Magnus Carlsen misses winning in Game 1 draw with Fabiano Caruana – as happened | Sports

"I was not played after the opening," Caruana said, per Tarjei J Svensen. "It's a complicated position. Magnus began to surpass me. I thought I was obviously losing, for a long time I lost. "

He added: "I think he missed NH2 at the end of time control. After that I thought I was defending that position. It is increasingly clear that it seems objectively to be balanced. There were more hours of suffering, but in the end I managed to draw. … This is not the most pleasant experience to maintain this very long game with white. I think I'm lucky enough to end with a draw. "

More than Caruana: "There must be a lot of nerves. A very different feeling playing the first match of a world championship match. … Usually with white you should not be too happy with the draw, but given my position, I am very happy. I was relieved to have escaped. "

"It started very well, I was better on time and had a better position," Carlsen tell NRK. "I couldn't find KO before the time difficulties. I play a little too carefully in my opinion. Suddenly he got a chance to break away. Then it's quite interesting. "

He added: "I tried to find a way to exchange to play to win, but I couldn't find it. Then I just moved hoping to force an error, but I did not succeed. "

Here it is: seven-hour lottery, 115 steps. A very interesting four hours that saw Magnus Carlsen almost become the first winner to win Game 1 of the world title match as black in 37 years, followed by three hours which was quite boring after the mistake of Carlsen (40 … Bxc3) who made all draws except conclusions previous.

Pawn exchanges initiated by Caruana (105. Rxa6) and answered by Carlsen (105. … Rxd4) means down to seven parts. This also means the game can officially resume 50 other moves if the players want it. And when the clock shows 10 in London, the match enters the eighth hour. Some opening, this.

Nothing much has happened over the last few minutes. Except, of course, that Caruana and Carlsen had just made their 100th move. The longest game in the history of the world championship in terms of that metric? It will be Game 5 of the 1978 clash between Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov, which ended in a draw after 124 steps.

On they passed the six and a half hour mark. Some more movements but no real progress. This is what the council looks like.

To be clear, only black can win from here, but Caruana will not accommodate the mistakes Carlsen needs to pull him out of his bag. The latest sequence of numbers moves slightly more than piercing and encouragement by Carlsen – 79. Kb2 Rg3 80. Kc2 Rg5 81. Rh6 Rd5 82. Kc3 Rd6 83. Rh8 Rg6 84. Kc2 Kb7 85. Kc3 Rg3 + – but Caruana must be comfortable holding with no players under time pressure. However, the champion made him get this half point and both players will no doubt be tired for Game 2 tomorrow.

There is no real road to victory for one of the players after the last few moves (76. Kb2 Ra4 77. Kc3 a6 78. Rh8 Ra3 +). The only way black can pull this out of the bag is if Caruana obeys the mistake.

Good action spells for the last 20 minutes. We obviously seemed tied to a draw, but Carlsen didn't seem ready to step away without rolling over Caruana a little further. Because those who are familiar with Norwegian careers are aware of him get used to a marathon like this.

There was no time problem for one of the contestants after 55 moves. Computers still show little advantage for black after 47. … Rf8 48. e7 Re8 49. NH6 h3 50. Nf5 Bf6 51. a3 b5 52. b4 cxb4 53. axb4 Bxe7 54. Nxe7 h2 55. Rxh2 Rxe7.

Predictably, the speed slowed down thanks to time control after moving 40. Caruana goes with (42. Qf7 +) and Carlsen's answer (42. … Ka6), then the queen exchange initiated by America (43. Qxg7 Rxg7), which will undoubtedly shorten the match and possibly give Caruana a better chance to holding on. And on them went: 44. Re2 Rg3 45. Ng4 Rxh3 47. e6 Rf8. Now Caruana quickly plays 48. e7, opens the line that appears towards the draw.

Save time on the crisis for the first time in a matter of hours, Caruana spent time with 41. Qxf4 before Carlsen's answer was frustrated with 41. … Bd4. For a moment there Carlsen was ready to become the first champion to win Game 1 of the world title match as black in 37 years, when Anatoly Karpov defeated Viktor Korchno in their rematch of their match in Merano, Italy. Now the lottery looks much more likely, but it won't come quickly. Rope as this can be a long end.

What a turn of events! As time went down on both players (38. c3 Be5 39. Kc2 Qg7), Caruana made the 40th step (40. Nh2) with three seconds on the clock, giving him 50 minutes of extra time that was greatly needed. But Carlsen's response (40 … Bxc3) made his opponent escape! The champion's expression said it all when he shook his head disappointed.

