CHENNAI : Magnus Carlsen’s famed rapid skills powered him to his fourth World chess title, when he blanked Fabiano Caruana 3-0 in the rapid games playoff in London on Wednesday.After undergoing a frustrating period in the classical games which ended in a 6-6 deadlock, the Norwegian was a different kettle of fish in the speed chess. The World No 1 was quick, fast and decisive, outplaying the American in a comprehensive fashion.
Carlsen was simply unstoppable after winning a drawn rook and pawn ending in the first game of the tie-break. In trying to bounce back from the loss, Caruana’s blunder in the second game came at the wrong time in what was his worst game in the title match. Needing a win to stay alive, Caruana could have drawn the game but tried too hard in an equal position to lose.
“It’s very special for me to win this time. I feel that Fabiano was the strongest opponent I’ve played so far in a World Championship match. In classical chess, he has just as much right as I do at this point to call himself the best in the world. I’m very happy to have overcome this great challenge and I’ll continue to work to get better in two years,” Carlsen said.
Caruana was gracious in defeat. “This was a hard fought match to the end. I want to congratulate Magnus on defending his title. I was up against one of the most talented players in the history of chess, and I gave it everything I had. I look forward to another opportunity to make another bid,” he assessed.
After fumbling a winning position in the first game, Carlsen didn’t get any chance to break through the defences of Caruana in the classical games except for the 12th game, where he opted for a draw in a better position. While remaining solid with black pieces, his performance with white was unimpressive. The World No 2 pushed Carlsen to the limit but couldn’t get the win. Caruana got a winning position in the sixth game, which was impossible to convert because of the complexity of position. He had another chance in the eighth but spoiled it. Caruana’s misses proved costly.
Carlsen has already cemented his place as one of the all-time greats, winning four world titles in five years, besides remaining World No 1 for the last seven. Carlsen’s domination in classical chess has reduced considerably in the last two years because of other top players getting better. With Caruana breathing down his neck in ratings (just three points separate them), Carlsen will be looking to win more classical tournaments in 2019.