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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Leonard Barden

Chess: Magnus Carlsen blames opponent’s watch for shock defeat

Chess 3889
3889: White to move and win. This Josef Moravec endgame looks trivial, but the main line ends in mate at move 10. Strong players should be able to visualise the solution. Illustration: The Guardian

Last week, the European Club Cup, the chess version of the Champions League, was staged in Durres, Albania. Magnus Carlsen was the star attraction and the world No 1 did not disappoint, making the best top board score of 5/6 and leading his Offerspill Oslo team to the gold medals. The winning squad consisted primarily of Norwegians, boosted by two strong Indian GMs.

Carlsen has won six of his last eight over-the-board or online events and finished second in the other two. The contrast is glaring with the official world champion, Ding Liren. It is now nearly five months since Ding last pushed a pawn in public.

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