[Event "World Championship"] [Site "Dubai"] [Date "2021.12.03"] [Round "6"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "2856"] [BlackElo "2782"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "271"] [EventDate "2021.11.27"] [EventCountry "UAE"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. b3 (6. c4 {would transpose to game 2.}) 6... c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. c4 dxc4 9. Qc2 $146 Qe7 $146 10. Nbd2 Nc6 (10... cxb3 11. Nxb3 {gives White good compensation for the pawn.}) 11. Nxc4 b5 $1 {A nice, tactical solution to Black's problem of developing his queenside. Apparently Carlsen knew of this move, but didn't remember his prep.} 12. Nce5 (12. Nfe5 $2 Nd4 $1 13. Qd1 Bb7 $17) 12... Nb4 $1 (12... Nxe5 $4 13. Nxe5 $18) 13. Qb2 Bb7 14. a3 Nc6 15. Nd3 $1 Bb6 16. Bg5 Rfd8 17. Bxf6 gxf6 $5 ( 17... Qxf6 18. Qxf6 gxf6 $11 {is more drawish.}) 18. Rac1 Nd4 (18... e5 $5) 19. Nxd4 Bxd4 20. Qa2 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 Qb7+ 22. Kg1 Qe4 23. Qc2 a5 24. Rfd1 Kg7 25. Rd2 $5 {Encouraging Nepo's next move, creating an imbalance that makes for a three-results game.} Rac8 $5 (25... b4 {was mentioned in the press conference. White won't want to allow ...Bc3, but} 26. axb4 axb4 27. Nxb4 Bxf2+ 28. Kxf2 Qxb4 29. Rxd8 Rxd8 {is a guaranteed draw.}) 26. Qxc8 Rxc8 27. Rxc8 Qd5 28. b4 a4 29. e3 (29. Rcc2 {was safer.}) 29... Be5 (29... Bb2 $1 30. Rc5 $8 Qd6 $8 31. Rxb2 $8 Qxd3 32. Rbc2 $8 Qxa3 33. Rxb5 Qa1+ 34. Kg2 {is an almost certain draw, e.g.} a3 35. Rc7 a2 36. Ra5 Qb1 37. Rca7 Qe4+ 38. Kg1 Qb1+ 39. Kg2 Qe4+ $11 { with equality, whether White goes for the repetition or goes exploring with 40. Kh3.} 40. Kh3 Qd3 41. Rxa2 Qf1+ {etc.}) 30. h4 $1 h5 $6 {Weakening both the pawn and the king.} (30... Bb2 31. Rc5 Qd6 32. Rxb2 Qxd3 33. Rbc2 $8 Qxa3 34. Rxb5 Qa1+ 35. Kg2 Qb1 36. Rc3 Qe4+ 37. Kh2 Qb1 38. Kg2 $8 {Otherwise ...Qf1, so the inclusion of h4 isn't enough to fully secure White's king from the pesky queen.} Qe4+ $11) (30... Qb3 $2 {is the wrong way to pursue the a-pawn. White wins after} 31. Nxe5 fxe5 32. Rc7 $1 Qxa3 33. Rdd7 Qa1+ 34. Kg2 e4 35. Rxf7+ Kg6 36. Rxh7 $18) 31. Kh2 $1 Bb2 $2 {Now it loses, though with Carlsen very short of time there was little chance he'd be able to prove it.} (31... Qb3 32. Nxe5 fxe5 33. Rc7 Qxa3 34. Rdd7 Kg6 35. Rxf7 Qb2 {still holds, though it's scary.}) 32. Rc5 $1 (32. Rxb2 Qxd3 33. Ra2 Qb3 34. Rcc2 $11) 32... Qd6 $5 33. Rd1 $2 (33. Rcc2 $3 Bxa3 34. Nf4 $1 Qxb4 35. Rd7 $18 {Carlsen was told about this line at the press conference, and replied that "it was not on my radar."} e5 36. Nxh5+ $1 Kg6 {and even here White is only winning - and only able to avoid being worse (indeed, losing in all other lines but one) with} 37. Rc6 $3 $18) 33... Bxa3 34. Rxb5 Qd7 $1 35. Rc5 $8 e5 (35... Bxb4 36. Rcc1 $8 Be7 37. Ne5 Qb5 38. Rd7 $8 fxe5 39. Rxe7 Qb2 40. Rf1 a3 41. Rc7 a2 42. Rcc1 { is probably a draw, but Black may have some winning chances with ...f5-f4 ideas.}) 36. Rc2 $2 (36. e4) 36... Qd5 $2 (36... Bxb4 37. Rcc1 Ba3 38. Ra1 Qg4 {followed by retreating the bishop and playing ...a3 gives Black a serious plus.}) 37. Rdd2 $11 Qb3 38. Ra2 e4 $2 (38... f5 $11) (38... Bxb4 39. Rdb2 Qxd3 40. Rxb4 {is unpleasant for Black, but probably drawn.}) 39. Nc5 $18 Qxb4 40. Nxe4 $2 {Down to 27 seconds, Carlsen misses a win on the last move of the time control.} (40. Rdc2 $1 {Black's queenside pieces are stuck.} f5 41. Nxa4 $1 Qxa4 42. Rc3 Qd1 43. Rcxa3 $18 {is probably winning for White.