Magnus's Magics or Anand's Tricks?

GCL Day 7: Carlsen wins an exquisite endgame against Anand

6/28/2023 – Vishy Anand vs Magnus Carlsen games are always the highly anticipated encounter of the day, no matter the event. The rematch between two of the greatest was arguably the game of the tournament so far. The endgame seemed to be heading towards a draw when the world no.1 went for a break. It actually allowed Anand to salvage a draw. However, time trouble induced a human error, turning things once again towards the Norwegian's favor. After an exchange of smiles, tha avoidance of a stalemate trap and an underpromotion, Carlsen defeated Anand in a stellar game. His and Praggnanandhaa's win ensured SG Alpine Warriors knocking off Ganges Grandmasters from the top of the leaderboard. Tomorrow will be the last day to feature two matches in the double round-robin stage, starting at 5:30 p.m. local time, 7 p.m.

“It's exactly what the team needed”
Magnus Carlsen on his fantastic game against Vishy Anand:

"It started pretty quietly. After he exchanged queens, the position was pretty equal. Then I was trying, he first setup a fortress, then creating counterplay, then there was an amazing stalemate idea that I thought... