4 ms·

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bd3 Nf6 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Nc3 Qh5 6. 0-0 Bg4 7. h3 Ne5 ╔═══════════════╗ ║♜ … … … ♚ ♝ … ♜║ ║♟ ♟

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bd3 Nf6 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Nc3 Qh5 6. 0-0 Bg4 7. h3 Ne5 ╔═══════════════╗ ║♜ … … … ♚ ♝ … ♜║ ║♟ ♟ ♟ … ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟║ ║… … … … … ♞ … …║ ║… … … … ♞ … … ♛║ ║… … … … … … ♝ …║ ║… … ♘ ♗ … ♘ … ♙║ ║♙ ♙ ♙ ♙ … ♙ ♙ …║ ║♖ … ♗ ♕ … ♖ ♔ …║ ╚═══════════════╝ 8. hxg4 Nfxg4 9. Nxe5 Qh2# ╔═══════════════╗ ║♜ … … … ♚ ♝ … ♜║ ║♟ ♟ ♟ … ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟║ ║… … … … … … … …║ ║… … … … ♘ … … …║ ║… … … … … … ♞ …║ ║… … ♘ ♗ … … … …║ ║♙ ♙ ♙ ♙ … ♙ ♙ ♛║ ║♖ … ♗ ♕ … ♖ ♔ …║ ╚═══════════════╝

pjungwir 13y ago
I'm no expert, but since all the other comments are just complaining, here are my (very amateur) thoughts: 1. e4 The most common opening in chess. Bill knows he's supposed to bring out some knights and bishops in these next few moves, which is good! 1. ... Nc6 2. Nf3 d5 Both black moves aim for an open center so he can make it a fast game with plenty options to attack. His move invites Bill to waste a turn changing the center from pawn vs pawn to queen vs nothing. To his credit Bill resists capturing for a bit! 3. Bd3 Doesn't make much sense to block your queen pawn like this. Of course he's trying to support e4 or win d5, but he's tying himself in knots. 3. ... Nf6 4. exd5 Qxd5 Magnus is ahead in development. 5. Nc3 Qh5 I'm sure Magnus would have played more conservatively against a better player. But in this case, he might as well attack! 6. 0-0 Seems like Bill stepped right into the line of fire here, but his blocked queen pawn makes everything else hard to move. 6. ... Bg4 Pinning the knight. This immobilizes yet another piece and makes Bill's queen even more stuck. 7. h3 Moving the pawns in front of your castled king usually weakens your defenses. And hxg4 is suicidal. 7. ... Ne5 Attack! Magnus is happy to give up material to gain time and open vulnerabilities. 8. hxg4 Nfxg4 9. Nxe5 Getting greedy, but even if he did something else, was there was any way to stop that queen? I've lost games more quickly than Bill, and not to grandmasters, so props to him for at least making reasonable moves.
- GraffitiTim 13y ago
  That analysis looks fine except for the end. At the end, Bill's 9. Nxe5 resulted in an immediate checkmate. Instead, 9. Re1 (Rook one square to the left) stops the mate since it gives white's king an escape route. In an even match, the game would be winning for white at that point because Magnus sacrificed a bishop for his now-failed attack. Magnus screwed up big-time or was goofing around. He would still be able to beat Gates from that losing position, but I'm very surprised he let that happen.
  - eitland 13y ago
    I just watched the show on local tv and Magnus commented afterwards that he did something against his principles and gambled that he could trick Bill into it.

pjungwir 13y ago

I'm no expert, but since all the other comments are just complaining, here are my (very amateur) thoughts: 1. e4 The most common opening in chess. Bill knows he's supposed to bring out some knights and bishops in these next few moves, which is good! 1. ... Nc6 2. Nf3 d5 Both black moves aim for an open center so he can make it a fast game with plenty options to attack. His move invites Bill to waste a turn changing the center from pawn vs pawn to queen vs nothing. To his credit Bill resists capturing for a bit! 3. Bd3 Doesn't make much sense to block your queen pawn like this. Of course he's trying to support e4 or win d5, but he's tying himself in knots. 3. ... Nf6 4. exd5 Qxd5 Magnus is ahead in development. 5. Nc3 Qh5 I'm sure Magnus would have played more conservatively against a better player. But in this case, he might as well attack! 6. 0-0 Seems like Bill stepped right into the line of fire here, but his blocked queen pawn makes everything else hard to move. 6. ... Bg4 Pinning the knight. This immobilizes yet another piece and makes Bill's queen even more stuck. 7. h3 Moving the pawns in front of your castled king usually weakens your defenses. And hxg4 is suicidal. 7. ... Ne5 Attack! Magnus is happy to give up material to gain time and open vulnerabilities. 8. hxg4 Nfxg4 9. Nxe5 Getting greedy, but even if he did something else, was there was any way to stop that queen? I've lost games more quickly than Bill, and not to grandmasters, so props to him for at least making reasonable moves.

GraffitiTim 13y ago
That analysis looks fine except for the end. At the end, Bill's 9. Nxe5 resulted in an immediate checkmate. Instead, 9. Re1 (Rook one square to the left) stops the mate since it gives white's king an escape route. In an even match, the game would be winning for white at that point because Magnus sacrificed a bishop for his now-failed attack. Magnus screwed up big-time or was goofing around. He would still be able to beat Gates from that losing position, but I'm very surprised he let that happen.
- eitland 13y ago
  I just watched the show on local tv and Magnus commented afterwards that he did something against his principles and gambled that he could trick Bill into it.