Carlsen vs. Nepomniachtchi: World Championship – Game 6 Part 3

Greetings chess players. My name is Chris Torres, and this is Daily Chess Musings’ Special Coverage of the 2021 FIDE World Championship Match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi. Because of the historic importance and lengthy nature of Game 6, I broke this round into three videos. Tonight, we are examining Part 3 of Game 6 from the 2021 FIDE World Championship Match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi.

In our third and final installment for Game 6, we will witness Magnus squeezing blood out of stone in the form of a pressing for a win against Nepo in an ultra-complicated endgame that was objectively evaluated as a draw in computer table-bases. In order to triumph, Carlsen disregards the famous endgame wisdom of placing a rook behind passed pawns and in fact, placed his rook in front of his passed pawns in order to the white pieces forward. Doing so meant that Nepomniachtchi needed to play like a computer to draw and under the circumstances, playing with 100% precision over scores of moves against Magnus was just too tall of a task for Nepo or any other chess player alive today. Game 6 of the Carlsen-Nepomniachtchi Match will probably go down as Magnus Carlsen’s greatest endgame so far and undoubtedly the greatest endgame triumph ever in a World Championship Match. In total, it took Magnus Carlsen 136 moves and 7 hours 45 minutes, setting the all-time record for the longest game in the history of the World Chess Championship, in order to defeat Ian Nepomniachtchi and take the lead in the 2021 FIDE World Championship Match.

So, without further ado, let’s examine the thrilling conclusion to Game 6 of the 2021 FIDE World Chess Championship Match…

I hope you enjoyed today’s special presentation of game 6 from the 2021 FIDE World Championship Match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi. For more on the match please visit the official website at https://fideworldchampionship.com. Additionally, please take a moment to like this video and subscribe to my Daily Chess Musings YouTube channel. Finally, be sure to check out DailyChessMusings.com to find my notes to this video as well as thousands of other free learning resources.

My name is Chris Torres, and I will see you next time with game 7 from the Carlsen-Nepomniachtchi Match.

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Date: December 3, 2021
Location: Dubai UAE
Tournament: FIDE World Championship Match 2021
Round: 6
Opening: D02 Queen's Pawn Game, 2.Nf3 (including the London System)
Submitted by:
Published on: December 21, 2021
Tags: Daily Chess Musings’ Special Coverage of the 2021 FIDE World Championship Match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi, Ruy Lopez, Daily Chess Musings’ Special Coverage, Petroff variation, Daily Chess Musings’ Special Coverage of the 2021 FIDE World Championship Match, Petroff defense, 2021 FIDE World Championship Match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi, GAME5-EricRosen, Match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi, Game 6 of the Carlsen-Nepomniachtchi match, Carlsen-Nepomniachtchi match, Game 6, Chris Torres, Catalan, Daily Chess Musings, second game of the FIDE World Championship had plenty of drama and surprises, DailyChessMusings.com, https://fideworldchampionship.com, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Daily Chess Musings YouTube channel, World Champion Magnus Carlsen, FIDE
Categories: Daily Chess Musings, Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, FIDE Chess World Championship 2021

