...and when behind 'one slip' could essentially end things - as soon as game 3, so from a sporting aspect, tension increases dramatically after just '1 result'. Look at game 7 - after a loss, Nepo chose an early exchange of pieces/draw as White because he KNOWS he has 7 more games to draw even. With my format, THAT IS NOT GUARANTEED...thus more action is likely and from eithe side. Think about it.
Raphael Comprone Raphael Comprone 12/4/2021 04:19
I think the world championship should consist of only classical games. Otherwise, players will play for the tiebreaks and make chess boring to watch (despite their ability to eke out a win).
EyeM EyeM 12/3/2021 10:43
Powerful endgame technique by the World Champion Mighty Magnus!
lnlver lnlver 12/3/2021 10:00
Now that Magnus has won a game, the match games should be much more aggressive from now on. Whatever surprises Ian had in store for Magnus will have to come out into the open.
Vidmar Vidmar 12/3/2021 03:48
Would you feel better if one of them blundered and lost ?
Theochessman Theochessman 12/1/2021 06:53
Yawnfest indeed.
henrymy henrymy 12/1/2021 05:55
Might as well have a blitz tounament an dinvite Hikaru - this is such as waste of time
henrymy henrymy 12/1/2021 05:54
this is what happens when the money goes up in chess - Let's all watch Hikaru instead!
henrymy henrymy 12/1/2021 04:16
oh no this whole thing is a waste of time (*sad*)
thirteen thirteen 12/1/2021 02:27
"I would bet, like my house!" Anish is a funny guy.
satman satman 12/1/2021 01:30
@karban
There's also
c) Draw odds for the title holder, with the challenger getting the extra white in a match with an odd number of games.
Lilienthalbaez Lilienthalbaez 11/30/2021 05:52
It's dificult to get a win at this level. Its hard
Steven Gerrard Steven Gerrard 11/30/2021 03:40
Even game 4 is only boring because look at the software evaluation and it says 0.0. Just looking at board would evaluate quite a bit better for black because of outside passed a-pawn.
Steven Gerrard Steven Gerrard 11/30/2021 02:22
It fixing a problem, that doesn't need fixing. This is the first game, game four, with no real fight. Was a good choice by Nepo because Carlsen hadn't look very convincing against the Petroff in the previous world championship match. The game 2 catalan was as unbalanced as can imagine a game, were any result was possible for sometime. If believe software evaluation always perfect, Carlsen was lost was for many moves.
karban karban 11/28/2021 07:08
@Leavenfish - games 1&2 had potential but both players at critical junctures just went for solid options. That's the problem - why you would risk losing when you can sit comfortably in the tie and the comfort zone.
Playing to first 3 wins - we could try this but I think results will be 20 games with super solid approach.
The only positive change I see is a mixed rest days schedule what can lead to some imbalances.
Leavenfish Leavenfish 11/28/2021 06:57
@karban, these games have been filled with imbalances thus far - no one is 'playing for a draw' so the argument that the outcome = the content of the games, must fall flat on it's face. These guys are the best so it's simply hard to win.

That said...no one seems happy with the 'tie-breaks'. It becomes a Blitz-type Wch. For that reason, I like the idea of a more open ended format where the first player to 3 victories wins the match. It could go on endlessly? Only in theory. Think game theory and I think you will see where when - particularly after first blood is drawn...game prep and 'in game' play can go in some unexpected directions and it could even end sooner.
karban karban 11/28/2021 06:18
They can play 20 games and it will be the same. No incentive for either player to leave a tie and a comfort zone.
Going back to drawing odds the simplest solution. Two options:
a) Modern way - tie-breaks before the match and draw odds for the winner
b) Classic way - draw odds for the title holder

That's it.
Theochessman Theochessman 11/27/2021 06:03
Oh no, are we heading for a draw-fest once more!?
Dan Durham Dan Durham 11/26/2021 06:27
I would clobber either of these patzers.
garyroe garyroe 11/26/2021 04:41
Thanks for you commentary! But nooooo, please don't turn the board around!
knight100 knight100 11/26/2021 01:33
Thank you for holding this competition in these "crazy" times to everyone involved to determine the strongest of male chess players and female chess players too on this planet. Come on, men!
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