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Magnus Carlsen Invitational (2021) The Magnus Carlsen Invitational was the fourth event of the $1.5 million Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2020-2021. The games were played online from 13-21 March 2021 on the chess24 Playzone. It started with a 16-player round robin on the first three days (time control 15 minutes for all moves with 10 seconds added per move from move 1), from which the eight best players qualified for an elimination (knockout) phase on the last six days (16-21 March). The action each day began at 16:00 GMT (17:00 CET, 11:00 ET). Prize fund: $200,000, with $60,000 to the winner. Tournament director: Arkus Fredriksson. Chief arbiter: Panagiotis Nikolopoulos. N games played: 120 + 62 = 182. Carlsen, Giri, So, Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi, Firouzja, Vachier-Lagrave and Aronian qualified for the knockout stage: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 Carlsen * 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 10½ 2 Giri 1 * 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 10 3 So ½ 0 * ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 9½ 4 Nakamura ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 9 5 Nepomniachtchi 0 1 1 ½ * ½ 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 1 1 8½ 6 Firouzja ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 0 1 8½ 7 Vachier-Lagrave 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 8½ 8 Aronian ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ * 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 8 9 Karjakin 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 * ½ 1 0 1 1 1 ½ 8 10 Dubov ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ 1 0 1 ½ 7½ 11 Radjabov ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 1 * ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 7 12 Mamedyarov 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 1 1 ½ ½ * 1 1 0 ½ 6½ 13 Grandelius ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 * 1 1 1 6 14 Van Foreest 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 * 1 ½ 6 15 Anton 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 * 1 4 16 Pichot 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 * 2½ In the knockout each match consisted of two mini-matches of up to four games each (Rapid 15 + 10), and if 1-1 a tiebreak match of two games (Blitz 5 + 3) plus if necessary an Armageddon game (5 vs 4). Anish Giri beat Nepomniachtchi 2-1 in the final. Quarterfinals (16-17 March) Semifinals (18-19 March) Final (20-21 March) Giri 01½½ ½1½1 -- - 1½ Vachier-Lagrave 10½½ ½0½0 -- - ½ Giri 0½11 ½½½1 -- - 2 So 1½00 ½½½0 -- - 0 So 11½- ½11- -- - 2 Firouzja 00½- ½00- -- - 0 Giri ½½½½ ½1½0 11 - 2 Nepomniachtchi ½½½½ ½0½1 00 - 1 Nepomniachtchi 01½½ 11½- -- - 1½ Nakamura 10½½ 00½- -- - ½ Nepomniachtchi ½½1½ ½100 ½1 - 2 Carlsen ½½0½ ½011 ½0 - 1 Carlsen 11½- 1½½- -- - 2 Aronian 00½- 0½½- -- - 0 Match for 3rd place (20-21 March): Carlsen 1½½1 1½½- -- - 2 So 0½½0 0½½- -- - 0 Giri netted 96 tour points. Nepomniachtchi got 58 points, Carlsen 50 and So 32. Standings after four events: So 140 points, Carlsen 135, Radjabov 108, Giri 105, Nepomniachtchi 83, Aronian 67, MVL 54. Official site: https://championschesstour.com/magn... Regulations: https://championschesstour.com/regu... Chess-Results: http://chess-results.com/tnr552132.... Chess.com: https://www.chess.com/news/view/ani... chess24 1: https://chess24.com/en/embed-custom... chess24 2: https://chess24.com/no/watch/live-t... ChessBase: https://en.chessbase.com/post/live-... TWIC: https://theweekinchess.com/chessnew... Previous Champions Chess Tour event: Opera Euro Rapid (2021). Next: New In Chess Classic (2021)  page 1 of 8; games 1-25 of 182  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Radjabov vs Giri   ½-½ 35 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational D38 Queen's Gambit Declined, Ragozin Variation 2. Pichot vs Karjakin   ½-½ 40 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational C53 Giuoco Piano 3. So vs Nepomniachtchi   0-1 58 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational B06 Robatsch 4. Aronian vs Mamedyarov 0-1 27 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational C41 Philidor Defense 5. Dubov vs N Grandelius 1-0 40 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational A37 English, Symmetrical 6. Nakamura vs D Anton Guijarro   ½-½ 37 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational C83 Ruy Lopez, Open 7. J van Foreest vs Carlsen 0-1 50 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational B27 Sicilian 8. Vachier-Lagrave vs Firouzja   ½-½ 60 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational A06 Reti Opening 9. Giri vs Firouzja   ½-½ 66 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational B67 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack, 7...a6 Defense, 8...Bd7 10. Carlsen vs Vachier-Lagrave 1-0 34 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational A00 Uncommon Opening 11. D Anton Guijarro vs J van Foreest   0-1 29 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational D32 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch 12. N Grandelius vs Nakamura   0-1 58 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational C67 Ruy Lopez 13. Mamedyarov vs Dubov ½-½ 69 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational B22 Sicilian, Alapin 14. Nepomniachtchi vs Aronian 0-1 40 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational C33 King's Gambit Accepted 15. Karjakin vs So   0-1 54 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational C53 Giuoco Piano 16. Radjabov vs Pichot   ½-½ 25 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational D39 Queen's Gambit Declined, Ragozin, Vienna Variation 17. Pichot vs Giri   0-1 31 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational B96 Sicilian, Najdorf 18. So vs Radjabov   ½-½ 51 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational C53 Giuoco Piano 19. Aronian vs Karjakin 1-0 34 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational D02 Queen's Pawn Game 20. Dubov vs Nepomniachtchi 1-0 43 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational B09 Pirc, Austrian Attack 21. Nakamura vs Mamedyarov   ½-½ 48 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational C41 Philidor Defense 22. J van Foreest vs N Grandelius 0-1 41 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational B50 Sicilian 23. Vachier-Lagrave vs D Anton Guijarro 1-0 44 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational A15 English 24. Firouzja vs Carlsen ½-½ 40 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational D05 Queen's Pawn Game 25. Giri vs Carlsen 1-0 58 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational B27 Sicilian  page 1 of 8; games 1-25 of 182    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)   < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 4 OF 4 ·  Later Kibitzing> Mar-26-21    Sokrates: Hi <Clemens>. Thanks a lot for that tip - so very kind of you, my friend. And you are right, I hold the Estonian in high esteem, a coin with his portrait is actually in front of my keyboard. I hope you are okay and kicking!? Mar-26-21    Sokrates: And I have now read the article. A great article summarizing the merits of Keres very well. Amidst many masters and champs of small calibre in big egos, the glory and modest genius of Keres will shine forever. Thanks again, dear <Clemens>. Mar-26-21    Clemens Scheitz: My pleasure, Sven. Mar-26-21    0ZeR0: <siggemannen> The knockout stage games from the last online tournament, the Opera Rapid haven't even been added yet. So I doubt we'll see the ones from this tournament anytime soon. It sure would be nice to have them though. Mar-26-21    Tabanus: The knockout stage games are added both for Opera Euro Rapid and this page. Use your eyes. Mar-26-21    0ZeR0: <Tabanus> For some reason I was thinking they hadn't been added yet because the point tables at the top hadn't been updated to include the knockout stages (without looking at the number of games). But I guess those are only for the preliminary sections. My bad. Mar-27-21    Tabanus: <0ZeR0> It is indeed confusing. But it is currently not possible to have a meaningful table for knockouts. Mar-27-21    0ZeR0: <Tabanus> Which is perfectly understandable. I apologize for my ignorance. I had been eagerly awaiting the games from the knockout stage for the Opera Euro Rapid but to learn they were there all along, I feel doubly foolish. I greatly appreciate you and any other members who work to keep the database updated and I certainly did not mean to imply otherwise. Mar-29-21    Tabanus: <0ZeR0> I didn't think you were. Unfortunately, CG does not realize it's potential. They've always only aimed to present an educational heap of games with an erroneous title on top and a chat box at bottom. Resulting in apathy. Examples: 4th Young Masters (2003) and 68th Bulgarian Championship (2004). Mar-29-21    MissScarlett: <Unfortunately, CG does not realize it's potential. They've always only aimed to present an educational heap of games with an erroneous title on top and a chat box at bottom. Resulting in apathy.> Do you really think there's a market opening in better coverage of Bulgarian championships? The apathy is already there. There's a constant stream of tournaments to which hardly anyone pays notice beyond the very elite events. Practically all interest gravitates to the top. Yesterday, I happened upon a stream of the FIDE Online World University Championships. 