[Event "FIDE World Championship Match 2021"] [Site "Dubai UAE"] [Date "2021.12.3"] [Round "6.3"] [White "Carlsen Magnus (NOR)"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi Ian (RUS)"] [Result "1-0"] [Eco "D02"] [Annotator "Chris Torres"] [Source ""] {[ QUEEN'S PAWN GAME,D02] Carlsen Magnus (NOR) +31 =12 -4 Nepomniachtchi Ian (RUS) +5 =6 -4 Carlsen Magnus (NOR)-Nepomniachtchi Ian (RUS) +0 =1 -0} 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.O-O O-O 6.b3 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.c4 dxc4 9.Qc2 Qe7 10.Nbd2 Nc6 11.Nxc4 b5 12.Nce5 Nb4 13.Qb2 Bb7 14.a3 Nc6 15.Nd3 Bb6 16.Bg5 Rfd8 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Rac1 Nd4 19.Nxd4 Bxd4 20.Qa2 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 Qb7+ 22.Kg1 Qe4 23.Qc2 a5 24.Rfd1 Kg7 25.Rd2 Rac8 26.Qxc8 Rxc8 27.Rxc8 Qd5 28.b4 a4 29.e3 Be5 30.h4 h5 31.Kh2 Bb2 32.Rc5 Qd6 33.Rd1 Bxa3 34.Rxb5 Qd7 35.Rc5 e5 36.Rc2 Qd5 37.Rdd2 Qb3 38.Ra2 e4 39.Nc5 Qxb4 40.Nxe4 Qb3 41.Rac2 Bf8 42.Nc5 Qb5 43.Nd3 a3 44.Nf4 Qa5 45.Ra2 Bb4 46.Rd3 Kh6 47.Rd1 Qa4 48.Rda1 Bd6 49.Kg1 Qb3 50.Ne2 Qd3 51.Nd4 Kh7 52.Kh2 Qe4 53.Rxa3 Qxh4+ 54.Kg1 Qe4 55.Ra4 Be5 56.Ne2 Qc2 57.R1a2 Qb3 58.Kg2 Qd5+ 59.f3 Qd1 60.f4 Bc7 61.Kf2 Bb6 62.Ra1 Qb3 63.Re4 Kg7 64.Re8 f5 65.Raa8 Qb4 66.Rac8 Ba5 67.Rc1 Bb6 68.Re5 Qb3 69.Re8 Qd5 70.Rcc8 Qh1 71.Rc1 Qd5 72.Rb1 Ba7 73.Re7 Bc5 74.Re5 Qd3 75.Rb7 Qc2 76.Rb5 Ba7 77.Ra5 Bb6 78.Rab5 Ba7 79.Rxf5 Qd3 80.Rxf7+ Kxf7 81.Rb7+ Kg6 82.Rxa7 Qd5 { Still even but very a very unusual endgame. Magnus has a rook and knight + three pawns vs Ian's Queen and pawn.It's worth noting, that white is the only side playing for a win here as black has no passed pawns. However, in compliacted and imbalanced endgames there is a greater chance for a decisive result. The human factor needs to be added to the equation with both players having already been at this game for 7 hours the chances of losing a World Championship Match Game with one miscalculation is very real.} 83.Ra6+ {Magnus is really the only player with a reason to play for a win because of his passed pawns. However, advancing those passed pawns without allowing the black queen a forking opportunity or to inintiate a perpetual check will be very challenging.} Kh7 84.Ra1 Kg6 {Ian is waiting to see what Magnus has in store.} 85.Nd4 Qb7 86.Ra2 {Stopping Qb2+.} Qh1 {So Ian threatens Qh2+ or possibly h4 which would exchange pawns and expose white's queen.} 87.Ra6+ {But Magnus plays a check before Ian can. Magnus is giving Ian lots of checks which are also opportunities for black to go wrong.} Kf7 88.Nf3 {Guarding against Qh2+.} Qb1 {But Ian is is handling the pressure beautifully and prepares to check with Qb2.} 89.Rd6 {Now if blacks queen checks from the second rank, Magnus can interpose with Rd2.} Kg7 90.Rd5 Qa2+ 91.Rd2 {As expected.} Qb1 92.Re2 {Perhaps from e2, Carlsen's rook can support white's e-pawn advancing.} Qb6 {So Ian immediately pins the pawn on e3.} 93.Rc2 { Magnus must go back to the drawing board to find a way to coordinate his pieces in such a manner that his passed pawns can advance. Again, he must do this without allowing Ian a material gaining tactic or perpetual check.