Other activities move with 34. Nh2 h5 35. Rf2 Qg1 36. Nf1 h4 37. Kd2 Kb7. Caruana comes close to losing in time (again) but appears with 38. c3 to give herself a little breathing space. Only two more steps until extra time was greatly needed, but the time pressure had allowed Carlsen to open a significant position advantage.

The grandmaster, Susan Polgar not a fan of 36. … h4, calling it the kind of inaccuracy Carlsen did when he was at its peak.

Caruana left with 33. Ke2 and Carlsen with 33. … Qg5. Americans are in one minute … 50 seconds … 40 seconds … 30 seconds … 20 seconds … 10 seconds! We are on the edge of our seats! Finally, Caruana pulled a knight to a retreat (34. Nh2), but it smelled of despair. Carlsen with more than 17 minutes and content to spend time with his opponents in survival mode. Computer analysis shows clear advantages for Carlsen. Blocking mistakes, he will win the opening match of the world championship as black.

The time is booming for Caruana after the re-and-forward exchange (29. Nf2 Rg8 30. Ng4 Qe8 31. Qf3 Qxh5 32. Kf2). The American will have 2 minutes 26 seconds to make eight moves, even though he receives an additional 30 seconds with each step. The white king looks rather vulnerable at this time.

Other movements are relatively moving (26. … Rhg8 27. Qe2 Rxg2 + 28. Qxg2). Carlsen continues to suppress time profits. Here's a look at the board.

The movement moves faster (23. Nh5 Bxh5 24. gxh5 Nf4). A little sequence of scratching movements for Carlsen, who seems to have let Caruana off the hook. According to the computer's analysis 21. … Nf8 where he gave up his positional superiority, even though the champion was still right in front on time.

Next Caruana took knights Carlsen (25. Bxf4) and Carlsen took back the bishop (25 … gxf4). America then opted for 26. Rg2 and after a 30-second increase he worked with more than seven minutes compared to about half an hour for Carlsen.

The grandmaster Susan Polgar called it inaccuracy caused by time for the challenger.

Caruana opted for 21. Nd1 and Carlsen doubled his ambition with 21. … Nf8. Sacrifice of spicy pawn by the world champion and he will do it all. What drama! Caruana climbed the pawn in the next step (22. Nxf6) but Carlsen answered quickly (22 … … Ne6) and America was under 10 minutes with 18 moves to do before the time of control.

Caruana continued with 20. b3 and Carlsen's answer with 20. … Bf7. The challenger, moving faster because of need, takes a little from the first step with 21. Nd1, which he hopes will force Carlen to think and cut into the time deficit. America had a little more than 16 minutes to make 19 moves before he got more time, while the Norwegian champion was only in the 40-minute mark as he pondered his 21 steps.

Caruana chose to 19. g4, stopped the clock with a little more than 18 minutes (and 21 moves to time control). Carlsen, with a profit of almost half an hour, has long thought before leaving with 19. … f6. Here's a look at the board.

Step 17 Caruana (17. Nf6) is a big mistake. He is now behind in position and at the hour and Magnus Carlsen plays to win as black before moving 20 in Game 1 of the World Chess Championship. Good turn. Carlsen quickly responded with 17. … Nd7. Caruana answered with 18. Nh5 and Carlsen wasted no time with 18. … Be5, pressed down on his time profits. Less than 22 minutes on the Caruana watch with 22 movements before time control, which means Caruana needs a one-minute moving average to stay on the water. Not ideal. American players must play very well to avoid defeat here.

Caruana takes time and results with 15. Raf1 and Carlsen respond with 15. … Qd6, paving the way for the king to hide in Queenside. The clock keeps ticking on American challengers, who have less than 32 minutes (and counting) to make 25 moves before time control. He was very busy with Carlsen's aggression in this opening game (1. … c5 and 14. … g5, especially).

The American then goes with 16. Ng4 and Carlsen castle (16. … O-O-O). Said Russian grandmaster Sasha Grischuk: "Sometimes Magnus can lose his sense of danger, but so far he has played this game brilliantly."

Carlsen gives something fun to people with 14. … g5. This is an ambitious stroke which shows that he is not only satisfied to get rid of black games. Meanwhile, reports of cold temperatures in the playroom appear to be confirmed by Carlsen's decision to wear a coat.

