In 2019 Magnus Carlsen played a masterpiece.

Tata Steel Masters 2019, Round 8

A masterclass.

I am The_Knightmare_Bro, back with another educational article for you.

10. Na4

A standard theory move. It sets up the strong plan of c4-c5 to fracture the Black pawns. Sacrificing a pawn like this is fine as the pawn will be won back with interest – the c-pawn will be isolated with the fianchetto bishop staring right at it.

12. b3

Rapport had stopped c5 from occuring by playing c5 themselves. However the d-pawn is now a backwards pawn. Carlsen will use to his advantage in the course of the game. For the moment, Carlsen plans to develop his bishop on the long diagonal. Bf4 may seem more logical as it stares at the d-pawn. However, this would get in the way of f4 and e5 – the planned Kingside expansion.

14. Qe1

A Carlsen-esque move. The move achieves multiple purposes at once. It threatens e5 to fracture the pawns and isolate the c-pawn. It allows the possibility of Bc3-a5 to skewer the queen and rook (if Rd8 is played). It also allows the rook to harmoniously slide to the d-file. Black's counterplay lies in a5-a4 to break up the Queenside structure, but this can't be achieved for the moment. Rapport responded with Nd7 to halt e5. However, 14. Bd7 was a more active try. After 15. e5 Bxa4 16. exf6 gxf6, the position is balanced. The Black Kingside is hard to attack. And the bishop on a4 can't be taken as it would allow Rxb2.

16. Qc3

Carlsen goes for a checkmate threat. The deeper purpose is to lure the bishop from defending the e-pawn. And then shuffle back to d2 with tempo as the d-pawn would need to be defended by the bishop. This is a clever way of saving a tempo.

20. e5

Carlsen began his plan of playing f4 and e5. The point is that if the d-file opens, then the d7 knight would be won as Carlsen's queen and rook are doubles on the d-file. Allowing e5 would not be great as Black's pawns would be fractured. Rd8 is not an option due to the Ba5 skewer. This is why Rapport stopped e5 by playing e5 himself.

23. Nc3

Carlsen improved his stranded knight, and planted his bishop on a5, restricting Black's pieces. The d5 square is a good outpost for the knight.

24. gxf4

Rapport exchanged pawns as he was concerned with Carlsen playing f5, and then storming the Kingside with his pawns. Rapport would have no counterplay in this scenario and would be forced to defend passively. On the other hand, Rapport's move allows Carlsen an open g-file which may be used in an attack against his King.

25. e5

Carlsen plays e5. The idea is to pressure the d-pawn as taking would lose the d7 knight. However Rapport can simply take the e-pawn after Bxg2. Carlsen said he overlooked this.

Carlsen: ...but I feel like the quality of play was better this year apart from one moment which I should like to address because I'm living a lie and it's bearing down on my conscience.

It's about the game against Rapport which was I think considered to be a pretty good game. ...I mean the point is that I blundered a pawn. When I played the move e5 I didn't see that he could take on g2 then take on e5.

And to me it felt like pure beginner's luck, like you get this position which looks so beautiful and when he allowed e5 I really just thought that he felt that his position was so poor that he was looking for some weird chances I don't know with Bishop f8 and then Rook e6 or something and it didn't occur to me he could simply take the pawn.

And so I sat there for one minute cursing myself then I went Nd5 because there was nothing else to do and while he was thinking, I mean I gradually realized that just everything is working Bishop d8 that I can just take and he can't take back with rook from b8 cause his queen is hanging and all the tactics work. If he goes Bishop d6 I'm have Knight c7 as he went in the game e4 I can just go bishops Bc3 and it's just I mean it was so... it's a shame like I just stumbled onto this beautiful concept by pure luck cause realistically I wouldn't I wouldn't have played e5 if I'd known that it looses a pawn if if I actually looked at the position after Nd5 then I would have obviously - but if I just stopped after dxe then I mean that's that's the most likely scenario and then I never would have would have found it.

Gustafsson: You're way too honest, this would have gone down as a classic long-term sacrifice for domination.

Carlsen: Yeah I know [Laughs] and then I mean the rest of the game was kind of funny because I mean half of me was just I mean I was just feeling so ridiculously dumb [Laughs], so that was why it was kind of hard for me to feel good about the game, because even though after that it went swimmingly it was all based on a very, very basic oversight!

Magnus Carlsen in conversation with Jan Gustafsson

27. e4

Carlsen went Nd5 as he could not recapture the pawn as Rapport would recapture back with a pawn plus. Rapport played e4 so that after Qxe4, Nf6 would trade pieces into a defendable endgame. However Carlsen sees that he can now go for a beautiful concept – sacrificing a pawn in exchange for piece activity.

28. f6

Carlsen played Nd5 instead of recapturing the pawn Carlsen brought his bishop to Bc3 to attack the g pawn. Rapport had to play f6 to defend, but this creates weaknesses. Obviously g6 would weaken the long diagonal and allow queen and bishop batteries to form. Despite being down a pawn Carlsen has a good position as his piece activity compensates. Rapport's Kingside is fragile.

31. Ne3

Carlsen has brought his rook to the g-file to bear more pressure on the g-pawn. Rapport responded by defending with his bishop. He could not play Rg8 as the bishop would have hanged. Now Carlsen plays a nice positional move planning Re5-h5. It is not that the knight that will go to f5, but rather it retreats to allow a rook lift.

33. Qf7

Carlsen accomplished his plan. The rook now is a great force, lasering the h7 square. Rapport played Qf7, anticipating playing g6 to defend the h-pawn laterally. Playing Qg8 would have been an error as Qg6! would be a powerful response, planning Rg3-h3 to add unbearable pressure to the h-pawn.

36. f5

Rapport did defend h7. However this required playing g6 which created a new weakness on f6 which is no longer defended by a pawn. Notice how Carlsen's threats force the pawns to step forward and create weaknesses. Rapport brought the rook to b6 to lend more support, but Carlsen further puts more pressure with f5. Taking the pawn would simply open the g-file and allow Nf5.

37. Nd5

The knight returns to the square it had left six moves earlier. It put more pressure on f6. Rapport did not play g5 as this would allow Rxg5 due to the pinned f-pawn.

38. fxg6

One again Rapport did not play g5 as after Rxe4, he would suffer a slow positional takedown, and also have to deal with h4 ideas, the position is winning for Carlsen. But that was the best defense. Now Carlsen simply opens up the King.

39. Bxf6+

Bobby Fischer: "Tactics flow from a superior position"

40. Rxh7+

The final move of the game. After Qxh7 41. Qxh7 Kxh7 42.Nxf6+ forks the King and e8 Rook, where Carlsen would up the exchange and a pawn, which is an overwhelming material advantage.

A great positional masterpiece from Carlsen. He won the 2019 Tata Steel Masters with 9/13.

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And see you next time.