Magnus beat Topalov in round 5 to take the lead!
In round 5 Magnus faced Vesilin Topalov, former World Champion and ranked as no.1 in the world. And what an extraordinary game it turned out to be. It shifted back and forth and Topalov prematurely resigned in a equal or only slightly worse position.
In the Slav opening Magnus felt he was slightly better after 19.c5, but making some subsequent imprecise moves, Topalov got the initiative, pressed in d-file and threatened e5. His 42…… Rd8 looked a bit dubious to Magnus, and after spending more than half an hour calculating variations he decided to try to break with 43. g4. It may not be objectively sound, but gave him the initiative and black had to defend quite accurately. Topalov probably didn’t and when Magnus played 55.Rh6, he could have won with Nd2 instead! He repeated moves to get closer to the second time control and decided to try to make another attempt to win, playing 60.Nd2. Topalov defended accurately and in the final position he could play 64…… Dd5+ and e5. It is not obvious that white has realistic winning chances. After thinking for about 5 minutes, Topalov resigned, and just shook his head when Magnus showed him the defence.
Regarding Magnus’ performance so far I’m our of superlatives.
Anand lost to Aronian, and the other two games drawn, hence Magnus is back in the lead (alone) with 3.5 out of 5 and a TRP of 2906 ! What a turnaround compared to Corus.
Tomorrow is a rest day and we plan to go back to the sports club for more tennis, football etc.
Lastly, thank you for all the supporting comments received in the blog.!
Henrik Carlsen,
Morelia, February 22th 2007
In the Slav opening Magnus felt he was slightly better after 19.c5, but making some subsequent imprecise moves, Topalov got the initiative, pressed in d-file and threatened e5. His 42…… Rd8 looked a bit dubious to Magnus, and after spending more than half an hour calculating variations he decided to try to break with 43. g4. It may not be objectively sound, but gave him the initiative and black had to defend quite accurately. Topalov probably didn’t and when Magnus played 55.Rh6, he could have won with Nd2 instead! He repeated moves to get closer to the second time control and decided to try to make another attempt to win, playing 60.Nd2. Topalov defended accurately and in the final position he could play 64…… Dd5+ and e5. It is not obvious that white has realistic winning chances. After thinking for about 5 minutes, Topalov resigned, and just shook his head when Magnus showed him the defence.
Regarding Magnus’ performance so far I’m our of superlatives.
Anand lost to Aronian, and the other two games drawn, hence Magnus is back in the lead (alone) with 3.5 out of 5 and a TRP of 2906 ! What a turnaround compared to Corus.
Tomorrow is a rest day and we plan to go back to the sports club for more tennis, football etc.
Lastly, thank you for all the supporting comments received in the blog.!
Henrik Carlsen,
Morelia, February 22th 2007
Comments:
Posted by: Bruno
Congratulations to Magnus!
It seems that top players are being really scared of him now.
It seems that top players are being really scared of him now.
Posted by: xandnor
Tremendous result! Again, the best defence is attack! I had to leave the game after move 30, (at which point most of the the kibitzers preferred Black, for some reason :) but Magnus again showed that he is good in these maneuvering-for-initiative positions.
Posted by: inn e overlie
thanks for the update...I was worried about g4 a typical Magnus move, but felt sure he was going to play it...it shows the metal
Posted by: oters
Utrolig sterkt! Gratulerer!
En skikkelig inspirasjon for de unge sjakkspillerne som har gått på sjakkskole i Oslo hele vinterferien, og skal spille BGP turnering i dag, fredag!
En skikkelig inspirasjon for de unge sjakkspillerne som har gått på sjakkskole i Oslo hele vinterferien, og skal spille BGP turnering i dag, fredag!
Posted by: chessy
Yes, man! This was a fine win, although it was a draw. But that's chess! In Corus Magnus had a clear win against Radjabov and missed it to lose later on. So why not take gifts when they are offered to one ;-))
Posted by: Mike
What spirit Magnus is showing in this tournament! After the slightly disappointing outcome at Corus, he has bounced back with magnificent resilience. Congratulations Magnus & keep it going!!
Thank you Henrik and Magnus for sharing some of your experiences in this excellent blog. Best wishes, Mike.
Thank you Henrik and Magnus for sharing some of your experiences in this excellent blog. Best wishes, Mike.
Posted by: Ppeteretereter
Dear Henrik,
Hi, I'm the Hungarian fellow from Moscow.
Congrats to Magnus: he seems to be making great progress.
Regarding the game with Topalov: Magnus had to be winning with the Black Queen stuck on the queen-side.