Caruana left with 14. Qd2 and Carlsen had plenty of time to reflect on the answer. Here is the display of the board. The American challenger has a little more than 46 minutes to make 26 more moves before control next time. (Remember: time control for each game is 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, 50 minutes for the next 20 steps and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game plus 30 extra seconds per move starting from step 1.)

After Carlsen answered with 13. … h6, Caruana took another hour. The position on the board is even, but the Americans are heading for the remaining 46 minutes, which is half an hour behind Carlsen (1 hour 16 minutes 32 seconds).

Carlsen walked with 12. … Be6 and Caruana answered with 13. Rf2. An interesting psychological battle developed in the opening, certainly more interesting than Game 1 of the last world championship in New York, where Carlsen played a rarely used Trompowsky Attack (which he later admitted was at least partially inspired by the name of the newly elected American president) but Sergey Karjakin scratched his back to force the draw which was largely forgotten after 42 moves.

Caruana's time management has been questioned, but it cannot be said that Black is better at this time.

Another long wait for Caruana, which finally stopped at 11. F4. Carlsen took pawns with 11. … exf4, and America took one back with 12. Rxf4.

Carlsen returned on the hour (1 hour 26 minutes) with a superiority of more than 20 minutes over Caruana (1 hour 5 minutes 37 seconds).

Caruana finally decided on 10. NH2 and Carlsen responded with 10. … Nf8. Next is the board display after 10 movements. Carlsen has a 12-minute advantage in the hour with 30 remaining movements until the first time control.

Opening continues with 6. h3 Nf6 7. Nc3 Nd7 8. Be3 e5 9. O-O b6. But Caruana, who had been a few minutes late, had been thinking about the next step for more than 10 minutes now, probably stunned 9. … d6.

Carlsen (1 hour 33 minutes 7 seconds) is 15 minutes ahead of Caruana (1 hour 18 minutes and continues to grow). Not yet critical development, but Magnus has surprised the American challenger with his opening choices.

Caruana played with open white pieces with 1. e4 while Carlsen surprised with the Sicilian Defense response (1. … c5). Opening continues with 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Bg7.

Here is the display format for the world championship matches. It will consist of 12 classic games with each player given one point to win and half a point for a draw. Anyone who reaches the first six and a half points will be declared the champion.

Time control for each game is 100 minutes for the first 40 steps, 50 minutes for the next 20 steps and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game plus an additional 30 seconds per move starting from step 1. The player cannot approve the draw before the 30th step Black.

If a match is tied after 12 matches, the tie break will be played on the last day in the following order:

• Best of four fast games with 25 minutes for each player with a difference of 10 seconds after each step.

• If they are still tied, they will play up to five mini matches from two flash games (five minutes for each player with a difference of three seconds).

• If all five mini matches are drawn, one match & # 39; Armageddon & # 39; which will suddenly be played where White receives five minutes and Black receives four minutes. Both players will receive a difference of three seconds after the 60th step. In the case of a draw, Black will be declared the winner.

Our Sean Ingle was at yesterday's press conference at College in Holborn, which you can see below. It is a matter that is largely peaceful, because these things tend to occur, and there is a real mutual respect between the contestants. But Carlsen, when asked if he saw himself as being oppressed or favorite, could not help but reveal signs of an alpha dog inside.

"It's been a long time since I consider myself an underdog, honest," he said. "If you have been ranked No. 1 in the world for seven years and have won three world titles in a row, then there is something very wrong with your soul, I think."

Hello and welcome to London for the first day of the World Chess Championship. We have a tie colleague up front as Magnus Carlsen from Norway retains the title he held for the past five years against Fabiano Caruana from the United States. The best match of 12 matches takes place at College in Holborn for the next 19 days, with the winner getting a 60% portion of the prize fund of € 1m ($ 1.14m) if the match ends with a rule (or 55% if decided by a game tie-break).

Carlsen, 27, has been ranked No. 1 for eight consecutive years and is considered the world's best player even before he defeated Viswanathan Anand for the title in 2013. Caruana, 26, is ranked No. 2, after getting his place at the table by winning candidate tournament in March. No American-born player has won or even competed for the world title since Bobby Fischer in 1972.

This marked the first title match between two of the world's top players since 1990, when Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov faced for the fifth and final time.

We are a little more than half an hour from the ceremonial first step. Many more will come.