Magnus Carlsen’s vintage performance at Wijk aan Zee gained the world champion three rating points in his quest for a world record 2900. A week later the Norwegian, 31, gave them all back with interest on a Saturday night in Oslo to Tallaksen Ostmoe, rated 399 points lower than the No 1.
The very first meeting 22 years earlier between the then nine-year-old Carlsen, rated under 1000, and the 15-year-old Ostmoe, rated over 2200, had also been a draw and a rating upset, but this was the other way round.
