Championship blunders

The world witnessed the regrettable blunder the champion made during the final endgame of the 2024 World Championship Chess Match. With it, the champion lost his title. But Ding Liren is not the only championship contender who suffered such a distasteful defeat. One individual move in a game can decide the outcome of a world championship chess match as it did in the 2024 World Championship Chess Match. An inaccuracy can be excused in an individual game, but in a match where the two protagonists had already contested 13 consecutive games, it is diminished. I believe it’s the pressure of the position on the chessboard and the clock which create a blunder at the world championship level.

Let us look at the 1892 world championship match between Wilhelm Steinitz and Mikhail Tchigorin. Steinitz was the world champion in 1892 and was 56 years of age. It was his third title defence after he had defeated Tchigorin three years earlier in his first title defence. In the diagrammed position it was white to play and win. The seemingly correct move was Rxb7. Grandmaster Daniel Noroditsky wrote:

“White is up a full piece and Black’s rooks present absolutely no danger, provided the bishop remains on d6. The simple 32. Rxb7 won easily. But Tchigorin, who was most likely suffering from extreme fatigue, committed one of the worst blunders in world championship history. He played the horrific 32. Bb4 allowing mate in two moves: 32 … Rxh2+ Kg1 Rdxg2 mate. In this extraordinary fashion, Steinitz mounted his fourth successful title defence.”

The bishop on d6 was the only defender of the square h2.(Diagram: New York Times Games)

Chess game

White: Magnus Carlsen

Black: Nihal Sarin

Event: Tata Steel India Blitz 2024, Kolkata, India, November 16

Type of Game: Indian Game, Anti-Nimzo-Indian

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Nbd2 O-O 6. Bg2 b6 7. O-O Bb7 8. b3 Nbd7

9. Bb2 Re8 10. Rc1 Bf8

11. cxd5 Bxd5 12. Re1 c5

13. e4 Bb7 14. e5 Nd5

15. Ne4 Rc8 16. Nfd2 b5

17. Nd6 Bxd6 18. exd6 c4

19. bxc4 bxc4 20. Nxc4 N7b6 21. Na5 Ba6 22. Ba3 Qd7

23. Bc5 h6 24. h3 Red8

25. Qd2 Qa4 26. Be4 Nf6

27. Bf3 Nfd5 28. Kg2 Qd7 29. h4 Bb5 30. Ba3 Nc4

31. Nxc4 Bxc4 32. Rc2 Nf6 33. Rec1 Bd5 34. Bxd5 Rxc2

35. Qxc2 Nxd5 36. Qc6 Qxc6

37. Rxc6 f6 38. Bc5 Rd7

39. Ra6 Nb6 40. a4 Kf7

41. a5 Nc4 42. Kf3 e5 43. d5 f5 44. Rxa7 Rxa7 45. Bxa7 Nxa5 46. d7 Nb7 47. Bc5 g6

48. Ke3 Kf6 49. Bf8 Kf7

50. Bb4 Kf6 51. Kd3 g5

52. hxg5+ hxg5 53. Kc4 e4 54. Kb5 Nd8 55. Kb6 f4

56. gxf4 gxf4 57. Kc7 Nf7

58. Bd2 Ke5 59. d6 e3

60. fxe3 fxe3 61. Bxe3 Kd5 62. Bf4 1-0. Black resigns.