Shouldn't he have played g4 much earlier? I think that
with the great space advantage, he should've been able to launch an attack on the Black king....
(I don't know if you're going to get this because I can't seem to print my name and e-mail above, so here it is:
Peter Stark
e-mail: starkpeter@hotmail.com
Hi, I'm the Hungarian fellow from Moscow.
Congrats to Magnus: he seems to be making great progress.
Regarding the game with Topalov: Magnus had to be winning with the Black Queen stuck on the queen-side.
Shouldn't he have played g4 much earlier? I think that
with the great space advantage, he should've been able to launch an attack on the Black king....
(I don't know if you're going to get this because I can't seem to print my name and e-mail above, so here it is:
Peter Stark
e-mail: starkpeter@hotmail.com
Posted by: Off
Does anybody has a video of Topalov being taught by Magnus? That must be an interesting one to watch ;-)
Posted by: Bjørn
Congratulations!
I've seen many discussions on chess blogs where people have said that Magnus shouldn't have been given a spot in this tournament - that someone better should have gotten his place. These people seem to have disappeared all of a sudden...
I've seen many discussions on chess blogs where people have said that Magnus shouldn't have been given a spot in this tournament - that someone better should have gotten his place. These people seem to have disappeared all of a sudden...
Posted by: lars
Magnificent!
Posted by: Kjell Arne Lilleløkken
Very fine victory!!!
Posted by: sfinx
Hatten av for MC "Sledgehammer" hitting Topalov in the head. BOOM Boom your down!
Posted by: Anon
CONGRATS MAGNUS!
Posted by: Øyvind
Grattis magnus!
Flott blogg henrik, den leses daglig
Flott blogg henrik, den leses daglig
Posted by: Marek Athens.Gr
Congratulations!
Showed great fighting spirit and talent. Independently of the results of upcomming games, impressed us all.
Really COOL!!!
Showed great fighting spirit and talent. Independently of the results of upcomming games, impressed us all.
Really COOL!!!
Posted by: Samuel Heine
Super sejt, Magnus!
Hilsen Samuel
Hilsen Samuel
Posted by: Øyvind Asbjørnsen
Satt opp til over kl. 03.00 i natt. Og for en forestilling. Er stum av beundring...
Posted by: Sam
Congratulations Magnus! Another magnificent win! Enjoy your rest day!
And thank you Henrik for consistently updating this excellent blog, with, may I add, very accurate English!
Sam.
And thank you Henrik for consistently updating this excellent blog, with, may I add, very accurate English!
Sam.
Posted by: Petter Lund
Hei begge to!
Dette var spennende. Kunne ikke gå til sengs før avgjørelsen.
Rene Hitchcock.
Sjekker bloggen hver dag. Den er flott, Henrik!!!
Petter
Dette var spennende. Kunne ikke gå til sengs før avgjørelsen.
Rene Hitchcock.
Sjekker bloggen hver dag. Den er flott, Henrik!!!
Petter
Posted by: Tarjei
Magnificent! What more can we say? However, since I have promised to myself that I will not be surprised of Magnus anymore, this didn't shock me. We all knew very well what Magnus is capable of, so nobody should be surprised anymore.
Why not win it all?
Nice blog, Henrik, keep it going!
Why not win it all?
Nice blog, Henrik, keep it going!
Posted by: Jon Kåre Myrene
Henger meg på gratulasjonene, en helt utrolig prestasjon!
Utrolig spennende å følge, har vært mange trøtte morgener denne uka...:-)
Lykke til videre og takk for en kjempeflott blogg!
Utrolig spennende å følge, har vært mange trøtte morgener denne uka...:-)
Lykke til videre og takk for en kjempeflott blogg!
Posted by: Oddvar Brok
Halleluja! Du er helt rå Magnus!!!! Stå på! Norge følger med!
Posted by: Kenneth Einarsen
Gratulerer! Kjempejobb mot Topalov :)
Lykke til videre!
Lykke til videre!
Posted by: Jimmy
The game was incredible. ICC the fans went absolutely wild. I never saw such an outburst of emotions on ICC. Everyone is a Magnus fan for sure now. As you know it was the last game to finish and the audience was huge.
The real beauty of the game was that some people were a bit disappointed after Corus. But now everyone is on board ship and ready to hail Magnus as the BEST.
I am happy to be a Magnus fan even if he loses. I know he will get better with some more experience. I find it so incredible that he has adjusted so quickly to play so well.
I firmly believe that Magnus is a much better player than Topalov, although Topalov is dangerous.
Good Luck. I expect to watch all the games. I always watch the Magnus game. I now think Magnus can beat Aronian in the Candidates. Nice that Magnus has been given this extra time to mature his chess.
