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MATCH STANDINGS
Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship Match

Magnus Carlsen9/16(+3 -1 =12)[games]
Sergey Karjakin7/16(+1 -3 =12)[games]

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship Match (2016)

Having earned and subsequently defended the World Championship title in his 2013 and 2014 matches against Viswanathan Anand, Magnus Carlsen was now confronted with defending his title against his childhood rival, Sergey Karjakin. Karjakin earned the right to challenge the title by winning the World Championship Candidates (2016) by a full point. This was the second title match to feature a champion and challenger who were under age thirty, after Kramnik - Leko Classical World Championship Match (2004). Although the match was predicted by many to be a blowout victory for the Norwegian wunderkind, the tremendous defensive prowess of Karjakin transformed the contest into a grueling war of attrition that would test the mental fitness of both great modern masters.

While the best of 12 match started off rather slowly, with seven consecutive draws, Karjakin surprised many by winning the eighth game with the Black pieces, against Carlsen's rather uninspired approach to the Colle System. The reigning world champion refused to participate in the mandatory postgame news conference and caused a major controversy with his absence. However, in the tenth game, the "Mozart of Chess" returned with a vengeance, mercilessly pressing an advantage from the White side of the Ruy Lopez and levelling the score at one win apiece. When the last two Classical games resulted in draws, the match entered the tiebreak phase.

The tiebreaks were conducted in the Rapid 25+10 time format, with draws in games 13 and 14 and an unexpectedly easy set of back-to-back victories for Carlsen in the fifteenth and sixteenth games. As a result the far higher rated world champion retained his crown, but the tiebreak methodology stirred up significant controversy in the world of chess. Former world champion Anatoly Karpov, as well as American grandmaster Yasser Seirawan, objected to the Rapid tiebreak, pointing out that the World Rapid Championship was the venue where that time control was rightly to be contested. However, while the world champion agreed that the tiebreak format was less than ideal, Karjakin insisted that he was pleased with the tiebreak format and, playing the part of a genuine gentleman and sportsman, insisted that he failed to utilize his preparation and performed well below his own ability during the tiebreaking phase of the match.

Elo Classical Rapid Carlsen 2853 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 9 Karjakin 2772 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 7

Official site: https://web.archive.org/web/2016120...
Regulations: https://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/...
Chess.com: https://www.chess.com/news/view/car...
ChessBase: https://en.chessbase.com/post/newsb...
chess24: https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-t...
TWIC: https://theweekinchess.com/chessnew...
FIDE: https://ratings.fide.com/tournament...
Wikipedia article: World Chess Championship 2016

Previous: Carlsen - Anand World Championship Match (2014). Next: Carlsen - Caruana World Championship Match (2018)

 page 1 of 1; 16 games  PGN Download 
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Carlsen vs Karjakin ½-½422016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchA45 Queen's Pawn Game
2. Karjakin vs Carlsen ½-½332016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC78 Ruy Lopez
3. Carlsen vs Karjakin ½-½782016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC67 Ruy Lopez
4. Karjakin vs Carlsen ½-½942016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC84 Ruy Lopez, Closed
5. Carlsen vs Karjakin ½-½512016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC50 Giuoco Piano
6. Karjakin vs Carlsen ½-½322016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC84 Ruy Lopez, Closed
7. Karjakin vs Carlsen ½-½332016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchD10 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
8. Carlsen vs Karjakin 0-1522016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchD05 Queen's Pawn Game
9. Karjakin vs Carlsen ½-½742016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC78 Ruy Lopez
10. Carlsen vs Karjakin 1-0752016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
11. Karjakin vs Carlsen ½-½342016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC78 Ruy Lopez
12. Carlsen vs Karjakin ½-½302016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC67 Ruy Lopez
13. Karjakin vs Carlsen ½-½372016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC78 Ruy Lopez
14. Carlsen vs Karjakin ½-½842016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC50 Giuoco Piano
15. Karjakin vs Carlsen 0-1382016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchC78 Ruy Lopez
16. Carlsen vs Karjakin 1-0502016Carlsen - Karjakin World Championship MatchB54 Sicilian
 page 1 of 1; 16 games  PGN Download 
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 161 OF 161 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-22-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  GM Igor Smirnov: It truly was a great tournament! I've analyzed all the games of this wonderful event (including tiebreaks), check them out at http://chess-teacher.com/affiliates...
Jun-22-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  GM Igor Smirnov: Check out the top-5 most impressive encounters between Carlsen and Karjakin here - http://chess-teacher.com/affiliates...
Jul-14-17  The Kings Domain: chessgames should have included this in their History of the World Chess Championship page a long time ago.
Jul-14-17  Petrosianic: Yeah, at least two years ago.
Nov-24-17  The Boomerang: "For the second time in chess history we could have gotten a World Champion that did so without properly beating the previous one in a classical match (had Gelfand or Karjakin prevailed in the quick game tiebreakers)."

