12 November 2016
First Game of Carlsen-Karjakin Match Ends in a Draw
The famous actor Woody Harrelson made a first move for Carlsen.
The first game of the World Chess Championship match between Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and Sergey Karjakin (Russia) was played on Friday, November 11 in New York. The World Champion played White. The famous actor Woody Harrelson made a honorary first move, pushing the d-pawn to d4. After making the first move, Mr Harrelson stayed inside the building for several hours and played a number of blitz games, showing considerable strength – around 1st category. RCF President Andrey Filatov also tested the actor's chess skill in a couple of games. 
Magnus Carlsen went for a rather rare opening – the Trompowsky (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5). However, it was not surprising for Karjakin, as Carlsen had already employed it on several occasions, and not only in speed chess. The players followed Carlsen-Kramnik (Moscow 2013) until the move 5, but Karjakin deviated first. After multiple exchanges, an ending arose – White had a rook and knight against Black's rook and bishop, and White's pawn structure was more favorable, securing him a small but lasting advantage. It wasn't a lot, but Carlsen is well known for his ability to squeeze victories in dry technical positions, so the game continued for quite a while.
Black created an unbreakable wall on the kingside. Carlsen tried to shake Black's defensive line on the queenside, but Karjakin regrouped skilfully, brought his rook and bishop into the center and covered the weaknesses. The World Champion traded the rooks, but the knight vs. bishop ending did not provide any reasonable winning chances. Having exhausted all the resources, the players agreed to a draw on the move 42.
The second game will be played on Saturday, November 12. Sergey Karjakin plays White.
Official site
Photos by Vladimir Barsky, Maria Emelyanova, and Eteri Kublashvili