The real beauty of the game was that some people were a bit disappointed after Corus. But now everyone is on board ship and ready to hail Magnus as the BEST.
I am happy to be a Magnus fan even if he loses. I know he will get better with some more experience. I find it so incredible that he has adjusted so quickly to play so well.
I firmly believe that Magnus is a much better player than Topalov, although Topalov is dangerous.
Good Luck. I expect to watch all the games. I always watch the Magnus game. I now think Magnus can beat Aronian in the Candidates. Nice that Magnus has been given this extra time to mature his chess.
Posted by: Lars Olausen
Hei!
Det blir sene nattetimer, men hva gjør vel det. Dette er spenning og underholdning så det duger. Sjakk er vinteridrett nr 1! Magnus er fantastisk og vi takker Henrik for en flott blogg som gir oss mulighet til å følge med på en god måte. Takk, begge to!
Det blir sene nattetimer, men hva gjør vel det. Dette er spenning og underholdning så det duger. Sjakk er vinteridrett nr 1! Magnus er fantastisk og vi takker Henrik for en flott blogg som gir oss mulighet til å følge med på en god måte. Takk, begge to!
Posted by: gregor
well done, magnus, well done!! keep on the good work.
greetings from germany
greetings from germany
Posted by: Simen
Jimmy: Yes, it was pretty amazing. ICC was at the boiling point. In the 5-10 seconds just after the surprising "white wins" announcement was relayed I think there was something like 400 kibitzing messages that flew across my sceen.
A couple of seconds after that, I realized that it was close to 5 am in the morning (CET), and that I was going to have a bad day at work today (again). The flip side of being a fan of a player who never settles for the short draw.
A couple of seconds after that, I realized that it was close to 5 am in the morning (CET), and that I was going to have a bad day at work today (again). The flip side of being a fan of a player who never settles for the short draw.
Posted by: Tops
Wauw! Magnus is in great form right now...
At www.betsson.com he gives odds 3,7 for beating Leko and 4,8(!) for beating Svidler!
At www.betsson.com he gives odds 3,7 for beating Leko and 4,8(!) for beating Svidler!
Posted by: VG
"Magnus (16) slo verdenseneren":
http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=177801
http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=177801
Posted by: Martin Thoresen
Henrik,
Has Magnus done anything differently for this tournament compared to the recent Corus or Tal Memorial? Anything at all, be that working on the openings, be more relaxed overall, or just anything else? Or is it just that he is more confident playing the world elite?
It seems that the small margins is on his side now, compared to those two earlier tournaments.
Has Magnus done anything differently for this tournament compared to the recent Corus or Tal Memorial? Anything at all, be that working on the openings, be more relaxed overall, or just anything else? Or is it just that he is more confident playing the world elite?
It seems that the small margins is on his side now, compared to those two earlier tournaments.
Posted by: Kampfgeist
That game was wild! The final position was a draw but I think Magnus deserved this win. He was playing for a win (declining perpetual check qg6-h7), he got it!
Posted by: Vinh
War Magnus!
Posted by: Nina
Gratulerer så utrolig mye Magnus!
Jeg ser på alle partiene dine som overføres på nettet.
Du er grunnen til at jeg begynte å spille sjakk som 32-åring.
Lykke til videre i turneringa!
Jeg ser på alle partiene dine som overføres på nettet.
Du er grunnen til at jeg begynte å spille sjakk som 32-åring.
Lykke til videre i turneringa!
Posted by: Alf Marius
Helt sinnsykt bra så langt, gratz & keep it up ! :)
Posted by: Gab-Chi
Congratulation to you Magnus! You're supreme. I think this tournament is a great opportunity for you to prove your talent.
Good luck and keep up the good work! I support you, but against Lékó. :-)
Gab-Chi from [HUN]
Good luck and keep up the good work! I support you, but against Lékó. :-)
Gab-Chi from [HUN]
Posted by: el Miguel
Hey Magnus que buen torneo! con un buen padre como el tuyo, llegaras muy lejos. Suerte!
Posted by: Knightf4
Well done, Mr. M. Carlsen!
:-)
:-)
Posted by: Mike N
Does Magnus believe in 'lucky shirts?'
I ask because he wore his familiar white with blue stripe knit shirt (under a jacket) for his game with Topalov, which is, after all not exactly a button down dress shirt.
I had thought that shirt had lost it's mojo after Corus, but apparently not!
Best of luck w/ Leko and Svidler, Magnus.
I ask because he wore his familiar white with blue stripe knit shirt (under a jacket) for his game with Topalov, which is, after all not exactly a button down dress shirt.
