chess Armagedon a possibility

That commentary was funny.

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I blame Karjakin’s offensive coordinator.

link:

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Champion Carlsen thanks his father
December 1, 2016

There were lots of people and organizations that Norwegian chess superstar Magnus Carlsen needed and wanted to thank after becoming World Chess Champion for the third time in a row on Wednesday night. …

Carlsen beat Russia’s Sergey Karjarkin in what amounted to the 16th game in overtime, by what some chess commetators called both a genialt move and a “stylish queen sacrifice” (external link) that will always be remembered. “I was very satisfied with that move,” Carlsen said later. “I was a fun way to end the match.” Others launched into superlatives: “It was the kind of move every chess player dreams about getting a chance to make,” commentator Maurice Ashley told NRK, after Carlsen sacrificed one of his strongest pieces to win. Such chances rarely arise, and it’s even more seldom that players find themselves able to make it. “That move will be remembered forever,” Ashley said.

…Magnus Carlsen admitted he faced a huge challenge, up against Sergey Karjakin of Russia. Karjakin was not happy about losing his stab at the World Championship title, but said Carlsen deserved to win. PHOTO: NRK screen grab/newsinenglish.no

He was mostly hungry: “I haven’t eaten for many hours, so I look forward to eat,” he said at the outset, going on to admit that “I’m exhausted but very relieved to be finished” with the championship match. “The championship title (which he’ll now retain for the next two years before needing to defend it again) means a lot to me and everyone who follows me.”

Carlsen and Karjakin had played to two draws in the tie-breaker round of four rapid chess games on Wednesday, but Carlsen dominated the last two. He said he was especially satisfied with his final move that led to checkmate against Karjakin.

Carlsen’s Russian challenger, who also is 26 years old, won great respect during the marathon championships, and also “won many friends and fans in Norway,” according to NRK commentators, because of his skills, strong defense and “sympathetic” demeanor. Even after Carlsen had a temper tantrum of sorts and stormed out of an obligatory press conference after losing a game to Karjakin, the young Russian was gracious and complimented Carlsen’s play. He was equally so after losing the championship to Carlsen with millions of Russians watching back home on TV and video links in the middle of the night local time.

“Magnus deserves to win,” Karjakin said, noting that Carlsen had gained on Karjakin’s own mistakes. “I did my best, but it didn’t hold up.” He also said that “after 12 classical games, I was not ready” for the tie-breaker rounds of rapid chess. “It was a very difficult match,” Karjakin said. “I didn’t make it work.”

A lucrative consolation prize was waiting, though. The match, with sponsors including EG Capital Investors and Russian fertilizer company PhosAgro that competes against Norway’s own Yara, had a prize fund of EUR 1 million (around USD 1.1 million) with the winner getting 55 percent and the loser 45 percent.

Asked if he would try again to win the Candidates Tournament in order to challenge Carlsen for the World Champion title again in 2018, Karjakin told WorldChess.com, “that’s the plan.”

newsinenglish.no/Nina Berglund