Carlsen wins gold after a blunder

Optimizing his performance taking care of every detail to show that he is still the best is Magnus Carlsen's new obsession after giving up the classical chess world title because he can't bear the risk of losing it.

Everything was going according to his script in the first ten rounds of the World Rapid Championship in Almaty (Kazakhstan).

But he fell in the 11th round due to an elementary tactical error, which forced him to win the last round (13th) under extreme tension, brilliantly, to recover the crown in his favorite modality.

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This Iranian chess player will take refuge in Spain for competing without a veil in the World Cup

Sarasadat Jademalsharieh, without a headscarf, during one of the Rapid World Cup games that she is playing in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Photo: EL PAÍS |

Video: EPV

“Winning the last life or death game is always a very difficult challenge, even for someone very experienced like me.

And even more so when achieving this title was an essential objective for me after giving up classical chess.

The psychological pressure was enormous, but the game turned out well for me, ”explained Carlsen in the press room a few minutes after his triumph.

Before, he had to wait for the Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave to start a draw at the limit - he was lost - against the German wonder Vincent Keymer, 18, who was very close to causing a lightning playoff with the Norwegian.

Carlsen announced last July his resignation from the slow game world title, which he has held since 2013, despite the fact that the International Chess Federation (FIDE) offered him various ways to speed up the pace of play in the final, as he had requested. since 2018. But his real problem was not that.

What the still champion can no longer bear is the mere possibility of losing the throne, of being defeated in an exhausting three-week duel that also requires several months of absolute dedication to prepare.

That is why he said no, despite the fact that FIDE was willing to sacrifice the age-old tradition of chess -the game that is played today as an organized sport in 199 countries was created in Spain at the end of the 15th century, and its antecedents go back more than 1,500 years of history - at the altar of pragmatism,

Carlsen makes a self-portrait during the closing ceremony, this Wednesday in AlmatyAnna Shtourman/FIDE

Hence, this trip to Kazakhstan in pursuit of a double crown (the Lightning World Cup, with about five minutes per player per game, takes place this Thursday and Friday) was planned by his father and manager, Henrik, in great detail.

Although Henrik could not answer this newspaper's request for details because he was "very ill", what is known about his way of working in previous years allows us to ensure that everything was prepared to the millimeter: the training during the previous weeks, the flights , the lodging, the food, the schedule (Magnus only gets up before noon due to force majeure, in order not to waste an atom of the energy that he will need in the afternoon in the games), the concentration methods, and so on.

Everything went smoothly in Almaty for Carlsen the first two days: on Monday, four wins in a row (the last one against the 2021 champion, the prodigious 18-year-old Uzbek Nodirbek Abdusattorov, in a magnificent game) and a draw against one of the new Indian stars, Arjun Erigaisi, 19. On Tuesday he began by beating the Dutch Jorden van Foreest, tied with two very tough Russians, Vladimir Fedoseiev and Danil Dúbov, and ended up beating a Georgian specialized in fast mode (15 initial minutes per player plus ten seconds after each move), Giga Quparadze.

And the joy lasted for one more round this Wednesday, the 10th, in which he defeated the aforementioned wonder Keymer.

But then the time came to verify that the king of chess is human: in a very even position against the Russian Vladislav Artemiev, the Norwegian made a lazy amateur tactical error, and lost.

And then he suffered to scratch half a point from American Fabiano Caruana in inferior position.

But when the great champions of the sport must confirm that they are in a level above the others, Carlsen reconquered the throne of rapid chess with great brilliance.

Niemann errs and sinks

LG

Hans Niemann has confirmed in the Rapid World Cup that his talent is as great as the instability of his character.

The controversial 19-year-old American, accused by Carlsen without evidence of cheating in September, was close to the leaders until the 10th round (undefeated, three wins and five draws).

But he fell to China's Yu, blew an easy winning position against Russia's Yesipenko and went down completely: three straight losses with horrifying play in the later rounds to finish 100th out of 178.

 Niemann has sued Carlsen for more than 400 million dollars before a court in the state of Missouri (USA).

The morbid and expected confrontation between the two with a board in the middle will have to wait.

But the Rapid World Cup has not needed that pepper to be exciting.

Above all, thanks to the young stars, such as the German Keymer (18 years old), the Uzbek Abdusattórov (18), the Indians Erigaisi (19) and Sarin (18) and the Russian Murzin (16; plays under the FIDE flag ).

The Chinese Tan won the Women's World Cup.

Final classification: 1st Carlsen 10 points;

2nd-3rd Keymer and Caruana 9.5;

4th Dubov, Erigaisi, Fedoseiev, Artemiev and Rapport 9;

31º Antón (Spain) 8;

81º Vallejo (Spain) 7. The entire list is here.

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