Magnus
Carlsen says he plans a fast
start in the opening three
rounds of his 14-game, $2m
world title match against
Russia’s
Ian Nepomniachtchi on
Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Play starts at 12.30pm GMT
throughout the match, which
can be followed live and
free online, with expert and
computer commentaries on
every move.
Nepomniachtchi will have the
favourable white pieces in
the first game, whose
colours were determined
by popping balloons.
Carlsen will push for an
early lead. “As a reigning
champion you have a good
chance to strike at the
start,” he said. “That’s
definitely something I am
going to try.”
Previous cases of
first-time challengers who
froze include Tigran
Petrosian’s
disastrous game one in
1963 against Mikhail
Botvinnik and Bobby
Fischer’s poisoned pawn
capture against Boris
Spassky in 1972.
In the 2018 match Fabiano
Caruana was shaky in the
marathon first game and
should have lost at move 38.
Carlsen himself, in his
second game against Vishy
Anand in 2013, planned the
Caro-Kann 1 e4 c6 but
nervously knocked over his
c7 pawn. However, there are
also examples such as in
1927 and 2000 where the
challenger scored early and
went on to win the match.
Diagram:
Alexey Shirov
v Leinier Domínguez, Wijk
2010. White to move and win.
In the game as played,
Shirov agreed a draw due to
time pressure, so the puzzle
challenge is to do better.
Read more and see solution...
