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73rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2011 (3)

Slapdash Carlsen demolished by Giri

Magnus Carlsen against Anish Giri. Photo © Frits Agterdenbos.

Magnus Carlsen against Anish Giri. Photo © Frits Agterdenbos. | http://www.chessvista.com/

World Number One Magnus Carlsen lost to Anish Giri in just 90 minutes and 22 moves in an appallingly slapdash manner. Carlsen's 11.Qd2 novelty looked very strange in a position where white has a huge number of alternatives. Giri equalised extremely quickly and then Carlsen played one inaccurate move after another to reach a lost position after 19 moves which Giri accurately exploited in just three moves. It wasn't just that Carlsen lost, he played really, really badly over a number of moves.

Carlsen,Magnus - Giri,Anish [D71]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (3), 17.01.2011

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nf3 Nb6 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.e3 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 10.Re1 a5

Plenty of moves have been played here.

[10...e5; 10...Bd7; 10...e6; 10...h6; 10...Bg4]

11.Qd2?!N

Anish Giri

r_bqr_k_
_pp_ppbp
_nn___p_
p_______
___P____
__N_PNP_
PP_Q_PBP
R_B_R_K_

Magnus Carlsen

Position after 11.Qd2

A new move in a position where there are a huge number of alternatives. You have to take seriously a move prepared by the World number one but it does look very strange. At the time it was played I assumed that Carlsen had an incredibly specific idea in mind. Instead he just loses in 90 minutes and 22 moves without giving any clue as to his real idea.

[11.b3; 11.Qe2; 11.h3; 11.Nd2; 11.Qc2; 11.d5; 11.a4; 11.Na4; 11.Ng5; 11.Nb5 have all been played here.]

11...e5 12.d5 Nb4 13.e4 c6 14.a3 cxd5!

A nice freeing move with a specific tactical justification.

15.axb4 axb4 16.Rxa8 bxc3 17.bxc3 Nxa8 18.exd5

[18.Qxd5 Qxd5 19.exd5 admitting its all gone wrong might be the best here.]

18...Nb6 19.Rd1?

Anish Giri

__bqr_k_
_p___pbp
_n____p_
___Pp___
________
__P__NP_
___Q_PBP
__BR__K_

Magnus Carlsen

Position after 19.Rd1

White is playing in a real slapdash manner and now losing. He has a number of fighting chances here.

[19.Ng5 h6 20.Ne4 f5 21.Nc5 Qd6 22.Ne6 Bxe6 23.dxe6 Qxe6; 19.c4 Nxc4 20.Qb4 Nd6 21.Be3 e4]

19...e4! 20.Ng5?

loses a piece. After the game Carlsen said he missed the following 20...e3 but the speed of his loss suggests he didn't put the effort into this game he should have. e3 isn't really that outrageous an idea. I suppose one question is when he missed e3, he is already in trouble here and should have at least checked this move before playing Ng5.

[20.Nh4 Bd7 21.Re1 f5 is just miserable however.]

20...e3 21.Qb2?

white has clearly just given up.

[21.Qd3 Qxg5 22.Bxe3 Qd8]

21...Qxg5

[21...Na4 22.Qc2 Nxc3 23.Bxe3 Nxd1 24.Qxd1 Rxe3 25.fxe3 Qxg5]

22.Bxe3 Qg4 0-1

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