Magnus Carlsen
Notable Games

Magnus Carlsen

16 celebrated games · 2270 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 2270 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 2004.01.24 Carlsen, Magnus vsErnst, Sipke 1-0 Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Spassky Variation 29 moves Corus-C Corus C, Wijk aan Zee 2004: the thirteen-year-old Carlsen's Caro-Kann brilliancy, a knight and bishop sacrifice that launches a king hunt ending in a picture-perfect mate (29.Qd7#).
  • 2004.02.19 Carlsen, Magnus vsDolmatov, Sergey 1-0 Zukertort Opening: Dutch Variation 19 moves Moscow Aeroflot op-A Moscow Aeroflot Open 2004: the thirteen-year-old prodigy dismantles veteran grandmaster Sergey Dolmatov in just nineteen moves.
  • 2008.01.26 Kramnik, Vladimir vsCarlsen, Magnus 0-1 English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Hedgehog Defense 57 moves Corus Corus (Wijk aan Zee) 2008, final round: the seventeen-year-old Carlsen outplays former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik from a Hedgehog, a breakthrough win with Black.
  • 2009.12.11 Carlsen, Magnus vsMcShane, Luke J 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense 61 moves London Classic London Chess Classic 2009: a King's Indian squeeze decided by a marching passed d-pawn (61.d7), from the tournament Carlsen won ahead of Kramnik to reach world No. 1.
  • 2010.10.24 Carlsen, Magnus vsTopalov, Veselin 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed, Martinez Variation 32 moves Nanjing Pearl Spring 3rd Nanjing Pearl Spring 2010: a Ruy Lopez win over former FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov, from the event Carlsen won with a 2901 performance rating.
  • 2011.01.29 Carlsen, Magnus vsWang, Hao 1-0 Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation 29 moves Tata Steel-A 73rd Tata Steel (Wijk aan Zee) 2011: a Caro-Kann Advance in which Carlsen breaks through with 24.Bxf7+ and a raking kingside mating attack.
  • 2012.10.12 Carlsen, Magnus vsAnand, Viswanathan 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation, Sokolsky Variation 30 moves Grand Slam Final 5th Grand Slam Final, Bilbao 2012: Carlsen beats reigning World Champion Viswanathan Anand a year before their title match, squeezing a Moscow Sicilian with an e5–e6 bind.
  • 2013.03.27 Carlsen, Magnus vsGelfand, Boris 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack 48 moves Candidates Tournament Candidates Tournament, London 2013, round 10: a Rossolimo win over Boris Gelfand at the event that earned Carlsen his title shot — it lifted his live rating to a then-record 2878.
  • 2013.11.15 Carlsen, Magnus vsAnand, Viswanathan 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Forgotten Variation 58 moves World-ch Carlsen-Anand +3-0=7 World Championship 2013 (Chennai), Game 5: Carlsen's first win of the match, a long endgame that ended four opening draws and set him on course to dethrone Anand as the 16th World Champion.
  • 2014.11.23 Carlsen, Magnus vsAnand, Viswanathan 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense 45 moves World-ch Carlsen-Anand +3-1=7 World Championship 2014 (Sochi), Game 11: the Berlin Defence win that clinched Carlsen's first title defence, 6½–4½ over Anand.
  • 2015.01.15 Carlsen, Magnus vsAronian, Levon 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense 47 moves Tata Steel-A 77th Tata Steel (Wijk aan Zee) 2015: a Ragozin QGD in which Carlsen positionally outplays Levon Aronian — one of six straight wins that carried his tournament victory.
  • 2015.01.20 Carlsen, Magnus vsRadjabov, Teimour 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation 40 moves Tata Steel-A 77th Tata Steel (Wijk aan Zee) 2015: a kingside attack capped by the knight sacrifice 31.Nxg7, from Carlsen's dominant run to the title at Wijk.
  • 2016.11.24 Carlsen, Magnus vsKarjakin, Sergey 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation 75 moves World-ch Carlsen-Karjakin +1-1=10 World Championship 2016 (New York), Game 10: the must-win game with his title on the brink after losing Game 8 — Carlsen levels the match to force the rapid tiebreak, which he then wins to keep his crown.
  • 2021.01.16 Carlsen, Magnus vsFirouzja, Alireza 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Barmen Variation 40 moves Tata Steel 83rd Tata Steel (Wijk aan Zee) 2021, round 1: Carlsen outplays teenage star Alireza Firouzja, breaking through with a central e5–e6 thrust.
  • 2021.12.03 Carlsen, Magnus vsNepomniachtchi, Ian 1-0 Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation, Pseudo-Catalan 136 moves World-ch Carlsen-Nepomniachtchi World Championship 2021 (Dubai), Game 6: at 136 moves the longest game in World Championship history, nearly eight hours — Carlsen's two rooks and knight grind down Nepomniachtchi's queen, the turning point of the match.
  • 2022.01.25 Carlsen, Magnus vsMamedyarov, Shakhriyar 1-0 Catalan Opening: Open Defense 27 moves Tata Steel-A 84th Tata Steel (Wijk aan Zee) 2022: a 27-move Catalan in which Carlsen's rooks storm the a-file (18.Ra8) and crash through on e6 to force resignation.
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