Magnus Carlsen vs Stein Arild Aarland (2002)

Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players ·

Kibitzing

Magnus Carlsen vs Stein Arild Aarland
NOR-chT final (2002), Oslo NOR, rd 3, May-10
Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack. Main Line (D37) · 1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

explore this opening	find similar games	5,210 more games of Carlsen
	PGN: download \| view \| print	Help: general \| java-troubleshooting

TIP: Premium members can suggest a game for Guess-the-Move with the Guess-the-Move Suggestion Queue.

For help with this chess viewer, please see the Olga Chess Viewer Quickstart Guide.

PREMIUM MEMBERS CAN REQUEST COMPUTER ANALYSIS [more info]

Feb-17-10		Josue Ojeda: wow that 52... Ba5 move of black was really somenthing against the two pawns of carlsen... blew my mind.

Feb-17-10		Udit Narayan: I thought it said "Carlsen vs Anand" upon first glance. Definitely, 52...♗a5 was an excellent drawing resource. Even at such a young age, we can witness the seeds of genius in Magnus.

Feb-17-10		iamsheaf: <Udit Narayan> Ba5 was played by his opponent, but you can say that since his opponent had to play such a move to save a game :-D

Mar-05-14		FSR: Could be a Thursday-ish puzzle after 52.Kg3.

Mar-05-14		beatgiant: White must have been winning for a long time, right? Where did he finally throw away the win? For example 33. Rxd6 Rxd6 34. Bxe5 Rd2 35. Bg3, followed by pushing the queenside pawns, looks like a pretty foolproof way to win.

Mar-05-14		DaringSpeculator: After the move 47...Bb6, click for larger view The position on the board is absolutely winning; 48.Bh6! wins while 48.e4? throws it away. It is comforting to know that the 12 year old Carlsen wasn't flawless and that he was still learning the endgame. Every chess master was once a beginner. – Irving Chernev

Aug-15-18		fredthebear: Magnus Carlsen became a grandmaster at the age of 13 years and 148 days. He is a chess prodigy that had various GMs for coaches for half his lifetime when this game was played. (FTB has read that Carlsen has a photographic memory like Bobby Fischer had.) Carlsen would have known that a passed rook's pawn with the "wrong colored bishop" is drawn. In the final position above, White wins easily with a light-squared bishop to flush the Black king out of the light corner square (assuming the White king protects the passed a-pawn from direct capture). The strange looking 52...Ba5 is a fine drawing move regardless of White's reaction. Carlsen has no reasonable chance to win at that point. If White tries to push the b-pawn up the b-file, the bishop would capture on b6 and the result is a draw. The passed a-pawns are of no use without a light-squared bishop to check the Black king out of the light-squared corner a8.

Sep-14-20		Sergash: Stein Arild Aarland was 29 years old and rated 2259 at the time of this game, while Magnus was Carlsen was 11 years old and rated 2163. Aarland is a FIDE master, though I am not sure he had his title at the time of this game? On his Chessgames.com profile, it is said that in 1989 he finished 9th at the Cadet World Championship. <3.Ng1-f3> In a previous game, Carlsen had developed the other knight here: 3.Nb1-c3 Bf8-e7 4.c4xd5 e6xd5 5.Ng1-f3 Ng8-f6 6.Bc1-g5 c7-c6 7.e2-e3 Bc8-e6 8.Bf1-d3 Nb8-d7 9.Qd1-c2 h7-h6 10.Bg5-h4 Ra8-c8 11.0-0 0-0 12.Ra1-b1 Qd8-c7 13.b2-b4 b7-b5 14.a2-a4 a7-a6?! 15.a4-a5! Be6-g4 16.Nf3-d2 Be7-d6 17.Bh4-g3 Rf8-e8 18.Rb1-c1 Re8-e7 19.Nd2-b3 Kg8-h8 20.Nc3-a2 Nd7-b8?! 21.Nb3-c5 Nf6-d7 ± Carlsen vs J L Hammer, 2001, 1-0. <3...Ng8-f6 4.Nb1-c3> After this move we are transposed in a line previously played by Carlsen. <4...Bf8-e7 5.Bc1-f4 0-0 6.e2-e3 c7-c5 7.d4xc5 Be7xc5> Aarland plays a more popular move, but not necessarily as good (?), than seen in a previous game, almost a miniature: 4...d5xc4 5.e2-e4 Bf8-b4 6.Bc1-g5 c7-c5 7.Bf1xc4 c5xd4 8.Nf3xd4 Qd8-a5 9.Bc4-b5+ Bc8-d7 10.Bg5-d2? Bd7xb5 11.Nd4xb5 Nf6xe4! 12.Qd1-g4?? Ne4xd2! 13.Qg4xg7 Rh8-f8 14.0-0-0 a7-a6 15.Qg7-e5? a6xb5 16.Nc3-d5? Nb8-d7 17.Qe5-g5? Ra8-c8+ 0-1. Carlsen vs Kulaots, 2002. <8.Qd1-c2 ⩲> It is possible that 8.a2-a3 ⩲ is better here, as played in the game Steinitz vs Schiffers, 1898, 1-0. <8...Nb8-c6 9.a2-a3 ⩲> 8...h7-h6!? ⩲ Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT. <9...a7-a6? ±> The 2 most played moves here are A) 9...Qd8-a5 (by far the most played line) 10.Ra1-d1 (threat: b2-b4) Bc5-e7! = / ⩲ as played in the game Euwe vs J Wolpert, 1955, 1-0 But the best seems B) 9...Rf8-e8! 10.0-0-0 e6-e5 (Gyozo Forintos (2395) vs. Anatoli Vaisser (2510), Kotov Memorial 1986 in Tallinn (USSR), 1-0) 11.Bf4-g3 d5-d4 ▢ 12.Nf3xe5 (or 12.Bg3xe5 Nc6xe5 13.Nf3xe5 Re8xe5 transposing) Nc6xe5 13.Bg3xe5 (13.e3xd4 Bc5xd4 14.Nc3-b5 (or 14.Bg3xe5 Re8xe5 transposing) Ne5-c6 ▢ 15.Nb5xd4 ▢ Nc6xd4 ▢ 16.Qc2-c3 ▢ Bc8-f5! 17.Rd1xd4 Re8-e1+ 19.Qc3xe1 Qd8xd4 = or simply 17.Qc3xd4 = Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT) Re8xe5 14.e3xd4 Bc5xd4 15.Qc2-d3 = Δ Qd3xd4 R Buhmann vs M A Tabatabaei, 2017, draw; also possible is 15.Qc2-d2 = Δ Qd2xd4 Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT

