The story behind the game
The third rapid tiebreak game of the 2018 championship passes through several material imbalances before White’s c-pawn promotes. Carlsen’s central break is worth comparing with a quieter knight improvement preferred by the saved search. Later, queen activity and a pawn advance with tempo make the promotion race concrete.
Take these ideas to your next game
- Compare a central break with improving a piece first.
- A knight fork must be calculated through all the recaptures.
- Support a passed pawn while gaining time against the queen.
- Check the opponent’s counterplay even after promotion.
Read the complete annotated game
Full game transcript, including the result and the answers. Original explanations by chessgames.info; game score from the sources below.
The game played e5; the saved analysis prefers Nc3 before changing the centre. The pawn break opens a forcing sequence of exchanges, but its timing should be tested independently of the eventual result. The knight retreat keeps more tension in the position. Compare the saved defences to each plan before treating the recorded win as proof of the break’s strength.
Nd7 creates a fork, but the following exchanges remain essential. The recorded line includes a knight capture, a queen recapture and another capture on c2. White’s later queen check changes what can be taken next. Rebuild the position after each move instead of awarding a material win for the fork alone.
c5 advances the passer with an attack on the queen. The pawn is supported by the rest of the position, not just by its neighbour. Black’s queen and knight can still try to blockade it or check the king. Compare those resources with White’s queen placement before following the next advances.
c8=Q promotes the passer while preserving White’s original queen. The game does not finish at the instant of promotion. Black advances the f-pawn, and White’s new queen then joins the defence and attack from another square. Check the remaining checks and threats in the saved line before treating the material advantage as the whole explanation.
Result: 1-0. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 26: Compare the break with preparation
Before opening the centre, which retreat by the a4-knight does the saved search prefer? In the game: e5. The game played e5; the saved analysis prefers Nc3 before changing the centre. The pawn break opens a forcing sequence of exchanges, but its timing should be tested independently of the eventual result. The knight retreat keeps more tension in the position. Compare the saved defences to each plan before treating the recorded win as proof of the break’s strength.
Engine-supported alternatives
g5 hxg5 · +0.63 · depth 19
Nc3 Qa5 Qe3 Ba8 Bh1 e5 f5 Nd4 Rg2 Kh7 Rf1 Rg8 · +0.66 · depth 18
Ne3 Nd4 Nc3 Qa5 Rd3 e5 f5 Rf8 Rf1 Qd8 h4 a5 · +0.53 · depth 18
e5 dxe5 Nxc5 Rxd2 Rxd2 exf4 Nxb7 Rxd2 Qxd2 Qxb7 Qd6 Qa7+ · +0.00 · depth 29
Move 31: Fork, then count the whole exchange
Which move by the c5-knight attacks both the queen on e5 and knight on f6? In the game: Nd7. Nd7 creates a fork, but the following exchanges remain essential. The recorded line includes a knight capture, a queen recapture and another capture on c2. White’s later queen check changes what can be taken next. Rebuild the position after each move instead of awarding a material win for the fork alone.
Engine-supported alternatives
Qe3 Qb2 Ne1 Qxa2 Nxe6 fxe6 Qxe6+ Kh7 Qf5+ Kh8 Qc8+ Kh7 · +0.00 · depth 20
Nxa6 Qb2 b4 Qb1+ Kh2 Qxa2 b5 Qxc4 bxc6 Qxa6 Qd8+ Kh7 · +0.00 · depth 20
Nd3 Qb8 · -0.18 · depth 20
Nd7 Qb2 Qd6 Nxd7 Qxd7 Qc1+ Kh2 Qf4+ Kh1 Qc1+ · +0.00 · depth 35
Move 42: Advance with a tempo against the queen
Which c-pawn advance attacks the queen on d6 while staying protected by b4? In the game: c5. c5 advances the passer with an attack on the queen. The pawn is supported by the rest of the position, not just by its neighbour. Black’s queen and knight can still try to blockade it or check the king. Compare those resources with White’s queen placement before following the next advances.
Engine-supported alternatives
c5 Qf6 a3 f4 Qd3+ Kh8 Bf1 Qe6 Kg2 Qc6+ Kg1 Qe6 · +0.79 · depth 19
b5 axb5 · +0.28 · depth 19
h4 Qd1+ Kh2 Qd6+ Kg1 Qd1+ Kf2 Nf7 Bd5 Nd6 Bf3 Qb1 · +0.28 · depth 19
Move 50: Promote and account for the reply
The pawn has reached c7. Which move creates White’s second queen? In the game: c8=Q. c8=Q promotes the passer while preserving White’s original queen. The game does not finish at the instant of promotion. Black advances the f-pawn, and White’s new queen then joins the defence and attack from another square. Check the remaining checks and threats in the saved line before treating the material advantage as the whole explanation.
Engine-supported alternatives
c8=Q Qf2 Q8xf5+ Qxf5 Qxd4 g6 Qa7+ Kh8 Qa8+ Kg7 Qb7+ Kf6 · +5.20 · depth 21
c8=R Qf4+ Kh1 a5 Qc4 Qf2 Qf1 Qe3 Rc4 axb4 Qg1 Qg3 · +3.99 · depth 20
c8=B Qf4+ Kh1 h5 Bxa6 Qe3 Baf1 g6 Qc7+ Kh6 Qb8 Qf2 · +3.12 · depth 20
Every piece has a part to play.
The third rapid tiebreak game of the 2018 championship passes through several material imbalances before White’s c-pawn promotes. Carlsen’s central break is worth comparing with a quieter knight improvement preferred by the saved search. Later, queen activity and a pawn advance with tempo make the promotion race concrete.
Look a little deeper
Play on the board or type your move. Strong engine-supported alternatives receive credit.
Future moves stay hidden until you continue.
Try a different path.
Select a key moment to explore legal continuations supported by saved Stockfish analysis.
Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 12–24. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
Download complete engine evidence