World number one and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway emerged victorious at the Casablanca Chess Championship. Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world champion, secured third place.
Anand’s second match against Carlsen in the tournament ended in a draw. Anand managed to defeat Egypt’s Amin Bassem, marking his only win in the competition. Carlsen finished with four-and-a-half points, while Anand scored three points over six rounds. American Hikaru Nakamura claimed second place with three-and-a-half points, and Bassem finished fourth with one point.
This unique competition featured an experimental format. Players were presented with positions from historical chess matches and had to continue the game from those given positions. In the first round, Carlsen defeated Anand, but in the second round, he drew with Anand in a position from the 1935 World Championship match between Alexander Alekhine and Max Euwe. Anand held a better position as White, but Carlsen managed to draw by sacrificing material.
Interesting Format
In the fifth round, Nakamura and Anand also drew their match, while Carlsen defeated Bassem. The sixth round saw another draw between Carlsen and Nakamura, and Anand secured a win over Bassem. Reflecting on the tournament, Carlsen said, “It was an interesting format. I would definitely like to try it again. The intriguing aspect was that it didn’t matter whether you were playing with white or black pawns, as the positions were the same and both players had equal chances.”
