The game of chess itself was the ultimate winner as Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi provided a human drama in the age of supercomputersThe agate type will show that Magnus Carlsen retained the world championship he’s held for eight years by defeating Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi for a fourth time in six games on Friday, closing out their best-of-14 encounter by a score of 7½-3½ and bolstering his claim as the greatest player of this or any other era.But the Norwegian’s fifth world title match victory – one short of the suddenly imperilled all-time record of six – was freighted with additional meaning by striking a decisive win for a sport that has been dogged by existential questions over its own relevance in...
The online Magnus Carlsen Invitational produced a big-name final and a refreshing insight into the human side of chessStrange times these. In a parallel universe, middle-aged men with middle-aged bellies are still frothing over Arsenal’s controversial Premier League winner against Liverpool. Saracens have somehow snuck into another Champions Cup final. And Pinatubo, or “Pina-turbo” as the tabloids are calling him, has just been christened the greatest horse since Frankel after his 2,000 Guineas triumph.In the real world, meanwhile, the biggest and richest sporting event over the weekend – with all due respect to Belarus’s premier league – took place on the internet in a chess match dubbed el clásico. Related: Teenage chess prodigy Alireza Firouzja beaten by Magnus Carlsen and...
Norwegian retains his world title after thrilling tiebreak and wows a global audience looking forward to more of the sameJust after Magnus Carlsen had defeated Sergey Karjakin to retain his world chess championship, at 1am UK time on Thursday morning, I looked at the Guardian home page and was astonished and delighted to see that the liveblog on the world championship was the third-most read item on its website. For a moment chess – ignored, marginalised, even derided by some – finally had its place in the sun.The four rapidplay tie-breakers which decided the match, after 12 classical games had finished all-square, were one of those rare moments when all the stars aligned, creating a truly memorable event. It was...