World Chess Championship 2021 - Megathread
SPOILERS. If you care about those, don't look at the schedule or scoreboard below either.
Final result: Magnus Carlsen successfully defended the World Title by winning in round 11. The competition is over. Long live the king!
Why am I posting this thread?
Honestly, I'm really excited about this. Isn't that enough? :)
What is it?
The World Chess Championship (WCC) is the topmost competition of the sport, and basically determines the best player in the world. It is disputed between the winner of the Candidates Tournament and the current champion. Since his first title in 2013, Magnus Carlsen successfully defended the title on three different occasions and is the undisputed favorite. The challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi does have a positive score against Magnus, but most don't give that much importance, since most of his victories happened when they were much younger. Chess.com combed through the data and gave Magnus 72% winning odds. In terms of style, Magnus is considered a universal player. Nepomniachtchi is generally more aggressive but adopted a more conservative style in the Candidates Tournament.
Since 2014, the WCC happens once every 2 years, alternating with the Candidates Tournament. The current edition was supposed to take place in 2020, but was postponed due to covid. It will happen in Dubai.
The World Chess Championship starts this Friday, November 26, at 16:30 local time, 12:30 UTC.
Where to watch
- Chess.com
- Chess.com Youtube
- Chess.com Twitch
- Chess24
- Chess24 Youtube (I strongly recommend the stream with David Howell for non-advanced players)
- FIDE Youtube
- FIDE Twitch
In the United States, the NBC over-the-air television channel will broadcast daily 30 minutes highlights.
The players
| Player | Country | Age | GM Age | Rating | Peak Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnus | Norway | 30 | 13 | 2855 | 2882 (2014) |
| Nepo | Russia | 31 | 13 | 2782 | 2792 (2021) |
Time controls
In chess, time controls determine the time each player has to make their movies. A time control of 10 minutes means that each player has 10 minutes to use throughout the game. There can also be increments, which are added to a player's overall time after each move. For example, with a time control of 10 | 5 each player starts with 10 minutes to make their moves, and automatically gains 5 seconds on the clock every time they make a move.
The time controls for the World Championship matches may seem a bit complex at first. This is just for reference, if you intend to follow the games online, I'm certain that the commentators will make sure to remind you of these details.
| Stage | Moves | Time (min) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 01 to 40 | 120 |
| 2 | 41 to 60 | 60 |
| 3 | 61 to \u221e | 15 + 30s |
The table above means that, on stage 1, each player has 120 minutes to make their moves. On stage 2, they have 60 minutes. On stage 3, each player has 15 minutes, with an addition of 30 seconds after each move.
Format
-
Draw by agreement is only allowed after the 40th move (it used to be the 30th).
-
There will be 14 standard games (it used to be 12). The first to achieve 7½ points will be World Champion.
-
If, after the 14 games, the score is equal, there will be tie-break games in that order, with the subsequent tie-break only being disputed if the previous one maintained the tie.
- 4 rapid games of (TC: 25min + 10s)
- Best out 5 blitz games (TC: 5min + 3s)
- 1 armageddon game.
Scoreboard
| Name | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12-14 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnus Carlsen | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | N/A | 7 ½ |
| Ian Nepomniachtchi | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | N/A | 3 ½ |
Magnus won on round 11. Rounds 12 to 14 will not be disputed.
Schedule
All games, as well as the closing ceremony, are scheduled to 07:30 AM EST / 12:30 UTC.
This will be updated with the results for each match, as well as the sum of the overall points. I will also try to sum up some experts commentaries for each selected games. Adding notes to every game would require more effort than I initially thought! I'll create a top comment with links and basic info on each game, but will not be adding personal notes to all of them. Feel free to add your impressions to the top comments. Thanks!.
| Date | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 26 | GAME 1 | Draw |
| Nov 27 | GAME 2 | Draw |
| Nov 28 | GAME 3 | Draw |
| Nov 29 | REST | |
| Nov 30 | GAME 4 | Draw |
| Dec 01 | GAME 5 | Draw |
| Dec 02 | REST | |
| Dec 03 | GAME 6 | Magnus Win |
| Dec 04 | GAME 7 | Draw |
| Dec 05 | GAME 8 | Magnus Win |
| Dec 06 | REST | |
| Dec 07 | GAME 9 | Magnus Win |
| Dec 08 | GAME 10 | Draw |
| Dec 09 | REST | |
| Dec 10 | GAME 11 | Magnus Win |
Game 1 (Friday, November 26). Result: Draw
News
Analyses and recaps
My thoughts
These are personal notes, I'm nowhere near competent enough to provide analysis of my own.
