LaviChess

Carlsen vs. Karjakin, 2016 World Championship

After twelve classical games the score was 6–6, and the World Championship match went to rapid chess. In the last game, Sergey Karjakin had to win. Magnus Carlsen finished with a queen sacrifice where both ways of taking the queen lead to mate.

  • WhiteMagnus Carlsen
  • BlackSergey Karjakin
  • WhereNew York
  • WhenNovember 30, 2016
  • Event2016 World Championship match, tiebreak game 4 (rapid)
  • Result1–0, White won
  • OpeningSicilian Defense, Prins Variation (B54)
  • Length50 moves

In the fall of 2016, Magnus Carlsen defended his world title against Sergey Karjakin in New York. The match was played over twelve games. The first seven were drawn, Karjakin won the eighth and Carlsen the tenth. After twelve games the score was 6–6.

Then the match was decided in rapid chess: four games with 25 minutes per player and 10 extra seconds for every move. The tiebreak was played on November 30, Carlsen's 26th birthday. The first two games were drawn, and Carlsen won the third with Black.

Before the fourth game Carlsen led 2–1. Karjakin had Black and had to win to level the score.

The players

Magnus Carlsen (born 1990) from Norway became a grandmaster at 13 and world number one in 2010, at 19. He became world champion in 2013 by beating Viswanathan Anand and has been world number one without a break since 2011. In 2023 he chose not to defend his title.

Sergey Karjakin (born 1990) was a child prodigy. He became a grandmaster at twelve years and seven months, the youngest ever at the time. He won the World Rapid Championship in 2012 and the Candidates Tournament in 2016, which made him Carlsen's challenger.

The game move by move

Step through with the arrows or tap a move. Moves with a dot have a comment.

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Magnus Carlsen has the white pieces, Sergey Karjakin the black.

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Play like Carlsen

Guess the moves Carlsen played, one at a time. The move from the game earns two points, and a move Lavi thinks is about as good earns one. The other side's moves and the game's notes come as you go.

Play like CarlsenPlay like Karjakin

The moments that decided it

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After 34…Rxb3: Karjakin has to win, and gives up the exchange for two pawns.
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After 48…Qf2: Black threatens mate on g2, but it is White's move.
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After 49.Rc8+: the rook gives check, and the next move is the queen sacrifice.

The end

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The final position after 50.Qh6+. Black resigned after 50.Qh6+.

Why the game is famous

With the win, Carlsen took the tiebreak 3–1 and kept his world title. The final move, 50.Qh6+, is a sham sacrifice: the queen is given away with check, but whichever way Black takes it, it is mate on the next move. The grandmaster Lubomir Kavalek called it the most brilliant final move ever played in a world championship match.

In the classical games, Karjakin had kept pace with the world champion and won the eighth game. But in the last game he had to take risks, and that opened up his own king to Carlsen's attack.

The whole game with notes, as text

1. e4 c5 Karjakin has to win and chooses the Sicilian Defense. It was the only time in the whole match that the opening was played. 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. f3 The Prins Variation. The pawn protects e4, and White can then play c4. 5… e5 6. Nb3 Be7 7. c4 The pawns on c4 and e4 control d5. 7… a5 8. Be3 a4 9. Nc1 O-O 10. Nc3 Qa5 11. Qd2 Na6 12. Be2 Nc5 13. O-O Bd7 14. Rb1 Rfc8 15. b4 axb3 16. axb3 Qd8 17. Nd3 Ne6 18. Nb4 Bc6 19. Rfd1 h5 Karjakin looks for chances on the kingside. The h-pawn marches. 20. Bf1 h4 21. Qf2 Nd7 22. g3 Ra3 23. Bh3 Rca8 24. Nc2 R3a6 25. Nb4 Ra5 26. Nc2 b6 27. Rd2 Qc7 28. Rbd1 Bf8 29. gxh4 Carlsen takes the pawn. Black's attempt to build an attack hasn't worked, and White is better. 29… Nf4 30. Bxf4 exf4 31. Bxd7 Qxd7 32. Nb4 Ra3 33. Nxc6 Qxc6 34. Nb5 Rxb3 Karjakin gives up the exchange for two pawns: the pawn on b3, and soon after the pawn on c4. 35. Nd4 Qxc4 36. Nxb3 Qxb3 White has a rook against a bishop; Black has a pawn more. 37. Qe2 Be7 38. Kg2 Qe6 39. h5 Ra3 40. Rd3 Ra2 41. R3d2 Ra3 42. Rd3 Ra7 43. Rd5 Rc7 44. Qd2 Qf6 45. Rf5 Qh4 46. Rc1 Ra7 47. Qxf4 The queen takes the pawn on f4. Now White is the exchange up, and the pawns are level. 47… Ra2+ 48. Kh1 Qf2 Black threatens …Qg2#. But it is White's move. 49. Rc8+ After this move there is no escape. With 49…Bf8 Black could have put off the mate for a few moves. 49… Kh7 50. Qh6+ The queen sacrifice. Karjakin resigned, because both ways of taking the queen lead to mate: 50…Kxh6 51.Rh8# and 50…gxh6 51.Rxf7#.

PGN – the game as text for other chess programs
[Event "2016 World Championship match, tiebreak game 4 (rapid)"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Magnus Carlsen"]
[Black "Sergey Karjakin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B54"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. f3 e5 6. Nb3 Be7 7. c4 a5 8. Be3 a4 9. Nc1 O-O 10. Nc3 Qa5 11. Qd2 Na6 12. Be2 Nc5 13. O-O Bd7 14. Rb1 Rfc8 15. b4 axb3 16. axb3 Qd8 17. Nd3 Ne6 18. Nb4 Bc6 19. Rfd1 h5 20. Bf1 h4 21. Qf2 Nd7 22. g3 Ra3 23. Bh3 Rca8 24. Nc2 R3a6 25. Nb4 Ra5 26. Nc2 b6 27. Rd2 Qc7 28. Rbd1 Bf8 29. gxh4 Nf4 30. Bxf4 exf4 31. Bxd7 Qxd7 32. Nb4 Ra3 33. Nxc6 Qxc6 34. Nb5 Rxb3 35. Nd4 Qxc4 36. Nxb3 Qxb3 37. Qe2 Be7 38. Kg2 Qe6 39. h5 Ra3 40. Rd3 Ra2 41. R3d2 Ra3 42. Rd3 Ra7 43. Rd5 Rc7 44. Qd2 Qf6 45. Rf5 Qh4 46. Rc1 Ra7 47. Qxf4 Ra2+ 48. Kh1 Qf2 49. Rc8+ Kh7 50. Qh6+ 1-0

Download .pgn

Sources

  • Chessgames.com, Carlsen–Karjakin 2016, tiebreak game 4
  • PGN Mentor, Carlsen.pgn
  • Wikipedia: World Chess Championship 2016

The moves compared in three sources (Chessgames, PGN Mentor, both Carlsen's and Karjakin's files, and Wikipedia): identical, 99 half-moves. Karjakin resigned after 50.Qh6+. The date from Chessgames and PGN Mentor; the time control and the course of the match from Wikipedia. Every move has also been replayed by computer and checked against the rules of chess.

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Updated November 6, 2026