Global Chess League 2024: Magnus Carlsen falters with the white

Magnus Carlsen sat in his seat, staring up at the ceiling, muttering in disbelief. The five-time world champion had just made a blunder that was both unexpected and uncharacteristic. It took him some time to process what had transpired, but eventually, Carlsen resigned against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and stormed out of the playing hall in frustration. The situation was compounded by his team, the Alpine SG Pipers, suffering a significant defeat, losing 14-5 to the upGrad Mumba Masters. Notably, both Richard Rapport and Daniel Dardha faced defeats, with Rapport allowing Peter Svidler—who had not yet won in six games during this edition of the Global Chess League—to secure his first victory after two defeats and four draws. The only bright spot for the Pipers was Praggnanandhaa, who managed to beat Vidit Gujrathi, his senior teammate from the Indian gold medal-winning Chess Olympiad team. The remaining matches, featuring Hou Yifan against Koneru Humpy and Kateryna Lagno against Harika Dronavalli, ended in draws.

Carlsen’s frustration stemmed from a critical blunder he made on the 31st move against Vachier-Lagrave. Playing with the white pieces, he opted for the Basman-Williams Attack after the game began with an Anti-Grunfeld variation in the Indian Defence. This unexpected mistake not only cost him the game but also put his team in a precarious position as the tournament progressed.

World No.1 Magnus Carlsen fails to deliver in the Global Chess League 2024

In the opening moves, Carlsen played d4, c4, and h4, establishing an aggressive stance. By the 13th move, he had captured three of Vachier-Lagrave’s central pawns, giving him a material advantage with one extra pawn on the board. However, by the 30th move, Vachier-Lagrave's rook on d4 was attacking Carlsen’s lone knight, while Carlsen was down a rook and had no knights left.

Later analysis revealed that a rook exchange at that point would have been the best strategy for Carlsen. He could have captured Vachier-Lagrave’s rook on e5, allowing the French player to take Carlsen's rook on d2 in return. This exchange would have set up an opportunity for Carlsen to use his knight to target Vachier-Lagrave’s remaining bishop on c6. This clever maneuver would have left Carlsen with a material advantage, turning the tide of the game in his favor. Unfortunately, the blunder that followed on move 31 ultimately cost him the match, highlighting the unpredictable nature of chess at the highest level.

Instead of pursuing a more advantageous exchange, Carlsen opted to move his last rook from d2 to c2, effectively signaling to Vachier-Lagrave that he was free to capture Carlsen’s knight, which was protected by the bishop. This decision proved costly; the evaluation bar shifted dramatically in Vachier-Lagrave's favor, clearly indicating that the five-time world champion had made a blunder.

Once Vachier-Lagrave seized the opportunity, he maintained his advantage throughout the remainder of the game. Despite Carlsen managing to recover some material at one point, Vachier-Lagrave held firm, leveraging his strategic position effectively. Compounding Carlsen’s difficulties, Vachier-Lagrave also enjoyed a significant five-minute lead on the clock, further pressuring the Norwegian.

After an intense struggle that spanned an additional 22 moves, Magnus Carlsen ultimately decided to resign. The match underscored the unpredictability of chess, where even a small miscalculation can lead to a decisive turning point. Vachier-Lagrave's relentless play showcased his skill, while Carlsen's uncharacteristic mistakes served as a reminder of the challenges faced at the highest levels of competition.

Carlsen's performance in the tournament has been quite eventful. He suffered a surprising loss to Alireza Firouzja in one of the early rounds, despite having a completely winning position, which sparked controversy over the no-increment rule in place for this event. Recently, he made headlines by alleging that Nihal Sarin had made “several illegal moves” in his game against Daniel Dardha. However, this claim was dismissed by the GCL’s three-member appeals commission.

Throughout seven games in the second edition of the Global Chess League, Carlsen—widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history—has managed to secure just one victory, defeating Anish Giri of the PBG Alaskan Knights. Despite his exceptional skills in faster time controls, he has faced challenges, resulting in draws against prominent players such as Viswanathan Anand, Vachier-Lagrave, Giri, and Hikaru Nakamura. This underwhelming performance has left fans and analysts alike intrigued by the dynamics of the tournament and the unusual setbacks faced by the reigning champion. As the competition unfolds, all eyes are on Carlsen to see if he can reclaim his dominant form.