First of all, I strongly recommend the chess24 stream with David Howell on YouTube. That's a stream catered for beginners. Instead of notation, they show possible continuations on a second virtual board and describe the plays using arrows. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to understand chess on that level, but they made it very easy to follow.
The game lasted about 4 hours. I had no idea it would be that long, but it makes sense that for something that important the players will use all the time they have. I kept an eye on the game, but it would be impossible to endure it without some distraction. I suppose that is how baseball fans feel? IDK. It was fun, though.
Magnus kinda blundered the game away, on a move that surprised David Howell:
40...Rd7. By doing that, he opened himself to a fork that would lose him one of his rooks. The only way to escape the fork would necessarily lead to a draw by repetition. They agreed to draw right away instead. It felt like a fair result, but who knows what would have happened if Magnus didn't blunder move40.I enjoyed watching the game on the chess24 transmission. There was a lot of fluff, such as interviews and segments on the history of chess. I really didn't mind, it would be hard to endure such a long game otherwise. It must be great watching tournaments with shorter time controls, I really liked the team, the commentaries. They're more formal than regular YouTubers but looser than traditional TV transmissions. They're super charismatic too.
I didn't watch today's game (game 2). Maybe I'll add a comment about it today, but most likely tomorrow.
Rd7 wasn't a blunder! The position was completely drawn before that move and still drawn after it. Magnus didn't miss the potential repetition, he deliberately left an opening for it. It's like a tacit draw offer. Sometimes players who are pushing for a win in an endgame accidentally give their opponent an opportunity to force a draw right away, but this wasn't one of those times.
Is this the first chess tournament you're watching live? If so, welcome to the wonderful world of competitive chess!
You may be right! That was not my analysis. I rephrased what Magnus said in the interview here.
Game 3 (Sunday, November 28). Result: Draw
News
Analyses and recaps
I'm posting shortly after the game, I'll add more analysis after they become available
Please, feel free to add your impressions as a child to this comment
Thanks for the posts - keep it up. I'm using your information and greatly appreciate it.
Awesome ;)
Game 2 (Saturday, November 27). Result: Draw
News
Analyses and recaps
Please, feel free to add your impressions as a child to this comment
Magnus Carlsen draws first blood against Ian Nepomniachtchi in world title battle
The Guardian – 3rd December 2021
Magnus Carlsen wins game eight as Ian Nepomniachtchi falters in FIDE World Chess Championship
Chess.com – 5th December 2021
Nepo breaks my heart. Caruana said he was playing like a 2300 at some point. The world title is pretty much decided now. At least we can't complain about 14 draws, and had one very historical game :/
Game 11 (Friday, December 10).
RESULT
Magnus Win.
This is the final game. With this result, Magnus Carlsen successfully defended the title and remained World Champion.
Ian Nepomniachtch: White
Magnus Calrsen: Black
Full Transmissions
News
Analyses and recaps
My thoughts
The world title was decided in an unsatisfactory manner. Yes, we all wanted fewer draws and more decisive games, but we also wanted them to feel worthy of the main stage of chess. The victories were supposed to be the consequence of brilliance and perseverance, earned inch by inch in a struggle of giants.
We saw what Nepo was capable of in game six, when he forced Magnus to extract his victory by force. After that, he was just not the same. Nepo seemed careless and uninterested, spending more time in his rest area than at the board.
The result was obvious. Despite his undeniable competence, Nepo had trouble believing he could change gears, as evidenced by blunders incompatible with his rank and his behavior at the board, playing way faster than even Magnus had the guts to do. In the end, it is obvious that Magnus was and is a much better player, but geniuses have bad days like everyone else. Sadly, Nepomniachtchi never put himself in a position to seize these opportunities.
We were supposed to watch a great fight, but Nepo offered no resistance and spent most of the competition wandering through the stage like a pale version of himself, waiting for his agony to end.
Oh well, at least we have the Rapid and Blitz World Championship in what, two weeks?
Game 5 (Friday, December 1). Result: Draw
Ian Nepomniachtch: White
Magnus Calrsen: Black
Full Transmissions
News
Analyses and recaps
My thoughts
At this point, the complaints about the number of draws are starting to surface on stream chats and places like /r/chess. The highest-rated players tend to defend the format. According to them, that is a necessary attribute to high-level chess and a consequence of the fact that the players are of similar strength and well-prepared. Others observe that draws make for a bad spectacle and put away potential new fans. Personally, yes, 5 draws in a row do bother me, but I have no idea how to change that. Every suggestion for changes in rule and format is immediately met with very sound and very strong counter-arguments. Maybe the World Chess Championship should be renamed to World Classical Chess Championship, giving greater focus to both the World Rapid Chess Championship and the World Blitz Chess Championship. A marketing solution instead of a change in rules.
