The Week in Chess

Magnus Carlsen is practically assured of qualification to the final four of the Magnus Carlsen Invitational after defeating Maxime Vachier Lagrave in Round 4 of the event.

Carlsen played really very nicely with white in the first game to force a win which he could have achieved by 29.b7 but instead played 29.Qf3 and had to make do with a draw. In game 2 Carlsen with the black pieces allowed 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. h4 something MVL himself has huge experience with black. Carlsen quickly obtained the better position which he used to wreck white's pawn structure so every pawn was isolated in a Rook and Pawn endgame, eventually MVL managed to hold the draw. Carlsen got a small edged against MVL's Slav in game 3 then after MVL's 19...Qd7? (19...Qb6 had to be played) Carlsen was close to winning after 20.Qc2! and black resigned on move 32. The final game too saw Carlsen obtain a winning Rook endgame but he allowed MVL to escape with a draw again.

Fabiano Caruana beat Alireza Firouzja 3-1 but this match was much closer that this sounds. In game 1 Caruana won the opening battle with black but overlooked a basic tactic 20...Rxb4?! (20...Na4 and black is better) 21. Rxb4 Bxb4 22. Bxb5+! and white was better. Later however in an equal position with mutual attacking chances he found the excellent 35...Bh4! to which Firouzja had to find 37.Bf6! to secure the draw, after 37.Qc2+ white had to resign two moves later. Game two Firouzja played rather poorly and lost in 37 moves. Firouzja got back into the match by winning game three. Caruana was better early on but once he allowed 59.Kf5 it became tricky and he soon lost. In final game Firouzja was also winning but Caruana found some very tough defensive ideas and turned the game round to a win.

Round 4 Day 1 Standings: Carlsen (4 matches played) 11pts Caruana (4) 8pts Nakamura (3) 7pts Ding (3) 6pts MVL (4) 5pts Nepomniachtchi (3) 5pts Firouzja (4) 0pts Giri (3) 0pts