“Picking Up Free Points”: Magnus Carlsen Takes a Shot at Opponent Anish Giri
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Magnus Carlsen recently took a shot at Anish Giri after his remarkable victory against Grand Master Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. He is currently leading the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, happening at Wijk aan Zee, with 7 points, followed by last year’s runner-up, Anish Giri who is at second place with 6.5 points.
♔ @MagnusCarlsen with a hot take. #TataSteelChess pic.twitter.com/zOhzFDNKSX
— Chess.com (@chesscom) January 25, 2022
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In the post-match interview when asked about Giri, Carlsen said, “He’s playing really, really well, the last few days,” and with a playful smile he further added, “He’s also showing a tremendous will to win, picking up free points instead of playing games on free days, for instance, which shows that he really, really wants to win the tournament!”
A free point to Anish
Anish got a free point after Daniil Dubov forfeited the game against him because the organizers asked Dubov to wear a mask during the match. However, the organizers tried to reschedule the match, but Anish declined and kept his free point.
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As per the standings, both Carlsen and Giri so far have been the best performers at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2022. Though the world champion defeated the home contender, Anish Giri, in the second round of the tournament, it’s likely that they’ll compete for the championship in the finals.
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Magnus Carlsen Uses the Queen’s Gambit Move ‘Catalan’ to Win a Crucial Game
Good old days with Magnus
After winning his game against US Grand Master Samuel Shankland in round 9, Anish said (while Carlsen was talking to press in the background), “So far it’s like in the good old days, when I had those races with Magnus. I had them twice in a row. I’m definitely happy where I am and somehow, from what I remember, when Magnus plays so well, even though he is interrupting my interview now, it does motivate me to do really my best and that’s when I play my best chess, so I am looking forward to the end of the tournament and to the next games.”
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Along with the top favorite in the tournament, Carlsen is also on a quest to reach 2900 Elo rating, and every game he plays is a brief step towards that. On the other hand, the Dutch Grand Master, Anish Giri, is eyeing his 3rd Tata Steel Tournament title in 2022. At the end of round 14, who do you think will achieve his goal?