Sep-18-20		Sergash: <10.0-0-0?! => Seemingly too optimistic. 10.Ra1-d1! Qd8-a5! 11.Nf3-d2! and here not 11.b2-b4?? Nc6xb4 12.a3xb4 Bc5xb4 13.Rd1-c1 (or 13.Bf4-e5 Nf6-e4 14.Rd1-c1 transposing) Nf6-e4 14.Bf4-e5 f7-f6 ▢ 15.Bf1-d3 f6xe5 16.Bd3xe4 d5xe4 17.Nf3-g5 (or 17.Nf3-d2 Bc8-d7! -+ Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT) Bb4-e7 18.Ng5xe4 b7-b5! -+ Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT ; but 11.Nf3-d2! ((Ioannis Nikolaidis (2533) vs. Anar Allahverdiev (2441), 2nd Porto Carras Open (Greece) 2005, round 6, 1-0) Bc5-a7N! 12.Bf4-g3! ⩲ / ± Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT. <Position after 10...0-0-0?!> click for larger view <10...Bc5-e7? ±> 10...b7-b5! 11.c4xd5! e6xd5 ▢ 12.Kc1-b1! Bc8-e6 13.Nc3xb5! Qd8-b6! 14.Bf4-c7! Qb6-b7 ▢ 15.Qc2xc5 ▢ a6xb5 16.Rd1-c1 ▢ Qb7xc7 ▢ 17.Qc5xc6 (or 17.Nf3-d4 Nf6-e4 ▢ 18.Qc5xc6 Qc7-b8 ▢ 19.Nd4xe6! f7xe6 = Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT) Qc7-d8 ▢ 18.Qc6-c7 (18.Nf3-d4 b5-b4! = Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT) b5-b4! = Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT. <11.Nf3-g5? g7-g6! 12.h2-h4! e6-e5 ▢ 13.Nc3xd5! (threatening to win the black queen on Nd5xf6+) Nf6xd5 ▢ 14.Rd1xd5 = / ⩲> Carlsen would already have had a clear advantage by playing 11.e3-e4! d5-d4 ▢ 12.Kc1-b1! and now either A) 12...Nf6-h5 13.Bf4-e3 Be7-c5! (better than 13...e6-e5 14.Nf3xe5 ▢ Nc6xe5 15.Be3xd4 Ne5-d7 16.g2-g3! ± Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT) 14.e4-e5! Qd8-c7 15.Nf3xd4 ▢ Bc5xd4 (or 15...Nc6xd4 16.Be3xd4 Bc5xd4 ▢ 17.Rd1xd4 transposing) 16.Be3xd4 Nc6xd4 ▢ 17.Rd1xd4 Qc7xe5 18.Qc2-d2! ± Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT; B) 12...Be7xa3!? 13.e4-e5 ▢ (not 13.b2xa3?? Qd8-b6+ ▢ 14.Kb1-a2! d4xc3 ∓ Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT) Nf6-d7! 14.Nf3xd4 ▢ Nc6xd4 ▢ 15.Rd1xd4 Ba3-c5 16.Rd4-d3 ± Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT; C) 12...Qd8-a5! 13.Nf3xd4 ▢ Nc6xd4 ▢ 14.Rd1xd4 e6-e5 ▢ 15.Nc3-d5 ▢ e5xd4! 16.Nd5xe7+ Kg8-h8 17.Bf1-d3! ± Stockfish 12 - 64 bits POPCNT.

