Magnus Carlsen could have been an excellent pump deactivator. Only someone with amazing control of their emotions can achieve what he this Friday: saving a loser position, and almost winning it, under a tremendous watch pressure against the Arjun Eyrigaisi Indian portent, 4th of the world after this tie. The Norwegian is consolidated as number one And he wins for the 7th time in Stavanger (Norway) the Norway Chess, the hardest tournament of the year. Ukraine Anna Muzychuk, resident in Valencia, won the women’s tournament. Both she and Carlsen will charge 700,000 Norwegian crowns (60,773 euros), with a total stock market of about 300,000 euros for the twelve participants.
“Winning the tournament is the best therapy against the sixth round. At that time I lost interest in the tournament,” said Carlsen, referring to what may be the most painful defeat of his career, in front of the current world champion, 19 years. That day, after four hours of magnificent play, a high strategy master lesson, the Norwegian missed when he only remained.
His anger was uncontrollable and he translated that he now remembers like this: “I trust that fans understand the tremendous pain that chess can cause in situations like that; although I have seen that the video has circulated around the world and surely he will have attracted new fans, it is clear that that moment is not among my best. I trust that they also understand that the only person with whom I was very angry was very angry.” In fact, Carlsen congratulated Gukesh and shook his hand only two seconds later. Next, and despite the fact that he left the room at full speed and full of fury, he stopped a moment and touched Cordially Gukesh’s back in apologies. “Then I went out, I got into the first car of the organization I saw and needed two minutes to be myself. I lost interest there. But then, when [el estadounidense Fabiano] Caruana lost miraculously against Erigaisi, I saw that I could still win the tournament, and I have achieved it. ”
The relief of this triumph also softens its position as to withdraw from classic chess, “I like to compete, although the modality of slow games is not the one that motivates me the most. However, I really like the Norway Chess format, with the accelerated rhythm in the slow game and the sudden death Immediate after each game in tables. So I don’t close the door to play this tournament and some other classic chess in 2026. I don’t say it either, but I do not deny it, despite what I have suffered here. For now, I’m going to make a kind of honeymoon with my wife [embarazada]and then we’ll see. ”
Do you see someone who soon? “Honestly, not right now. I recognize that Gukesh is on his way, but he still lacks; I see it as I see myself if we go back to 2008 or 2009; for example, when I was 2nd in the Linares tournament behind Anand [indio, pentacampeón del mundo]”.
But, in this specific tournament, Carlsen touched the failure to the last moments of the last round. His position, with the black pieces, against Erigaisi was very close to the defeat while Caruana had a decisive advantage over Gukesh. If the Norwegian lost and the American won, the first prize would be for this. But Erigaisi became entangled; So much that became lost. However, Carlsen had to make many plays in a few seconds, and did not succeed with the winning plays, so that the tie was grabbed, which seemed to guarantee the victory in the tournament. But just at that moment, Caruana made a tremendous pifia, which threw all his advantage overboard. Now it was Gukesh who could win the tournament, which would have meant a true tragedy for Carlsen, of unpredictable consequences. Then, with the first prize already insured, Carlsen lost the sudden death with erigaisi.
It may be true that chess has a goddess, Caissa, who at that time decided to intervene to cause a Gukesh error that led him to defeat. “It is chess pain,” Carlsen repeated to all the journalists who was in the halls after deactivating the pump that Eyigoisi was so close to detonating.
Results of the last round: Erigacy – Carlsen, boards, blankcas; Caruana – Gukesh, 3-0; Yes – Nakamura, boards, blankcas. It’s a phenomenon: Khadem – Tangjie Lei, 0-3; Consequently – Wenjun Ju, tables, blankcas; Muzychuk – Vashali, boards, tables.
Final classifications: 1º Carlsen 16; 2º Caruana 15,5; 3º Gukesh 14,5; 3º Nakamura 14; 5º Erigaisi 13; 6º Yi Wei 9,5.
Torneo famenino: 1ª Anna muzychuk 16,5; 2 Tingjie Lei 16; 3 3ª koneru 15; 4ª Wenjun Ju 13,5; 5ª Vaishali 11; 6º khadem 9.