}) 40... Qb3 ( 40... Kg6 $1 $11) 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 {Setting a trap...} Qe4 $2 {...and Nepo falls for it.} ({Black should maintain the status quo with, say,} 52... Kg6 {.}) 53. Rxa3 $1 Qxh4+ $1 (53... Bxa3 $2 54. Rxa3 $18) 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 (72... Bc7) (72... h4 $5 73. gxh4 Bd8) 73. Re7 Bc5 74. Re5 Qd3 75. Rb7 Qc2 76. Rb5 Ba7 77. Ra5 Bb6 78. Rab5 Ba7 {After a great deal of tacking around, Carlsen changes the nature of the position.} 79. Rxf5 Qd3 $1 80. Rxf7+ $1 (80. Rfe5 Bxe3+) 80... Kxf7 81. Rb7+ Kg6 82. Rxa7 {From here Black has no counterplay, but must aim to threaten perpetual check whenever White's pieces get too active. It's time for another long interlude during which time Carlsen tries this and that before deciding on an active plan (that is, one that enables him to start pushing his pawns).} Qd5 83. Ra6+ Kh7 84. Ra1 Kg6 85. Nd4 Qb7 86. Ra2 Qh1 87. Ra6+ Kf7 88. Nf3 Qb1 89. Rd6 Kg7 90. Rd5 Qa2+ 91. Rd2 Qb1 92. Re2 Qb6 93. Rc2 Qb1 94. Nd4 Qh1 95. Rc7+ Kf6 96. Rc6+ Kf7 97. Nf3 Qb1 98. Ng5+ Kg7 99. Ne6+ Kf7 100. Nd4 Qh1 101. Rc7+ Kf6 102. Nf3 Qb1 103. Rd7 Qb2+ 104. Rd2 Qb1 105. Ng1 Qb4 106. Rd1 Qb3 107. Rd6+ Kg7 108. Rd4 Qb2+ 109. Ne2 {It was nice having the knight on f3, where it shielded the king from harassment on the h-file, but Carlsen has decided that the knight is more necessary on e2 if he wants to make progress.} Qb1 110. e4 {Better late (move 36, if not move 1) than never.} Qh1 111. Rd7+ Kg8 112. Rd4 Qh2+ 113. Ke3 h4 { A debatable swap, but it's still a draw with best play.} 114. gxh4 Qh3+ 115. Kd2 Qxh4 {No more trades from here - we're on the home stretch!} 116. Rd3 Kf8 ( 116... Qf2 $142) 117. Rf3 Qd8+ 118. Ke3 (118. Ke1 $142) 118... Qa5 $6 (118... Qb6+ $1 {was better, not letting White's king reach sanctuary on the other side of his fortress.}) 119. Kf2 Qa7+ (119... Qh5 $142) 120. Re3 $1 Qd7 121. Ng3 Qd2+ 122. Kf3 Qd1+ 123. Re2 Qb3+ 124. Kg2 {Another safe haven. Carlsen has done a brilliant job of coordinating his pieces throughout this rook and knight vs. queen ending.} Qb7 (124... Qd3 $142) (124... Qg8 $142) 125. Rd2 $1 { At this point, this became the longest game (by number of moves) in the history of the world chess championship (at least excluding the FIDE knockout events in the late 1990s and early 2000s).} Qb3 {And at this point, the game passed midnight, local time.} 126. Rd5 {At the press conference, Carlsen stated that once he achieved this setup, he started feeling optimistic. It's still a draw with best play, but Nepo's position is rapidly slipping away.} Ke7 127. Re5+ Kf7 128. Rf5+ Ke8 129. e5 Qa2+ 130. Kh3 Qe6 $2 {Finally, the fatal error, and Carlsen gives him no chance to recover.} ({Only} 130... Qc2 {, e.g.} 131. Kg4 Qg2) ({and} 130... Qb1 {maintain an objectively drawn position, according to the tablebase. (Which doesn't at all mean that Black would have achieved the draw.) Black's queen is more able to cause White's king trouble from behind rather than in front.}) 131. Kh4 Qh6+ 132. Nh5 Qh7 133. e6 $1 { Not the only move to maintain a winning advantage, but a pretty and very effective one.} Qg6 (133... Qxf5 $2 134. Ng7+) 134. Rf7 $1 Kd8 (134... Qxe6 135. Ng7+ Kxf7 136. Nxe6 Kxe6 137. Kg5 $1 Kf7 138. Kf5 $1 $18) 135. f5 Qg1 136. Ng7 $1 {There is no defense to e7-e8, and there is no perpetual as White's king can hide on g8. After seven hours and 36 minutes of play, Nepomniachtchi resigns. Brutal.} (136. Ng7 $1 Qh2+ 137. Kg5 Qg3+ 138. Kh6 Qh4+ 139. Kg6 Qg4+ 140. Kh7 Qh4+ 141. Kg8 $18) 1-0