Regarding the game: I gave up on understanding the nuances of super-GM chess. This is truly beyond me. Yes, I understood the opening because Nepo went for the Ruy Lopez, one of the three openings that I play and more or less understand. It's a safe bet that often arrives at a somewhat equalized position. It is known to be drawish.
I watch recaps, replay with comments, and engine evaluation... sometimes I get a glimpse of understanding that goes beyond a 2-moves tactic, and it's rewarding to feel (or delude myself! :P) that I can share their intellect.
Ultimately, I have to believe the commentators. These world-class players get to the matches with preparations that go up to 30 moves! That is the result of years of practice and study on top of immense talent and raw cognitive skills. When you look at the engine evaluation, there are no errors, no blunders, nothing. Just slightly weaker moves which slightly harm their positions. I find that exhilarating.
That said, I really believe Nepo could have pushed a bit more. Could he have won? I don't know, not even the experts venture a guess, it seems. But at some point, he'll have to show the aggressive side which he's supposed to enjoy.
There seems to be a consensus that Nepomniachtchi's prep is superior to Magnus, but I get the impression that no one really thinks Nepo is a better player overall. Regardless, I'm rooting for Nepo. I have several reasons for that, such as:
Game 4 (Thursday, November 30). Result: Draw
News
Analyses and recaps
Game 6 (Friday, December 3). Result: Magnus Win
Full Transmissions
News
Analyses and recaps
My Thoughts
Today's game was tremendous, a fierce battle with a decisive conclusion (not another f* draw, pardon my French!), and set the record for the longest World Championship match in the history of the sport, with 136 moves played in roughly 7 hours and 47 minutes!!!
Game 8 (Sunday, December 5). Result: Magnus Win
Full Transmissions
News
Analyses and recaps
Game 9 (Monday, Tuesday 7). Result: Magnus Win
Ian Nepomniachtch: White
Magnus Calrsen: Black
Full Transmissions
News
Analyses and recaps
My thoughts
Ian starts with the English, an opening which, I'm told, is not conducive to draws. Nice! He's going for the win. During the match, he keeps playing extremely fast, often leaving the board for several minutes. It looks like he prefers to look at the 2D virtual board in his rest area. I get that, 2D is much easier to understand, but this doesn't give a good impression. Nepomniachtch looks lazy and uninterested, and the speed with which he makes important moves makes it very hard not to criticize him when a combination of subpar moves puts him at a disadvantage. Magnus, on the other hand, agonizes at length while looking at the board, dedicating a lot of time even for simpler moves. For most of the match, Nepo had at least twice the time accumulated by Magnus. Honestly, this makes it hard to root for him. The greatest blunder, and one that will probably be remembered for a long time, happened on move 27, which made him lose a bishop with no compensation. The commentators were baffled and personally concerned for him, and so was I: even as a very low-rated player, it wasn't hard to understand the enormity of Nepo's oversight. I cannot imagine the pain he went through when he came back to the board, but, at the same time, it's like he checked out already. We always want decisive results, but not like this. Really sad.
This, this was painful to watch. I knew Nepo was drifting and not playing well, but move 27. Wow. When even I, rated at my very best an expert, can tell at a glance it's a losing blunder, it's Really A Losing Blunder. For all practical purposes, this match is over.
It really is. It didn't have to be like this. We all saw what Nepo is capable of when he's really invested. Even if the odds of winning the championship are slim to none, I expect a World Championship player to respect his audience and his own history enough to give it all he got. Maybe he's going through something, IDK, I don't wanna be too harsh. But, from here, it looks like he doesn't even care anymore.
I mean, losing to Magnus is no shame, but at least put up a fight...
It was painful to watch Nepo's last games.
Porn actress promised Nepomniachtchi a night of pleasure for victory over Carlsen.
Chess ‘traitor’ row erupts in Russia after Carlsen world title win.
RT.com, so everything said by them should be taken with a grain of salt, IMO. Keep in mind that part of their job is to drum up Nationalistic fervor.
Game 7 (Saturday, December 4). Result: Draw
Full Transmissions
News
Analyses and recaps
Game 10 (Wednesday, December 8). Result: Draw
Ian Nepomniachtch: Black
Magnus Calrsen: White
Full Transmissions
News
Analyses and recaps
Dubov hits back at accusations of betrayal.
Nepo: My biggest chances to win came after Dubov's ideas (language: Russian).
Translated here by a Reddit user.
The Psychological Drama of the World Chess Championship (The New Yorker).
Archived.
Yes, it is :) Thank you for posting this. I'm not going to comment but I'll keep an eye on it.
Awesome ;)