Eighty Moves, No Result
Magnus CarlsenvsFabiano Caruana
World Chess Championship 2018London ENG2018½-½C42
Every one of the twelve classical games in the 2018 World Championship between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana in London ended in a draw, the first time that had happened in a world title match. Game six was the longest and most fought of them, an eighty move Petrov's Defence in which Caruana pressed a bishop versus knight, then bishop versus bishop, endgame for hour after hour with genuine winning chances.
Carlsen defended with characteristic stubbornness, shuffling his king and pawns to keep Caruana's extra activity from becoming decisive, and the position eventually simplified into a drawn same coloured bishop ending. The two players shook hands after move 80, having played for close to six hours.
The whole match is now remembered as a showcase of how narrow the gap at the very top of the game had become. It took a rapid tiebreak, which Carlsen won 3 to 0, to separate the two players at all, and this game is usually cited as the moment Caruana came closest to taking the title away from him.
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| 1. | e4📖 | e5📖 |
| 2. | Nf3📖 | Nf6📖 |
| 3. | Nxe5📖 | d6📖 |
| 4. | Nd3📖 | Nxe4★ |
| 5. | Qe2★ | Qe7★ |
| 6. | Nf4★ | Nc6★ |
| 7. | Nd5★ | Nd4★ |
| 8. | Nxe7★ | Nxe2! |
| 9. | Nd5★ | Nd4! |
| 10. | Na3★ | Ne6★ |
| 11. | f3★ | N4c5★ |
| 12. | d4★ | Nd7★ |
| 13. | c3★ | c6★ |
| 14. | Nf4★ | Nb6★ |
| 15. | Bd3 | d5 |
| 16. | Nc2★ | Bd6 |
| 17. | Nxe6 | Bxe6★ |
| 18. | Kf2★ | h5★ |
| 19. | h4★ | Nc8 |
| 20. | Ne3 | Ne7 |
| 21. | g3★ | c5★ |
| 22. | Bc2 | O-O★ |
| 23. | Rd1 | Rfd8 |
| 24. | Ng2 | cxd4★ |
| 25. | cxd4! | Rac8 |
| 26. | Bb3★ | Nc6★ |
| 27. | Bf4 | Na5★ |
| 28. | Rdc1★ | Bb4 |
| 29. | Bd1 | Nc4★ |
| 30. | b3★ | Na3 |
| 31. | Rxc8★ | Rxc8★ |
| 32. | Rc1 | Nb5 |
| 33. | Rxc8+★ | Bxc8! |
| 34. | Ne3★ | Nc3★ |
| 35. | Bc2★ | Ba3★ |
| 36. | Bb8 | a6★ |
| 37. | f4 | Bd7★ |
| 38. | f5 | Bc6★ |
| 39. | Bd1★ | Bb2 |
| 40. | Bxh5★ | Ne4+ |
| 41. | Kg2 | Bxd4★ |
| 42. | Bf4 | Bc5★ |
| 43. | Bf3 | Nd2★ |
| 44. | Bxd5 | Bxe3! |
| 45. | Bxc6★ | Bxf4! |
| 46. | Bxb7★ | Bd6★ |
| 47. | Bxa6★ | Ne4★ |
| 48. | g4★ | Ba3★ |
| 49. | Bc4★ | Kf8★ |
| 50. | g5 | Nc3★ |
| 51. | b4★ | Bxb4★ |
| 52. | Kf3 | Na4★ |
| 53. | Bb5 | Nc5 |
| 54. | a4 | f6 |
| 55. | Kg4★ | Ne4 |
| 56. | Kh5★ | Be1★ |
| 57. | Bd3 | Nd6 |
| 58. | a5 | Bxa5★ |
| 59. | gxf6★ | gxf6★ |
| 60. | Kg6★ | Bd8★ |
| 61. | Kh7★ | Nf7 |
| 62. | Bc4 | Ne5★ |
| 63. | Bd5★ | Ba5 |
| 64. | h5★ | Bd2★ |
| 65. | Ba2 | Nf3★ |
| 66. | Bd5★ | Nd4 |
| 67. | Kg6? | Bg5! |
| 68. | Bc4★ | Nf3?! |
| 69. | Kh7★ | Ne5 |
| 70. | Bb3 | Ng4 |
| 71. | Bc4 | Ne3★ |
| 72. | Bd3! | Ng4 |
| 73. | Bc4 | Nh6 |
| 74. | Kg6 | Ke7★ |
| 75. | Bb3 | Kd6 |
| 76. | Bc2★ | Ke5★ |
| 77. | Bd3★ | Kf4 |
| 78. | Bc2 | Ng4★ |
| 79. | Bb3 | Ne3 |
| 80. | h6★ | Bxh6!! |
Critical moments
80... Bxh6Brilliance
Black played Bxh6!! A winning sacrifice.
The moves
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nd3 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. Nf4 Nc6 7. Nd5 Nd4 8. Nxe7 Nxe2 9. Nd5 Nd4 10. Na3 Ne6 11. f3 N4c5 12. d4 Nd7 13. c3 c6 14. Nf4 Nb6 15. Bd3 d5 16. Nc2 Bd6 17. Nxe6 Bxe6 18. Kf2 h5 19. h4 Nc8 20. Ne3 Ne7 21. g3 c5 22. Bc2 O-O 23. Rd1 Rfd8 24. Ng2 cxd4 25. cxd4 Rac8 26. Bb3 Nc6 27. Bf4 Na5 28. Rdc1 Bb4 29. Bd1 Nc4 30. b3 Na3 31. Rxc8 Rxc8 32. Rc1 Nb5 33. Rxc8+ Bxc8 34. Ne3 Nc3 35. Bc2 Ba3 36. Bb8 a6 37. f4 Bd7 38. f5 Bc6 39. Bd1 Bb2 40. Bxh5 Ne4+ 41. Kg2 Bxd4 42. Bf4 Bc5 43. Bf3 Nd2 44. Bxd5 Bxe3 45. Bxc6 Bxf4 46. Bxb7 Bd6 47. Bxa6 Ne4 48. g4 Ba3 49. Bc4 Kf8 50. g5 Nc3 51. b4 Bxb4 52. Kf3 Na4 53. Bb5 Nc5 54. a4 f6 55. Kg4 Ne4 56. Kh5 Be1 57. Bd3 Nd6 58. a5 Bxa5 59. gxf6 gxf6 60. Kg6 Bd8 61. Kh7 Nf7 62. Bc4 Ne5 63. Bd5 Ba5 64. h5 Bd2 65. Ba2 Nf3 66. Bd5 Nd4 67. Kg6 Bg5 68. Bc4 Nf3 69. Kh7 Ne5 70. Bb3 Ng4 71. Bc4 Ne3 72. Bd3 Ng4 73. Bc4 Nh6 74. Kg6 Ke7 75. Bb3 Kd6 76. Bc2 Ke5 77. Bd3 Kf4 78. Bc2 Ng4 79. Bb3 Ne3 80. h6 Bxh6 1/2-1/2