Norwegian Magnus Carlsen defeats Russian Sergey Karjakin in dramatic end at World Chess Championship

Magnus Carlsen celebrates his victory over Sergey Karjakin at the World Chess Championship
Magnus Carlsen celebrates his victory over Sergey Karjakin at the World Chess Championship Credit: AFP

 

It was a sudden death chess match billed as the Battle of East versus West, a political proxy war to rival the sport's legendary Cold War duel.

In a final penalty shoot-outstyle game to decide the fate of the world chess championship, Sergey Karjakin narrowly failed to dethrone Magnus Carlsen and win a first title for Russia since 2007.

The challenger, a favourite of Vladimir Putin who had the whole Russian machine behind him, had confounded expectations by taking the match into overtime after three weeks of intense play.

Sergey Karjakin, of Russia, was defeated by Magnus Carlsen at the World Chess Championship
Sergey Karjakin, of Russia, was defeated by Magnus Carlsen at the World Chess Championship Credit: AP

But when all was said and done, the tension disappeared in New York - and in its place was left a certain bonhomie that could mirror future Russian-American relations.

Carlsen reigned supreme, ending the match with a move of such flourish and beauty, a queen sacrifice on h6, that supporters of both camps gasped in admiration.

Exhausted after three weeks of gruelling play, the pair then shook hands before Karjakin, who was born in the Crimea but is a fervent supporter of President Putin's 2014 invasion, wished the champion a happy 26th birthday.

Carlsen, who had to come back from losing game eight, said: "I managed to find my joy in playing, and today it was fun to play - this is very important. I was in a very dark place in the middle of this match. I'm looking forward to the future."

On Thursday, Karjakin told RT, the state television channel, he would be back.

"Revenge? Yes, of course, now I am going to think of revenge ... My aim is to bring the chess crown back to Russia," he said.

Chess is a source of national pride in Russia and Putin's interest in the match has been well documented. He avidly followed the match online and sent his press secretary, Dmitri Peskov, to attend.

Organisers said Wednesday's sudden death tiebreaker, broadcast live in Norway and on internet sites, was watched by about six million fans.

The grandmasters started the shoot-out with the score locked at 6-6 after 12 games. Carlsen went on to win two of the four tie-breaking rapid-play games.

For the final throes of this endurance test, hundreds of spectators streamed into a refurbished building in lower Manhattan that once was the city's fish market.

"Magnus is my hero because he takes risks, he's really exciting," said Pippa Millstone, nine, who was making her fourth visit to the tournament.

Most fans, however, watched in homes and chess clubs across the globe. Some spent $15 for a pay-per-view live transmission, while others watched using 3D virtual reality goggles or by tracking moves on free websites.

One notable absentee in New York was Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the Russian businessman and long-time president of the governing World Chess Federation, who was barred from visiting after being accused by the US government of collaborating with the Syrian regime.

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