His legendary tenacity let him down for once as Norwegian chess champion Magnus Carlsen missed a clear endgame win against Russian challenger Sergey Karjakin, conceding a draw in the third game of their scheduled 12-game title match in New York after 78 moves and seven hours of grueling play Monday.
Following two uneventful draws to open the match, the score remains tied, but the result could prove a psychological boost to the underdog challenger.
Carlsen nursed a small positional edge from the game’s Ruy Lopez Berlin Defense throughout the middle-game, obtaining a strongly posted knight that dominated Black’s bishop. On Move 34, Karjakin was forced to concede a pawn to relieve the pressure, but faced a tough fight to hold the draw.
The champion is famous for his ability to squeeze a full point out of the most unpromising of positions, but never could find the knockout blow in the face of Black’s determined resistance.
The win was lost for good on 71…Rh1 72. Rb7? (Rf7+ Ke6 73. Rf2 preserves White’s winning chances) Ra1! (the only move to save the game) 73. Rb5+ Kf4 74. Rb4+ Kg3 75. Rg4+ Kf2 76. Nc4 h3 77. Rh4 Kg3 78. Rg4+ Kf2 — despite being a full piece up, White’s rook is doomed to toggling between h4 and g4 to prevent the h-pawn from queening.
Karjakin will have the advantage of the White pieces in Tuesday’s Game 4, being played at the South Street Seaport at Manhattan’s Fulton Market. The match continues through Nov. 28, with a rapid play-off, if necesssary, on Nov. 30.
The moves of Game 3 were:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 O-O 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re2 b6 11.Re1 Re8 12.Bf4 Rxe1
13.Qxe1 Qe7 14.Nc3 Bb7 15.Qxe7 Bxe7 16.a4 a6 17.g3 g5 18.Bxd6 Bxd6 19.Bg2 Bxg2 20.Kxg2 f5 21.Nd5 Kf7 22.Ne3 Kf6
23.Nc4 Bf8 24.Re1 Rd8 25.f4 gxf4 26.gxf4 b5 27.axb5 axb5 28.Ne3 c6 29.Kf3 Ra8 30.Rg1 Ra2 31.b3 c5 32.Rg8 Kf7 33.Rg2 cxd4
34.Nxf5 d3 35.cxd3 Ra1 36.Nd4 b4 37.Rg5 Rb1 38.Rf5+ Ke8 39.Rb5 Rf1+ 40.Ke4 Re1+ 41.Kf5 Rd1 42.Re5+ Kf7 43.Rd5 Rxd3
44.Rxd7+ Ke8 45.Rd5 Rh3 46.Re5+ Kf7 47.Re2 Bg7 48.Nc6 Rh5+ 49.Kg4 Rc5 50.Nd8+ Kg6 51.Ne6 h5+ 52.Kf3 Rc3+ 53.Ke4 Bf6
54.Re3 h4 55.h3 Rc1 56.Nf8+ Kf7 57.Nd7 Ke6 58.Nb6 Rd1 59.f5+ Kf7 60.Nc4 Rd4+ 61.Kf3 Bg5 62.Re4 Rd3+ 63.Kg4 Rg3+ 64.Kh5 Be7
65.Ne5+ Kf6 66.Ng4+ Kf7 67.Re6 Rxh3 68.Ne5+ Kg7 69.Rxe7+ Kf6 70.Nc6 Kxf5 71.Na5 Rh1 72.Rb7 Ra1
73.Rb5+ Kf4 74.Rxb4+ Kg3 75.Rg4+ Kf2 76.Nc4 h3 77.Rh4 Kg3 78.Rg4+ Kf2 Draw agreed
• David R. Sands can be reached at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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