14 people were watching. Even Super GM events enjoy peak audiences (combined across all online platforms) in the low tens of thousands. The vast majority of chess players, across all strengths but especially the weak, prefer to play, not watch. Mar-29-21    Tabanus: <Miss> Alekhine Memorial (1992) then, that's a top event. It took a week to add the Opera Euro Rapid KO games, because in the end <I> decided to add them. Here's what CG do with <all> top events: they pick a pgn from the internet, spend 5 minutes to blast all the games into CG, without checking anything at all, not even if the event is finished. (<"We've added some games from xxx, and the last round is now on the web>". Done!) The only reason you can find readable top events covered in CG is because volunteer editors have edited some hundreds of them. For free. Do not think for a second that CG cares. Not for your 19th century players either. I think we need a new owner. Mar-29-21    Tabanus: Another example: Russian Championship Superfinal (Women) (2020). CG published this without any intro and with last round missing. No indication who won, etc. This was not an exception, it's the CG <norm>. Mar-29-21    MissScarlett: I'm aware as anyone about the failings of this site, but even if the site was lavishly funded and professionally staffed, there's a limit to the scope of coverage based on strictly commercial considerations. Mar-29-21    Tabanus: It may be that the majority of the members left here actually <prefer> to have only a heap of games, or half the event covered, and no intro. I've chosen not to think of that, until now ;) Mar-29-21    Sokrates: Smyslov's 100th birthday is celebrated on chessbase.com in a brilliant article. Highly recommendable. Mar-29-21    Check It Out: thanks <sokrates>, here's the link: https://en.chessbase.com/post/smysl... Mar-29-21    0ZeR0: <Sokrates> <Check It Out> Wow, what a great article. Thanks for sharing guys. Smyslov has always been one of my very favorite players. This is a real treat. Mar-30-21    Sokrates: Vasily Vasilievich Smyslov is IMO one of the finest chessplayers who ever lived. Fine in the sense that his gameplay was highly sophisticated and his personality likewise. Very discreet about his own character and private life. Even in his own book, "Smyslov's 125 Selected Games" he reveales very little about himself. Genna Sosonko gives a very kind portrait of him in his "The World Champions I Knew", in particular of his passion for the spiritual part of human consciousness. Contrary to the system's man Botvinnik, the opposition's man Bronstein, to types like Geller and Petrosian, Smyslov appears gentle, unaggressive, modest, trying to keep himself as much out of politics (in a wider sense) as possible. He played many fantastic games with my other favourite, Keres. Their lifetime score against each other was 9:9, with 22 draws. Occasionally, I go down memory lane and play some of their games. They remind me why I shall always find chess fascinating. The players before the age of the two K's were indisputably more interesting persons, as even Kasparov notes in his musings about Larsen (in his Predecessors). Mar-30-21    Pedro Fernandez: <<devere>: If Nepo can win the candidates he'll be a serious threat to take Carlsen's title. Mar-21-21> <<carpovius>: <devere>: If Nepo can win the candidates he'll be a serious threat to take Carlsen's title100% agree+ if Nepo takes a break to prepare well for the candidates he can win. Looks like MVL is out of form.> It is really surprising for me that my friends make so risky inference from this pandemy-Cheap Chess. Specially if this one comes from my great friend <devere>. <carpovius> is even more temerarious when saying: ''MVL is in low form''. So GM Fabiano Caruana is retired? Mar-30-21    0ZeR0: <Sokrates> Well said. You've articulated some of the aspects that make Smyslov special and fascinating as both a player and a person. I'm glad you've mentioned Keres as well as the two had the uncanny ability to create artwork over the board, doubly so when they played each other! Mar-31-21    Sokrates: Many thanks, <0ZeR0>, very kind of you. Apr-01-21    macer75: <Sokrates: Yeah, let's celebrate the subtle eloquence of sentences like <He played garbage> and <Both Carlsen and Giri suck balls>. Keep CG alive and kicking!> Thank you for the compliment! I always pride myself on having a way with words. Apr-02-21    Sokrates: <macer75> <... I always pride myself on having a way with words.> Do you now? Interesting! Apr-04-21    macer75: <Sokrates: <macer75> <... I always pride myself on having a way with words.> Do you now? Interesting!> Certainly! As your namesake once said, "Eloquence on the internet is a most telling sign of intelligence and character." Apr-04-21    Sokrates: <macer75> I am blinded by the rays of your erudition. 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