[Event "TePe Sigeman"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2026.05.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Woodward, Andy"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "carlc-ENG"]
[ECO "E73"]
[WhiteFideId "-1"]
[BlackFideId "-1"]
[PlyCount "96"]
[GameId "2306836715815236"]
[EventDate "2026.??.??"]
[SourceVersionDate "2026.05.06"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 {A King's Indian! With a Modern Benoni already earlier in the tournament, Carlsen continues his unpredictable run in the openings.} 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Be3 $5 {A popular and practical option nowadays, often intending to counter ...e5 with ...d5 and then play for kingside control with g4 and h4.} a5 $5 {Early ...a5 tries have been not-all-but-some of the rage recently, though they will often transpose back into regular lines later.} 7. Nf3 Ng4 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bc1 e5 10. O-O Nf6 11. Be3 Ng4 12. Bc1 {Implicitly hints at a repetition of moves, which Carlsen however declines.} Nd7 (12... Nf6 13. Be3 Ng4 14. Bc1 {½-½ could have meant an early afternoon in the sun.}) 13. h3 Ngf6 14. Be3 exd4 15. Nxd4 Nc5 16. f3 $5 $146 {A late novelty, which says something about how well-explored the King's Indian is nowadays.} (16. Qc2 {was played the only other game to reach the position on move 15, and was played by none other than...Andy Woodward in 2022, then an IM-title-chasing FM. Time flies.}) 16... Nh5 $1 {A natural square for the knight in these 'open' King's Indian structures, especially when White has 'doubly' compromised his kingside with f3 and h3.} 17. Qd2 g5 $5 (17... Qh4 $5 {was possible, toying with ...Bxh3 ideas and forcing a repetition. A sample line goes} 18. f4 Ng3 19. Qe1 Nxe2+ 20. Qxe2 Bxh3 21. gxh3 Qg3+ 22. Kh1 Qxh3+ 23. Kg1 Qg3+ $11 {and, considering how White cannot intercede with Qg2/Qh2 to stop the checks without dropping the e3 bishop, the game will end peacefully. It should, however, come as no surprise that Carlsen wants to outplay Woodward in a manoeuvring game rather than forcing a early draw.}) 18. Bd1 $5 {Reasonable, the bishop is a bit clunky on e2, standing in the way of the other pieces. Placing it on c2 is logical but time-consuming.} Be6 19. b3 {Logical, though giving Black the 'automatic' option of achieving counterplay with ...a4.} ({The computer here likes a radical option:} 19. Nce2 $5 {, taking advantage of the fact that} Bxc4 {permits White to jump into the weakened f5 square:} 20. Nf5 $36 {from where he can better menace Black's kingside.}) 19... a4 $132 {...which duly comes.} 20. Bc2 axb3 21. axb3 Rxa1 22. Rxa1 Be5 $11 {With great control over the central dark squares.} 23. Ra7 c6 24. Nce2 Nf4 $1 {A tricky move, taking advantage of the awkward position of the a7 rook on the same diagonal as the white king.} 25. Bf2 (25. Nxf4 gxf4 26. Bxf4 Qb6 $1 {leads to tactical complications:} 27. Ra2 ({The White position is, however, compact enough that he can afford to go on an adventure with} 27. Kh2 $5 Qxa7 28. Bxe5 dxe5 29. Qxh6 $11 {, which will either lead to a repetition or a balanced endgame.}) 27... Nxb3 28. Bxb3 Bxf4 29. Qxf4 Qxd4+ 30. Kh1 Kg7 $11 {, and as is often the case with tactically challenging lines, they end up in an equal position.}) 25... Nxe2+ 26. Nxe2 Qf6 27. Be3 Bxh3 $5 28. b4 $1 ({The other critical move was} 28. gxh3 {, which after} Qxf3 29. Bxc5 dxc5 30. Qd3 Qxd3 31. Bxd3 Rd8 32. Nc1 Bf4 33. Rxb7 Bxc1 $15 {ends in a, though for Black comfortable, opposite-coloured bishop endgame.}) 28... Nd7 29. Rxb7 (29. gxh3 Qxf3 30. Nd4 Qg3+ 31. Kf1 Qxh3+ {and Black can choose to make a draw immediately or play on with for example} 32. Kg1 Nb6 $5 $44) 29... Be6 30. Nd4 $4 {loses due to an easily overlooked point: White can now no longer stop Black from infiltrating along the a-file with Rf8-a8-a1 by going Rb7-a7, as he now no longer controls a7!} (30. Ba4 $5 Ra8 31. Ra7 $132 {remained balanced.}) 30... Ra8 $1 $19 {The rook infiltrates with deadly effect; the rest is suffering. White lacks counterplay, meaning that Carlsen can take his time. He did not face any critical points for the remainder of the game.} 31. Nxe6 Qxe6 32. Bd3 Ra1+ 33. Kf2 Nf6 34. Ra7 Rh1 35. Ke2 Nh5 36. Qa2 g4 37. f4 Ra1 38. Qxa1 Bxa1 39. Rxa1 Ng3+ 40. Kd2 Nxe4+ 41. Kc2 f5 42. b5 cxb5 43. Ra8+ Kg7 44. cxb5 Qd5 45. Rc8 Nf2 $5 46. Rc7+ (46. Bxf2 Qxg2 $19 {is just as lost as everything else.}) 46... Kg6 47. Bc4 Qd1+ 48. Kb2 d5 {and Andy had seen enough. One subtle tactical mistake was all it took for Carlsen to impose his will on the position.} 0-1
