Carlsen to challenge Anand

Problem: Black to play and mate in 7.

World number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway achieved another milestone by winning the World Chess Candidates tournament in London. He becomes the next challenger to World Champion Viswanthan Anand in a match to take place later this year.

Top seeded Carlsen did not have everything his own way in the Candidates tournament, despite holding the outright lead with three rounds remaining. The immense pressure on the players began to show and Carlsen played for a win against Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) without justification and lost in round 12. This allowed second seed Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) to overtake Carlsen by winning his fourth straight game – at the same time putting early leader Levon Aronian (Armenia) out of the running. Carlsen rallied by grinding out an endgame win over the out-of-form Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan) to draw level in the penultimate round. This left him level with Kramnik 1½ points clear of the field, and with the advantage of a better tiebreak score if they finished on equal points. In a sensational final round, both Carlsen and Kramnik took risks to win against their respective opponents – and both lost, leaving Carlsen to qualify as challenger on the tiebreak of most wins.

The final scores: 1-2 Carlsen & Kramnik 8½/14, 3-4 Peter Svidler (Russia) & Aronian 8, 5-6 Boris Gelfand (Israel) & Alexander Grischuk (Russia) 6½, 7 Ivanchuk 6, 8 Radjabov 4.

Today's is Carlsen's fourth win from the tenth round at London. He is playing with white pieces against Boris Gelfand and both players considered this Carlsen's best game in the event.

1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 ---
A typical Carlsen opening choice – the Nimzovitch-Rossolimo variation against the Sicilian Defence. White plays to get developed and castled without striving for the sharp attack that characterizes most lines of the Sicilan after 3 d4.
3.--- e6
4.0-0 Nge7
5.Re1 a6
6.Bf1 d5
7.exd5 Nxd5
8.d4 Nf6
9.Be3 cxd4
10.Nxd4 Bd7
11.c4 Nxd4
12.Bxd4 Bc6
13.Nc3 Be7
14.a3! a5
Meeting the threatened b2-b4 but cramping the queen and loosening the queenside. Considering the game continuation it is possible that 14... 0-0 15 b4 b6 was safer. White has a small edge based on a lead in development and more space.

15.Qd3 0-0
16.Rad1 Qc7
Else 17 Qg3! will dominate the queenside dark squares weakened by the advance of the a-pawn.
17.Be5 Qb6
18.Qg3 Rfd8
19.Rxd8+ Qxd8
Not 19... Rxd8? 20 Bc7 winning the exchange.
20.Rd1 Qb6!?
The idea is to create problems for White with the active black queen. But Carlsen precisely skirts Black's threats by exploiting his kingside vulnerability.
21.Bd4! Qb3
Not 21... Qxb2? 22 Nd5! Qxa3 23 Nxf6+ winning a piece.
22.Rd3! Qc2
This time 22... Qxc4? 23 Bxf6 Bxf6 24 Rd8+! wins the queen.
23.b4! axb4
24.axb4 Nh5
White's threat of 25 b5 Be8 26 Ne4 mean this is forced. 24... Bxb4? and 24... Ra1? both lose to 25 Bxf6.
25.Qe5 Bf6
Gelfand said after the game that after 25... Ra1 26 Nd1 Rxd1 27 Rxd1 Qxd1 28 Qb8+ Bf8 29 Bc5 h6 30 Qxf8+ Kh7 he missed 31 Qd6! meeting all threats with an advantage to White.
26.Qxh5 Bxd4
27.Rxd4 Qxc3
28.Qa5! ---
Gaining a tempo thanks to the back-rank mate. White now has a clear plus thanks to his queenside pawn majority and superior pieces, but it takes superb technique from Carlsen to nurse this to a full point.
28.--- Rf8
29.Qb6 e5
30.Rd1 g6?!
In retrospect 30... h6 was wiser, as the hole of f6 results in the loss of the e-pawn.
31.b5 Be4
32.Qf6! h5
33.h4 Bf5
34.Rd5 Qc1
Going after active counterplay. The passed pawn soon tells after 34... Re8 35 c5 Bg4 36 Rd8 Rxd8 37 Qxd8+ Kg7 38 c6! bxc6 38 b6! Qa5 39 Qb8! and 39...Bc8 is forced to prevent a new queen.
35.Qxe5 Be6
36.Rd4 Ra8
37.Qe2! ---
Repelling the back-rank threats with a wining advantage. If 37... Ra1 38 Rd8+ Kh7 39 Qe5! Qxf1+ 40 Kh2 and the mate threat on h8 wins.
31.--- Kh7
38.Rd1 Qc3
39.Qe4 Ra1
40.Rxa1 Qxa1
41.c5 Qc3
42.Qxb7?! ---
Losing his bishop, but it's too late for Black to stop the b-pawn. Calmer was 42 b6 Qxc5 43 Qxb7 with an easy technical win.
42.--- Qe1!
43.b6 Bc4
44.Qf3! Qxf1+
45.Kh2 Qb1
46.b7 Qb5
47.c6 Bd5
48.Qg3 Resigns

1-0

Solution: 1 ... Bg1+!! 2 Kxg1 Qc1+! 3 Kf2! (3 Nxc1 e1=Q+ etc) e1=Q+! 4 Nxe1 Qd2+ 5 Kg1 Qxe1+ 6 Qf1 Qxf1+ 7 Kh2 Qh1#.