In Search of the King’s Gambit: Magnus Carlsen vs Ian Nepomniachtchi 2021

 Magnus Carlsen’s gambit paid off. He played like he was the challenger. He was sacrificing pawns, exchanges, rooks, and his queen. Carlsen crushed Nepomniachtchi completely as he crumbled after the epic game 6.


What was really weird was that Nepomniachtchi never went nuclear with the King’s Gambit. In game 11, he was -3 and it was the perfect chance to have a go with a romantic not seen at world chess championship level for a very long time. Instead he dodged the chance to really put caution to the wind and roll the dice. The King’s Gambit is an opening he’d essayed many times and is in fact a leading expert in the KG theory. Could it be Nepo assumed Magnus was well booked up on the theory and would neutralise his weapons? There was good reason to believe this since Nepomniachtchi had delivered a Chessable course on the King’s Gambit. 😂 

Perhaps it is safe to say the only person who offered the true gambit was the King himself Magnus Carlsen. Congratulations 🥳 to Carlsen on some fantastic wins in style of the old romantics. A champion is some who has no style or every style.

Magnus Carlsen -True Colours

 

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