} Qb1 94.Nd4 Qh1 {Again, trying for Qh2+ or a possible pawn advance to h4.} 95.Rc7+ {Carlsen, again, checks the black king before Ian can play Qh2+.} Kf6 96.Rc6+ {Again, all of these checks offer black opportunities to error.} Kf7 97.Nf3 {Again, guarding h2 from black's queen.} Qb1 {So Ian threatens Qb2+ again.} 98.Ng5+ Kg7 {Ian continues to play accurately out of Carlsen's checks.} 99.Ne6+ Kf7 100.Nd4 {So if Qb2+, the white rook can step in the way.} Qh1 {So Ian returns his queen to h1 to threaten Qh2+.} 101.Rc7+ {Once again, Magnus checks the black king beofre Ian can play Qh2+.} Kf6 102.Nf3 {Once again, to guard against Qh2+.} Qb1 {And Ian is once again eyeing Qb2+.} 103.Rd7 {Preparing to block Qb2+ with Rd2. So after 20 moves in the rook and knight vs Queen endgame, Magnus has made no progress.} Qb2+ 104.Rd2 {As expected.} Qb1 105.Ng1 {It turns out that sending the knight home was the only way to move forward.} Qb4 {Threatens the rook on d2.} 106.Rd1 Qb3 {Ian threatens the rook again.} 107.Rd6+ Kg7 108.Rd4 Qb2+ 109.Ne2 { Finally, Carlsen's finds a structure from which he can advance the e pawn meaning, heare there is no check from black's queen and no Qb6 pin on the e3 pawn.} Qb1 110.e4 {Not a huge improvement for white but Carlsen finally makes progress inching closer to victory.} Qh1 {Ian, again, is threatening Qh2+ or to advance his h-pawn and exchange is for white's g-pawn which would further expose Carlsen's king. However, this is a little innacurate now that white's pawn had advanced to e4. A more precise plan was...} ( 110...Kf7 111.e5 Kg6 112.Rc4 Qb6+ 113.Kf3 Qb3+ 114.Rc3 Qb6 115.Re3 Qc6+ 116.Kf2 Qe6 { Would stop white from advancing his pawns but black would obviously need to be careful not to allow white's rook to go to d6 while black king and queen are on the same rank.} ) 111.Rd7+ {Again, Carlsen plays a rook check before Nepo can play his queen check.} Kg8 112.Rd4 Qh2+ 113.Ke3 h4 {So Ian finally got his opporturnity to advance the h-pawn in order to further expose white's king.} 114.gxh4 Qh3+ 115.Kd2 Qxh4 { I checked this in my correspondence chess endgame tablebases and this is, with 100% accuracy, a drawn position. But, this is not a correspondence match where tablebases are allowed, this is a World Championship Match where Ian Nepomniachtchi is in the hot seat.} 116.Rd3 Kf8 117.Rf3 Qd8+ 118.Ke3 Qa5 119.Kf2 { Becuase if Carlsen is going to advance up the board, he will need to do so with his king moving forward on the kingside where black's queen has less open space for checking.} Qa7+ 120.Re3 Qd7 121.Ng3 Qd2+ 122.Kf3 Qd1+ 123.Re2 {White's pieces are doing a good job shielding the king from checks.} Qb3+ 124.Kg2 Qb7 {?!} { Nepomniachtchi pins the e4 pawn to the king to prevent it's further advance ment. Seems to make profound sense but is a slight innacuracy.} ( 124...Qc3 {!?} 125.e5 Qc6+ 126.Re4 Qc2+ 127.Kh3 Qc7 128.f5 Qd8 129.Kg4 Qd1+ 130.Ne2 Qc2 131.Kf4 Qd2+ 132.Re3 Qb4+ 133.Kf3 Qb7+ 134.Re4 {is slightly favored by chess engines over what Ian played in the game.} ) 125.Rd2 {!