I had thought that shirt had lost it's mojo after Corus, but apparently not!
Best of luck w/ Leko and Svidler, Magnus.
Posted by: Henrik Carlsen
First, sorry for my son depriving European spectators their nights sleep. I can assure you he will do his best to continue to do so for 2 more days :-)
Martin T; Your asking about what makes th diffenence versus Corus. (The 64 thousand dollar question!)
Frankly I don't know but there are a number of potential reasons that may have contributed;
- More experience
- Small margins.
- Not only your own play but the "mood" and play of your opponents may be decisive.
- The start of the tournament leaves its mark. Corus may have turned out quite differently for Magnus if he had won against Navara.
- A full week in Mexico prior to the tournament was a long time for Magnus, but it probably left him very energized and ready to do his best.
- The first win against Morozevich of course gave him a lot of confidence.
- He has so far made less decisive erroneous evaluations than in Corus, but still made some though (against both Aronian and Anand).
- Maybe the lack of expectations to him in this tournament has been positive.
Martin T; Your asking about what makes th diffenence versus Corus. (The 64 thousand dollar question!)
Frankly I don't know but there are a number of potential reasons that may have contributed;
- More experience
- Small margins.
- Not only your own play but the "mood" and play of your opponents may be decisive.
- The start of the tournament leaves its mark. Corus may have turned out quite differently for Magnus if he had won against Navara.
- A full week in Mexico prior to the tournament was a long time for Magnus, but it probably left him very energized and ready to do his best.
- The first win against Morozevich of course gave him a lot of confidence.
- He has so far made less decisive erroneous evaluations than in Corus, but still made some though (against both Aronian and Anand).
- Maybe the lack of expectations to him in this tournament has been positive.
Posted by: pingu
Topalov & Kramnik are history. Both of these guys had their 15 minutes of fame after Kasparov left. The chess world has a new hero: Magnus. And Anand can feel good that he will play second fiddle to someone respectable (unlike the Topa-Kram cheats).
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Posted by: Anne Kristin
Grattis med flotte runder så langt. Ønsker Magnus lykke til videre i turneringen. Tror og håper på flere helpoeng. Vi følger "live" på chessbase. Go go go Magnus =)))
Posted by: Anne Kristin
Grattis med flotte runder så langt. Ønsker Magnus lykke til videre i turneringen. Tror og håper på flere helpoeng. Vi følger "live" på chessbase. Go go go Magnus =)))
Posted by: Magnus Kungen
Grattis till det utmärkta resultatet Magnus. Kul att se sån fin schack. Du har många fans i Sverige också =)
Hälsningar från kalla Sverige.
Hälsningar från kalla Sverige.
Posted by: Tor
"What a turnaround compared to Corus."
Yes!
IMHO, the important thing is still to focus on doing well over the board (not the results), developing his playing strenght further. Magnus is still only a junior, so this is another great learning expierence... learn to play agressive at the super GM level, without overdoing it..
Aronian and Anand are favourites to win now, so hopefully Magnus doesn't get his hopes too high... but continue to play without pressure.
Yes!
IMHO, the important thing is still to focus on doing well over the board (not the results), developing his playing strenght further. Magnus is still only a junior, so this is another great learning expierence... learn to play agressive at the super GM level, without overdoing it..
Aronian and Anand are favourites to win now, so hopefully Magnus doesn't get his hopes too high... but continue to play without pressure.
Posted by: J
Well done Magnus!!
Posted by: Son of Norway
Congratulations Magnus! I'm so proud to be a norwegian! Also a big thank you for this site! : )
Posted by: RaymonWazerri
Hey,
I love what you'e doing!
Don't ever change and best of luck.
Raymon W.
I love what you'e doing!
Don't ever change and best of luck.
Raymon W.
Posted by: RandyJones
Looks Like Dallas is in trouble!
Phoenix might end up blowing them all away.
PHX vs. Det. Hmmm..Could be interesting?
Phoenix might end up blowing them all away.
PHX vs. Det. Hmmm..Could be interesting?
Posted by: MaryAnne
I'm not quite understanding what all
this is supposed to be about?
Must be me or something...
this is supposed to be about?
Must be me or something...
Posted by: Transmission
Hey,
Great stuff here!
I'll definitely bookmark this place and come back soon.
Robby
Great stuff here!
I'll definitely bookmark this place and come back soon.
Robby
Posted by: JerryGreen
How green is the grass on the other side of the fence?
Not much. Don't believe it I tell you.
Jerry
Not much. Don't believe it I tell you.
Jerry
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