Magnus Carlsen: the fallen angel fights on
Magnus Carlsen (Shutterstock)
As regular readers of this column all know, Magnus Carlsen has disappointingly joined that trio of former champions (Morphy, Alekhine, Fischer) who missed their final challenge. While still the World Chess Champion, Magnus Carlsen confirmed in a public statement his intention to decline the defence of his title in 2023. FIDÉ (the world governing body) understood that his decision was final, and, indeed, Carlsen has shown no interest over the past two years in re-entering competitions for what ought to be the supreme chess title. In recognition of Carlsen’s resolve, the Russian FIDÉ President Arkady Dvorkovich issued the following wistful statement:
“Magnus Carlsen deserves nothing but respect from FIDÉ, and from the whole chess community, in whatever decision he makes regarding his career. Only a handful of people in history can understand and assess the tremendous toll that it takes playing five matches for the title.
Many other great champions, in other sports, have experienced something similar: with the passing of the years, it is more difficult to find the motivation to train and compete at the highest level, while the reward for the victory never feels as intense as the first day.
We had hoped that after some deserved rest, Magnus would look at this differently. Sports legends like him always strive for goals and records. He is still young and could possibly have added more classical titles to his already outstanding career, as he will surely try in the Rapid and Blitz modalities, which he favours.
Since he first expressed his doubts publicly, FIDÉ has been open to dialogue and to consider specific proposals to change the format of the World Championship. Some of these ideas were discussed with Carlsen and other top players, and we had a meeting where all the concerns were discussed openly and in detail. Alas, it did not change his mind.
His decision not to defend his title is undoubtedly a disappointment for the fans, and bad news for the spectacle. It leaves a big void. But chess is now stronger than ever —in part, thanks to Magnus— and the World Championship Match, one of the longest and most respected traditions in the world of sports, will go on.”
Magnus revealed the clear answer with a definite no. “It is correct that I met with the FIDÉ management in connection with the end of the Candidates tournament,” Carlsen said. “ I had no demands, nor did I have any suggestions – I was there to tell them that I would not be defending the title in the next world championship.” This was a truly monumental decision for someone who had won five world championship matches and held the title since 2013. “ We did have a small discussion. They came with a few suggestions – some of them I liked, some of them I didn’t,” he added. “ However, my decision stands. This is a conclusion I am comfortable with, and a decision that I have thought a lot about for a long time, for more than a year and a half. I’ve spoken with people from the team, I’ve spoken with FIDÉ, and I have told them that I am not motivated to play yet another world championship game.”
The fly in the ointment of Carlsen’s withdrawal was his insistence that he would carry on playing, but not in the world cycle. This raised obvious problems. The respected senior British grandmaster Jonathan Levitt summed them up with this pithy comment:
“ Retiring is one thing. Continuing to play but not fitting in with the World Championship system, supposedly the highest level of chess, is disrespectful to the tradition of chess. Magnus totally has the right to be disrespectful, but it will not go down well with the chess world.”
If Magnus had taken a bazooka to the standing of the hallowed World Chess Championship, he could not have finished it off more effectively. With Carlsen on the sidelines, but still otherwise fully active, any match between di minores , as Alekhine succinctly dismissed his lesser rivals, is virtually pointless. As Cassius states in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: “ Why, man he doth bestride the narrow world,/Like a Colossus, and we petty men/Walk under his huge legs, and peep about,/To find ourselves dishonourable graves.”
Meanwhile, Carlsen continues to garner laurels in classical tournaments, rapid, blitz, and even the heretical freestyle abomination. Every new triumph, a mocking rebuke to the Lilliputian standing of the pygmies usurping the throne of highest state, which should be the natural prerogative of the true champion. Carlsen’s most recent successes against formidable fields came earlier this year in events staged in Norway and Zagreb in Croatia.
In this week’s game the fallen angel squeezes the current incumbent world champion to a slow death.
Magnus Carlsen vs. Dommaraju Gukesh
Norway Chess, Stavanger, 2025, rd. 1
- d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Bg4 5. Be2 Bxe2 6. Ncxe2 Nc6 7. Nf3 e6 8. c3 Be7 TN
Deviating from 8… Bd6 in Naroditsky-Galchenko, chess.com, 2023.
- Ng3 O-O 10. Qe2 h6 11. Rd1 Qa5 12. a3 Rfd8 13. h4 Qa4 14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. Bxe5 Nd7 16. Bf4 Qa6 17. Qf3 Bd6 18. Nh5 Bxf4 19. Qxf4 e5 20. Qg3 Qg6 21. Qxg6 fxg6 22. Ng3 exd4 23. cxd4 c4 24. Ne2 b5
Many players would be tempted to settle for a draw here, but not Carlsen.
- Nc3 Nf6 26. Rb1 Rab8 27. f3 a5 28. b4 cxb3 29. Rxb3 b4 30. axb4 Rxb4 31. Ra3 Re8 32. Kd2 Rb2+ 33. Kd3 Rxg2 34. Rxa5 Rg3 35. Rf1 g5 36. hxg5 Rxg5
The situation still appears quite barren, but Carlsen still holds the trump of a potential central pawn majority.
- Rfa1 h5
In such positions Botvinnik used to argue that reducing counterplay by trading one pair of rooks was generally advisable.
- Ra8 Rxa8 39. Rxa8+ Kh7 40. e4 dxe4+ 41. fxe4 h4 42. e5 h3 43. exf6 h2 44. f7 Rg3+ 45. Kd2 h1=Q 46. f8=Q
46… Qh6+?
After nearly forty flawless moves between the former and current champions, it is the latter whose first lapse will be his last. He had to find 46… Rg2+, when after either, 47. Ne2 Qh6+ 48. Kd1 Qh1+; or, 47. Kd3 Rg3+ 48. Kd2 Rg2+ 49. Kd3, White can make no progress.
- Kc2 Qg6+ 48. Kb2 Qb6+ 49. Ka2 Rg2+ 50. Ka3 Qb2+ 51. Ka4 Qxc3??
Prosaically, Black has better in 51…Qc2+, but although the text move loses outright, it is understandable that he may wish to recapture material. But in any case, he is lost.
- Qh8+ Kg6 53. Ra6+ Kf5 54. Qf8+ Ke4 55. Re6+ Black resigns 1-0
The engine calculates that Black will be checkmated in, at most, another 13 moves. For example, 55… Kd3 56. Qf3+ Kd2 57. Qxg2+ Kd1 58. Qe2+ Kc1 59. Qe1+ Qxe1 60. Rxe1+ Kd2 61. Re7 Kc3 62. d5 g5 63. d6 g4 64. d7 g3 65. d8=Q g2 66. Rc7+ Kb2 67. Qd1 g1=N 68. Rc2#
Ray’s 206th book, “ Chess in the Year of the King ”, written in collaboration with Adam Black, and his 207th, “ Napoleon and Goethe: The Touchstone of Genius ” (which discusses their relationship with chess) can be ordered from both Amazon and Blackwells. His 208th, the world record for chess books, written jointly with chess playing artist Barry Martin, Chess through the Looking Glass , is now also available from Amazon.
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