Stuck at Your Current Rating?
Signup for free to join thousands of players who improved their game with our personalized tips and analysis
Sanan_Sjugirov vs magnuscarlsen
win
Date: 2026-02-24 17:19:58 |
Game Link
Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
h
g
f
e
d
c
b
a
h
g
f
e
d
c
b
a
Game Navigator
Game Snapshot
Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian
Master Lens
Magnus Carlsen (Black) steered the Sicilian Old Sicilian into a comfortable position, then turned a small material edge into a winning attack on White's king. By coordinating his pieces on the open e‑file and exploiting the bishop pair, he forced White to resign. The game ends in a Black win.
What The GM Did Well By Phase
Opening
Carlsen chose the solid ...c5 and ...Nc6 setup, then played ...e6 and ...bxc6 to keep a flexible pawn structure while developing his pieces quickly. He castled early with **11...O-O**, putting his king safely away and connecting the rooks, which is a key principle of king safety (castling). By playing ...f6 and ...Ne7 followed by ...Ng6, he prepared the central break ...e5, showing how a well‑timed pawn push can open lines for the pieces.
Middlegame
After White's 14.Nh3, Carlsen placed his bishop on d6 (**14...Bd6**) to eye the e5 square and support the upcoming pawn thrust. The decisive move **17...f3!** created a passed pawn and opened lines toward White's king, forcing White's queen to move. Then Carlsen sacrificed the bishop with **18...Bxh3** to open the g‑file, followed by **19...Rae8** and **20...Qh4**, lining up his queen and rook on the e‑file. When White exchanged queens on e8, Carlsen's rook entered the seventh rank with **22...Kf7**, leaving White with no defense and prompting resignation. This sequence demonstrates the power of piece coordination (the bishop pair and rook infiltration) and creating threats against the opponent's king.
Game Themes
castling
bishop pair