The Week in Chess

Magnus Carlsen was visibly relieved after he won the first set of the final of the Chessable Masters. Carlsen had seemed in control after a victory in game two with white and two solid draws with black. This left Anish Giri the problem of winning on demand in the fourth rapid game to take the game to a blitz tie-break. Carlsen played for a draw with the white pieces starting with 12.e5 which is definitely not the best move in the position but he was doing fine until Giri played the very sharp 20...Nb4 after which Carlsen felt that he had calculated his way to a win only to miss the final 25...Qxb2 immediately ending the game in Giri's favour.

In the blitz tie-breaks Giri was better in game one on the board and for quite some time on the clock. Then game then was played on increment by both players with Giri missing 61.Ra4! with a winning position before the game ended in a draw. In the final game Carlsen had Internet problems at the start of the game and this affected Giri's chances also as he was unsure what to do. When normal service resumed the game was a much faster blitz game for both players than intended. Carlsen built up a winning position but his 27.Rb1 allowing an exchange sacrifice that put everything up in the air again and if Giri had played 31...Rg3+ followed by Rg6 and taking on f6 the game would have had a good chance of finishing in a draw. Instead after 33.Ra8 Carlsen won a piece and eventually the game.

The match was pretty close today and if Giri hadn't blundered with 43.Rc1? instead of 43.Ra4 within sight of a draw in game two it would have been even closer. Giri must win the second set tomorrow to take the match into a final day on Sunday.