} { Every club level chess player knows that rooks belong behind passed pawns so why is Magnus Carlsen placing his rook into the d-file? Answer, the best chess player in the world wants his rook on d5.} Qb3 126.Rd5 {an exceptional exception to the rule of rooks belong behind passed pawns.} Ke7 {Ian places his king into the path of the e-pawn.} 127.Re5+ {So Carlsen's rook asks the black king to set aside.} Kf7 {?!} {Confused by his opponent's odd use of his rook, Ian makes another inaccuracy.} ( 127...Kd6 {!?} 128.Rf5 Qe3 129.Kh3 Ke7 130.Kg4 Qg1 131.Re5+ Kf7 132.Rh5 Qd1+ 133.Kh3 Ke8 134.Re5+ Kf7 135.Rd5 Qg1 136.Rf5+ Ke6 {Would have been Ian's best chance at holding onto the draw.} ) 128.Rf5+ {?!} {Magnus could have started moving his king forward here.} ( 128.Kh3 {!?} Qf3 129.Rg5 Qe3 130.Rg4 Qb6 131.Nf5 Kf6 132.Rg5 Qf2 133.Ng3 Kf7 134.Kg4 Qg2 135.Rf5+ Ke8 136.e5 Qf2 137.Rf6 Qg2 ) Ke8 129.e5 { Now Magnus can place his rook on f6 where it will be defended by a pawn while defending the weak f4 pawn. Thus the two pawns and the rook can be self self-sustaining while Magnus attempts to bring his king up the board shielded from checks when necessary by his knight.} Qa2+ 130.Kh3 Qe6 {Pinning white's rook to the king.} 131.Kh4 {Stepping out of the pin and advancing his king.} Qh6+ {131... Qa2 was another interesting possibility.} ( 131...Qa2 132.Nh5 Qh2+ 133.Kg5 Qg1+ ( 133...Qg2+ 134.Kf6 Qb7 135.Ng7+ Kf8 136.Ne6+ Ke8 137.Kg5 Qg2+ 138.Kh6 Qh3+ 139.Kg6 Qg2+ 140.Kh7 Qh3+ 141.Kg8 Ke7 ( 141...Qxf5 142.Ng7+ {check and a game winning fork.} ) 142.Rf6 {The self sustaining structure again.} Qg4+ 143.Kh7 Qh5+ 144.Kg7 Qg4+ 145.Kh6 Qh3+ 146.Kg6 Qg2+ 147.Ng5 Kd7 148.f5 Ke8 149.Rb6 Kd7 150.e6+ Kc7 151.Rb4 Kd6 152.Rd4+ Kc7 153.Re4 {Magnus's rook finally gets behind the passed pawn.} Qa2 154.f6 Qd5 155.e7 Qg8+ 156.Kh6 Qh8+ 157.Nh7 Qg8 158.e8=Q {and, of course, white would win from here.} ) 134.Kh6 Ke7 135.Rg5 Qb6+ 136.Kh7 Qe3 137.Kg7 Qa7 138.f5 Qc7 139.Kg6 Qb7 140.e6 Qb8 141.Kh7 Qh2 142.Kh6 Kd6 143.Rg4 Qb2 144.Kg6 Qc2 145.Nf6 Ke7 146.Nh7 Qb1 147.Ra4 Qb6 148.Ng5 Qb1 149.Rf4 Qc2 150.Kg7 Kd6 151.f6 Qb2 152.Kg6 Kd5 153.f7 Qc2+ 154.Rf5+ Kc4 155.e7 Qb1 156.e8=Q {Is an interesting winning endgame technique by white.} ) 132.Nh5 {The white knight is a useful shield for his king.} Qh7 {At least keeping the pin on the knight.} 133.e6 {Sets up Rf7 threatening black's queen and then Ng7+.} Qg6 ( 133...Qxf5 {??} 134.Ng7+ ) 134.Rf7 Kd8 ( 134...Qxe6 135.Ng7+ Kxf7 136.Nxe6 Kxe6 137.Kg5 Kf7 138.Kf5 { A mini lesson in Opposition featured in every endgame book. If it's white to play it is a draw but because it is black to play, white wins.} Kg8 139.Kg6 Kf8 140.f5 Ke7 141.f6+ Ke8 142.Kg7 ) 135.f5 {There's that self-sustaining structure again.} Qg1 136.Ng7 { 1-0, Carlsen Magnus (NOR) 2872 - Nepomniachtchi Ian (RUS) 2774 , Dubai UAE 12/ 3/2021 FIDE World C Carlsen Magnus (NOR) 2872 - Nepomniachtchi Ian (RUS) 2774 , Dubai UAE 12/ 3/2021 FIDE World Champi} Z0 ( 136...Qh1+ 137.Kg5 Qg2+ 138.Kh5 Qh2+ 139.Kg6 Qg3+ 140.Kh7 Qe5 141.Kg8 Qb5 142.f6 Kc8 143.e7 Kd7 144.e8=Q+ Kd6 145.Qe6+ Kc5 146.Rc7+ Kb4 147.f7 Ka3 148.f8=Q+ Kb2 149.Qf2+ Ka3 150.Qfa2+ Kb4 151.Rc4+ Qxc4 152.Qexc4# ) 1-0