Carlsen vs Nepo - WC game-1

 "We enjoy playing Chess" - Carlsen and Nepo


......may be you do! But we hope you both make us all enjoy the games and not like the previous two matches - Carlsen vs Karjakin in particular! They had to run strong engines and write some 'deep' books to show that those matches and certain moves were good!


Nepomniatchi - Carlsen, Game: 1

1.e4 e5  2.Nf3 Nc6  3.Bb5 a6  4.Ba4 Nf6  5.OO Be7  6.Re1 b5  7.Bb3 OO  8.h3 Na5!?


Whatever be the name.... it is a big relief that it does not carry the name "Berlin".....

9.Ne5 Nb3  10.ab3 Bb7  11.d3 d5

Striking the centre, trying to open it up as Black has two Bishops

12.ed5 Qd5  13.Qf3 Bd6  


Ideally, Black would want to keep his Queen to backup his initiative for the sacrificed pawn. 

14.Kf1!?

A curious computer move.....perhaps! It removes the King from a spate check on h2 and defends the Rook on e1, as with his last move, Black was threatening 14.....Qe5!

14......Rfb8!?

Defending the Bishop on b7 and renewing the threat of .....Qe5!

15.Qd5 Nd5  16.Bd2 c5  17.Nf3 

Played with the intention of pushing d4 at some point. Perhaps, 17.Ng4-e3 deserved consideration.

17....Rd8  18.Nc3 Nb4  19,Rec1 Rac8!?  

Typical of Carlsen: puts his pieces especially Rooks in seemingly innocuous places and does not hesitate to regroup it subsequently, if he finds nothing happening with it! The Rook on d8 is well placed targetting d3

20.Ne2 Nc6  21.Be3 Ne7  22.Bf4?! 


This move is not in the spirit of fighting for initiative. Getting a position with fractured pawn structure  after you exchange the Black's Bishops, is not in the spirit of fighting for initiative as the pawns are potentially weak. Not that it is easy to suggest a very good alternative....but a move like say.... 22.Ng3 could be a better substitute for Bf4

22......Bf3

Carlsen said this move is counterintutive in the post match press conference. But the move speaks for itself as Black now gets easy moves manoeuvring his Knight and Rook, whilst White has to be guarded and manage to neutralise Black's initiative, which he does subsequently by returning the extra pawn. "Chess is a fine art of knowing how to punch and when to duck" said Fischer!


23.gf3 Bf4  24.Nf4 Rc6  25.Re1 Nf5  26.c3 Nh4  27.Re3 Kf8  28.Ng2 Nf5  29.Re5 g6  30.Ne1 Ng7  31.Re4 f5  32.Re3 Ne6  33.Ng2 b4  34.Ke2 Rb8  35.Kd2 bc3  36.bc3 Rb3  37.Kc2 Rb7  38.h4 Kf7  39.Ree1 Kf6 

Should I say, "the moves speak for themselves"!? Yes they do and I always get the feeling when I watch the World Championship events or even when going through the games played in World Championships, the game of Chess looks very simple! We know, it is an illusion. When we go and sit on the board in front of an opponent and the same moves look hazy and confusing!

Practical Chess in tournaments and matches and practicing chess at home are two different things; though we may not be able to pin point and say what is the difference!



40.Ne3? Rd7?!

Perhaps a key moment in the game! Anand was analysing 40.....Nf4! with some interesting ideas like ......Rb2 followed by .....Nd3 and if White defends that, then bringing the Rooks to bear on the d3 pawn!

Therefore, instead of the tempting 40.Ne3 with the intention of going to a dominant c4 square, a prophylactic 40.Ra2! would have been better, which perhaps maintains the equilibrium!

Having missed this, the game quickly drifts into repitition of moves

41.Nc4 Re7  42.Ne5 Rd6  43.Nc4 Rc6  44.Ne5 Rd6  45.Nc4 Drawn


After the world was paralised for a couple of years by Covid, it is nice to have this great event happening and perhaps reinstating normalcy in the world of chess and the hope that we get back to OTB tournaments again!


The match has begun and hoping for more action and hard fights!

I Remain

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