Aug-26-21		Sergash: click for larger view <14...Qd8-c7? 15.Bf4-g3 ⩲> This position is very complicated. The only playable move here is 14...Qd8-e8▢ 15.Bf4-g3 f7-f6! 16.Ng5-e4 Bc8-e6 = and here White can play 17.Ne4-d6, 17.h4-h5 or 17.Ne4-c3 all seemingly leading to equality (I will not give all the variations!). Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <15...Bc8-f5? 16.Bf1-d3▢ Bf5xd3 17.Qc2xd3! +-> This is a losing move. Black had to play 15...Rf8-d8 16.Bf1-e2 f7-f6 17.Ng5-e4! ± Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <17...Rf8-d8 18.Kc1-b1! +-> Interesting seems 17...b7-b5!? 18.Rd5-d7 Qc7-c8 19.h4-h5 Be7xg5 20.h5xg6 h7xg6 21.Rd7-d6▢ +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <18...b7-b5?! 19.c4xb5 a6xd5 20.Rh1-c1! Qc7-b6 +-> Black is losing anyway, that is why I am being indulgent here. Other moves appear better nonetheless, like A) 18...Qc7-c8 19.f2-f3! +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits; B) 18...Nc6-a5 19.Rh1-c1▢ Ra8-c8 20.Bg3xe5! Qc7xe5 21.Rd5xe5 Rd8xd3 22.Re5xe7 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits; C) 18...Ra8-b8 19.Qd3-e4 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <21.Qd3xb5 Rd8-b8 22.Qb5xb6▢ Rb8xb6 23.Rd5-d3! h7-h6 24.Ng5-e4 f7-f5 +-> Much stronger is 21.Rd5-d7! +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <24...f7-f5 +-> Also, there is 24...Be7xa3 25.Rd3xa3! Ra8xa3 26.Rc1xc6! Rb6xc6 27.b2xa3 -+ Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <25.Ne4-d2 +-> 25.Ne4-c5! Rb6-b5 26.Nc5-d7! +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <25...Ra8-b8 26.Nd2-c4 Rb6-b5 27.Rc1-c2 Rb8-f8 28.Nc4-d6 Rb5-b6 29.Rd3-c3 Be7xd6 30.Rc3xc6 Rf8-b8 +-> Again, here there was 25...Ra8xa3 26.Rd3xa3! (or 26.Rc1xc6 Ra3xd3 27.Rc6xb6▢ Rd3xd2 28.Rb6xg6+ +- and another black pawn will fall, h6 or e5, Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits) Be7xa3 27.Nd2-c4▢ Ba3xb2 28.Nc4xb6! Bb2xc1 29.Kb1xc1 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits.

Aug-28-21		Sergash: <35.Be1-c3 Be7xh4 36.Bc3xe5 Rd8-d2 37.a3-a4! Bh4-d8 +-> 35.h4-h5! +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <38.Rc6-d6! Rd2xd6 39.Be5xd6 Kf7-e6 40.Bd6-f8 +-> Forcing the exchange of the rooks is understandable and very human. There is also is 38.Ka2-a3!? +- with an easy win. Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <40...h6-h5 +-> Or: 40...Bd8-g5 41.b2-b4! +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <41.Ka2-b3 g6-g5 +-> Simply 41.b2-b4! +- and the win is easy. Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <42.Kb3-c4 g5-g4 43.f3xg4! f5xg4 +-> 42.Kb3-b4! +- would have allowed the advance a4-a5 more quickly. Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <44.Kc4-d4 h5-h4 45.Kd4-e4▢ h4-h3 46.g2xh3▢ g4xh3 47.Ke4-f3▢ Bd8-b6 +-> 44.Bf8-c5! +- leads to a quicker win. Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <Position after 47...Bd8-b6> click for larger view <48.e3-e4?? h3-h2▢ 49.Kf3-g2▢ Ke6-e5▢ 50.b2-b4 Ke5xe4 51.Kg2xh2 Ke4-d5 52.Kh2-g3 Bb6-a5 53.b4xa5 Kd5-c6▢ 54.Kg3-f4 Kc6-b7 55.Bf8-c5 Kb7-a8 56.Kf4-e5 Ka8-b7 57.Ke5-d6 Kb7-a8 58.Kd6-c7 stalemate> With this move, the win slips away... The only move leading to the win is here 48.Bf8-h6▢ -+ Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. So this "completely won game" after move 15, was drawn because of one single mistake... This is an ending worth playing against a computer. You setup the board with the position after, say, move 40 and you try to win it against the computer. I would suggest you do that in a month or two, if you checked this analysis!

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
Nothing in violation of United States law.
No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
No trolling.
The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.

NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific game only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

This game is type: CLASSICAL. Please report incorrect or missing information by submitting a correction slip to help us improve the quality of our content.