Magnus Carlsen’s opening preparation in his final World Championship match in Dubai was wonderful. His foremost technique was to acquire barely inferior positions with Black the place he can be snug and assured to carry. Whereas that is OK, the shocking side of his play in these positions was that it was quite simple and with out an excessive amount of variance.
The universality of Carlsen’s play with the black items within the Ruy Lopez buildings was fairly putting.
Check out the next place from the third recreation of the match. White’s final transfer was 10.Nbd2.
On this typical Ruy Lopez place Black has a number of plans, however on this and different comparable positions, Carlsen all the time went for one plan: …Re8, adopted by …h6 and …Bf8 (or beginning with …h6 after which …Re8 and …Bf8).
Then, based on circumstances, both the knight maneuver …Ne7-g6 or the change of the bishops with …Be6.
And that was it for the entire match!
Within the place above he performed 10…Re8.
If you happen to take a look at the opposite video games he performed with Black you’ll inevitably see the above plans. Even within the final recreation of the match, the place the Giuoco Piano was performed, he additionally went for this plan:
Carlsen performed 11…Re8 adopted by 12…Be6.
It’s unbelievable which you can base your entire preparation in a World Championship match on just one concept (…Re8, …h6 and …Bf8) with two prospects after it (…Ne7-g6 and/or …Be6)!
Unbelievable as it might appear we now know that it labored completely and it’s the truth is fairly attainable to take action. Carlsen continued to make use of this plan even after the match, as within the recreation with Duda from Wijk aan Zee in 2022, the place he went for a good sooner …h6 , …Re8 and …Bf8 in comparison with the fifth recreation of the match with Nepomniachtchi.
In Dubai Carlsen performed 13…d5 and solely later within the recreation went for the knight maneuver …Ne7-g6 and ready the transfer …Be6 with the assistance of …Qe8. In Wijk, nonetheless, he went for the straight-forward 13…h6, adopted by …Re8, …Bf8 and …Be6.
What makes Carlsen’s recipe so interesting is that one can base the entire repertoire towards 1.e4 on these two concepts as they’re relevant each within the Ruy Lopez and within the Italian Giuoco Piano. Usually the best issues work greatest and right here we even get the stamp of approval by the (former) World Champion. Easy chess is nice chess