You forgot about Kramnik-Topalov 2006.

Nov-24-17  ughaibu: But Kramnik was the champion. Nevertheless, Steinitiz, Botvinnik and Karpov already make three, so how could it have been the "second time"?
Nov-29-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: In case you missed it:

https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/S...

Nov-30-17  Petrosianic: In case we missed what?
Nov-30-17  Petrosianic: <You forgot about Kramnik-Topalov 2006.>

No, because Kramnik was defending classical champion in that match. Also, he beat Topalov in the Classical Games.

The FIDE Title, which Topalov owned, had changed hands in screwy ways many times.

Nov-30-17  Absentee: <Petrosianic: <You forgot about Kramnik-Topalov 2006.>

No, because Kramnik was defending classical champion in that match. Also, he beat Topalov in the Classical Games.>

If you don't count the forfeit. But they had to play rapids anyway.

Nov-30-17  Petrosianic: <Absentee>: <If you don't count the forfeit. But they had to play rapids anyway.>

I don't count the forfeit as a game. Only as a non-game. But even if we do count it as a game, and throw the Rapids out entirely, then Kramnik defended his title on a drawn match.

Dec-05-17  positionalgenius: <<IMO the mid 1990s probably was the strongest era of chess. Karpov was already declining but still playing at a level that could still get him to be Challenger in today's era. Kasparov was at this prime. Anand was at his early peak, and Kramnik was on the way up. So you had all of Karpov, Kasparov, Anand, Kramnik playing in the same tournaments at levels still close to their peaks.>>>

Respectfully disagree here. Karpov's true peak was from 1980-1990. By the mid 1990s he was starting to lose matches to significantly lower level players; Karpov wasn't at peak form by 1995. 1994 Linares not withstanding, which was an amazing performance, but look at Linares 91 and 93 for examples of his inconsistency in the 1990s.

I'll also easily claim that Anand didn't truly peak until well after 2005. He seemed to vastly improve his mental state the older he got, which is relatively rare. 1990s Anand was skilled, but also lost quite a bit to players he wouldn't lose to in his peak years.

A better case could certainly be made for Kramnik, but to me he's a player who has had two peaks: 1999-2004, and then 2009-2014.

In general Kasparov dominated the 1990s. I can't argue about the quality of chess, since many classic games were played in those years, but I'm not so sure that 2006-2013 weren't just as strong years.

Mar-05-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <dumbgai: I would have crushed Botvinnik if I was alive in the 1950s and 60s.>

My score against Mikhail Moiseevich would have been 12.5-.5; courtesy draw in the final game, don't you know.

Mar-24-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  mistermac: Could be on again, soon!
Mar-24-18  amadeus: Let's hope not.
Mar-24-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  mistermac: See you there.
Jul-31-18  1d410: <<IMO the mid 1990s probably was the strongest era of chess. Karpov was already declining but still playing at a level that could still get him to be Challenger in today's era. Kasparov was at this prime. Anand was at his early peak, and Kramnik was on the way up. So you had all of Karpov, Kasparov, Anand, Kramnik playing in the same tournaments at levels still close to their peaks.>>>

dumb comment

Aug-01-18  ughaibu: Chancho: you seem to have missed the distinction between "Anatoly Karpov, and American Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan objected to the rapid tiebreak (to decide a World Classical Championship match)" and "won 2 speed games and remained FIDE champion". These were not events of equal status.
Mar-29-20  joddon: the first 5 games are filled with some much fire....so much firepower, if fully analysed u will never see it anywhere in chess.
Dec-12-20  joddon: Overall...the @#$%iest world championship match ever.sorry people.but it's true.
Apr-11-21  macer75: <The Rocket: Not sure why it reads: with only 4 games left. Carlsen is 79 elo above Karjakin, with two whites remaining. It would bea massive underperformance if Carlsen doesn't score a single win and at the very least ties the match.>

I don't know about that... Karjakin has been a stout defender so far in this match. Carlsen hasn't been able to break him in 8 games, and now he only has 4 left.

Apr-11-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: <macer75>
Your kibitzes are taking 5 years to appear? It might be time to consider getting a faster internet connection.
Apr-12-21  macer75: <beatgiant> So what is your view on the match so far? Do you think Carlsen still has a chance?
Apr-13-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: <macer75>
It would be unethical for me to use knowledge from the future to reveal information about the outcome of a sporting event. What if it triggers a Biff Tannen type scenario?
Jun-06-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Messiah: Justin vs Putinist. Terrible! Very bad!
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