Carlsen came with a big grin when he met the press.
– It was a little strange. Was most concerned with leveling and keeping it safe. He calculated completely wrong when he let me sacrifice quality, Carlsen says to NRK.
He was happy, despite the fact that it has almost become a habit to become world champion.
– It has happened sometimes now, but it is of course very fun. It is a relief to make it happen, and it is fun to make it happen in a slightly more convincing way than the other times, says the Norwegian world champion.
Think one party decided
He admits that game six, which lasted almost eight hours, was important for the way forward in the World Cup.
– I felt I was concentrated and made little mistake. It will be one game that decides, and after that I do not need to do more than play solid and see him try on things that give bad results, says Carlsen.
CHEERS: Team Carlsen had to bounce the champagne when the World Cup title was secured.
Photo: Gunnar Bratthammer / NRK
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He admits that it was not the toughest World Cup victory in his career.
– In the second World Cup, it could have gone this way quickly. But as it turned out, I was not put to the test, he says.
When it comes to the road ahead in long chess, he does not have the plan completely ready.
– We will see what happens, says Carlsen.
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Enormous loss cover
– What a disaster it is for Jan Nepomnyachi. That he makes three incredible mistakes, where this is the biggest of them all, said chess expert Torstein Bae.
With one mistake from “Nepo”, Magnus Carlsen suddenly became world champion in a party that seemed to steer towards a draw.
– There is a new chapter in the phenomenon that has conquered the chess world, says Baes
The game started evenly and relatively cautiously, with only the players’ runners taken out early. “Nepo” started with an Italian opening, but there were two players who equalized each other.
One key moment may have been when they had two farmers facing each other in the center. In the end, they each beat out their own farmer, and they were probably one step closer to a draw.
But then the incredible mistake from the Russian happened.
– Is it possible that he does it again? It seems like an incredible mistake, Bae said.
He moved the farmer to g3, and thus it was possible for Carlsen to beat the horse to “Nepo” on e3 without particular consequences.
– Historically crushing victory
After the victory, he now receives a cash prize of 11 million kroner. The Russian receives “only” around 8 million kroner.
With 7.5 against 3.5, it will be a brackish victory for Carlsen, and after several mistakes from “Grandson” there was little doubt as to who should take the title.
– This is a historically devastating victory, Bae thought.
Today’s victory means that Carlsen has gone 27 World Cup games without losing. During the 22 games he has met Sergej Karjakin, Fabiano Caruana and «Nepo».
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