Magnus Carlsen, the world No 1, took on the Indian grandmaster elite in the Tata Steel Rapid and Blitz at Kolkata last weekend, and finished first in both events despite losing in only 20 moves as White to the rising star Arjun Erigaisi.
These victories at half-hour rapid and three-minute blitz were 33-year-old Carlsen’s ninth and 10th tournament successes of 2024, although only one of them, Norway Chess, was at the classical two-hour time limit. Last year he abdicated his classical world crown, for which he says he lacked motivation.
Rapid is now Carlsen’s favourite, and he made sure of unbeaten first place at Tata Steel by a burst of six successive wins, including a complex game against Erigaisi where the No 1’s black king never moved from e8. Carlsen attacked with pieces on the queen’s flank, then nursed a passed h pawn to promotion on the opposite wing.
Carlsen won the Rapid with 7.5/9, two points clear, and it seemed that the Tata Steel Blitz was going the same way when he began it with 6/7, including a 23-move opening round win, followed by this week’s instructive puzzle tactic.
Round eight brought a shock, as Erigaisi registered one of the worst defeats of the legend’s entire career, winning with Black in just 20 moves. The opening was normal, a Sicilian where White creates a pawn centre which Black tries to undermine. The difference was 6…Bc5 instead of Bb4, and then the aggressive Qb6 aiming at f2. Carlsen blundered with 12 Qf4? instead of 12 f3-f4, and the effect was catastrophic. Both white rooks at a1 and h1 fell to black knights, something which Carlsen has probably not experienced since he was a novice, and he resigned when Erigaisi was two rooks up.
Carlsen survived the scare, consolidating with a series of draws before defeating his rival in their penultimate round endgame. Carlsen was first with 13/18, while Wesley So of the US overtook Erigaisi for second place. The No1 called it “a really nervy day”.
In general, Tata Steel Kolkata was a rare setback for Indians after multiple recent successes. They play fewer fast games, either over the board or online, than Europeans, although whether this is cause or effect for the Kolkata disappointment is uncertain. Meanwhile, the Ding Liren v Gukesh Dommaraju $2.6mn world championship match starts in Singapore on November 25, and will be reviewed in next week’s FT chess column.
Puzzle 2599
Magnus Carlsen v Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Tata Steel Blitz, Kolkata 2024. White to move and win. Can you match the world No 1?
Click here for solution
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