To Magnus Carlsen, 34, number one Undisutable for now, he would love that classic chess loses strength in favor of the Freestyle (The initial position of the pieces is raffled minutes before each round). Much more even if he was also the best in the modality that he promotes so much. But, for now, the final of the First Grand Slam tournament will not play, that ten elite players play, in great luxury conditions, in Weissenhaus (Germany). The Norwegian was eliminated (0.5-1.5) in the semifinals by German Vicent Keymer, 20, who will face Uzbeko Yavojir Sindárov (19 years), surprising executioner of the American Fabiano Caruana, for a first prize of almost 200,000 euros.
It was a tense day for Carlsen, housed in a large house, inside a great luxury hotel complex where the tournament is played, in whose entrance garden the organizers have placed a sign that says: “Goat House; Carlsen Family ” (House of the best of all time; Carlsen family). He number one He left her with her wife, she Victoria Malone, with whom she married at the beginning of the year, about fifteen minutes before the start of the semifinal (13.00).
After the farewell kiss at the door of the luxurious building as the headquarters of the tournament, Carlsen went straight to his table and concentrated completely on the initial position of the day (before each round a raffle is made, and in this modality there are 959 possible ways to start them). The Norwegian does not usually join what much of his rivals do in those previous minutes: a few meters, Keymer, Caruana, also American Hikaru Nakamura and Uzbeko Nodirbek abdusatiov (these last two fight for fifth position, as well as the Indian Dommaraju Gukesh and French Alireza Firouzja) analyzed that same initial position together with an intense exchange of ideas. And it was noted that they did it very honestly, without keeping any, discussing animatedly, with passion, discarding possibilities and testing others.
That animation with a certain carefree contrasted completely with Carlsen’s very serious countenance, dressed in elegant jeans -the same ones that gave a place to a great scandal in the World Cup of Fast in New last Christmas because they are prohibited in the clothing code of clothing The International Federation (FIDE)- to match a light blue shirt below a white jacket, combined with white shirts and socks of the same color.
This modality Freestyle (also known as 960 or Fischer Random) It really forces to think a lot from before the first movement because (especially in some initial positions) the risk of being strategically lost in a few sets is high. So Carlsen took off his jacket after his first play, thought the second for nine minutes and 18 seconds -something that may never have done in his entire career in classic chess -and the third cost him another six minutes.
His discomfort was visible because a couple of times during that time, when he had to play, he looked up to look at how the other games were going. And perhaps he regretted not having joined his colleagues in the previous debate because it turned out that in two other meetings (Sindárov-Caruana and Gukesh-Nakamura) the first two movements had been identical. So that the Scandinavian deviates from them in the third.
And then he did something surprising and significant. Despite the tension of the moment and how much it was played in the game, he took advantage of his rival’s reflection to go to confessionalone of the details that distinguish this tournament from others: each player is free to enter when he wants in a kind of telephone cabin where there is a camera and a microphone where they record a reflection on the game, how they feel, what are the keys of position, etc. And all that is published a few minutes later on the Internet, for the enjoyment of fans who follow live broadcasts. That Carlsen’s attitude reconfirm, in case someone had any doubt, that his commitment to him Freestyle He is very serious and sincere, and that he is willing to contribute as reasonable.
The truth is that Carlsen’s decision in his third lance did not give him a good result because for the eighth he was already worse. Keymer, a young 20 -year -old star not as acclaimed as his Indian contemporaries but possessing a very deep understanding of the strategy, maintained that little advantage until well into the third hour of struggle, when the tension usually rises a lot. In fact, this happened at that time in the Sindárov-Caruana departure, where the Digital Heart Rhythm Meter-another of the innovations of the young Uzbeko (19 years) arrived at 140 pulsations. Sindárov, who on Tuesday, in the first assault of the semifinal, had the American against the ropes but was not able to give the final blow, was suddenly in a clearly lower position, and his heart complained about it.
Carlsen’s position and Keymer was not so thrill yet, and also the Carlsen indicator did not work, whether it was for a technical problem or because he had disconnected it; Keymer’s barely went from 105 pulsations. But, most likely, that so quiet and even position, or with a minimal advantage of the German, was a big problem for the number one, Forced to overcome after his unappealable defeat on Tuesday. His face indicated that he was having a bad time: the perspective of winning that kind of position to a rival as solid as Keymer was nothing flattering.
Carlsen had to deliver a pawn for the initiative. The position was very dynamic and complicated, as he wanted, but Keymer endured the guy, with ten minutes available on his clock, for six of the Scandinavian. However, being at the height of Carlsen at the key moment of a crucial game is a Herculean task. And Keymer succumbed, with a serious error, when the watch pressure increased. At that time of situations, Carlsen is usually relentless. Meanwhile, the game of the other semifinal had an amazing outcome: Caruana, very hurried, accepted the draw when he won with a lethal play.
Everything indicated that both duels were going to be resolved in the rapid tiebreaker when, suddenly, Carlsen made an error of excess confidence and allowed Keymer, with a laudable defensive virtuosity, turning a turn to the fight and equalized it again. It was a strong psychological blow to the number one, But the position still allowed fighting, and even more under the pressure of the clock, with only 30 seconds of increase after each set.
However, Keymer exhibited a great cold blood when he had to defend himself with precision again and again in seconds. Until it was evident that Carlsen could not win. The Norwegian offered tables and fit the defeat with great dignity, congratulating his rival and arguing with him some variants on the board. Then, while Keymer confessed that eliminating number one He was not among his expectations, the defeated left Raudo and fast to his mansion. At least he had a little consolation: Real Madrid, team from his loves, had won the City in Manchester the previous night.
