Happy Birthday Magnus Carlsen ...and still WC!

John Upper's picture
Submitted by John Upper on Wed, 11/30/2016 - 21:08

Magnus Carlsen celebrated his 26th birthday on November 30th by winning the four-game rapid tie-breaks over Sergei Karjakin in New York City, and so he retains his World Championship title. 

The position in the diagram is from game 4 of the Rapid tie-breaks. Karjakin had been forced to overpress as Black to win and tie the match. Here it is White to move. Can you find the way to end the match in style the way Magnus Carlsen did here as White?

Solution

Spoiler: Highlight to view
Magnus played: 49.Rc8+ Kh7 50.Qh6+!! 1-0, and the only move which doesn't lose.
Any capture on h6 allows a R mate next, so Karjakin resigned.


Photos from Magnus's career, including today's tie-break match and press conference and awards ceremony.
(click for full-size image)

 

  • Young Magnus
  • "I played like a child"... complained 13-year-old MC after being held to a draw by Kasparov
  • Comic book cover with his favourite fictional character
  • 2013 WC victory Tweet from Chenai after getting dunked by his team.
  • Holding the 2013 World Championship trophy
  • starting Real Madrid game with Sergio Ramos
  • buff beach body
  • G-Star model
  • 2013 photo in Oslo (by Aman Hambleton)
  • Relaxed against Hikaru Nakamura
  • 2016 WC game 3, 360 camera view.
  • Karjakin's first words at the press conference "Happy birthday Magnus"
  • Lifting the 2016 WC trophy in NYC.

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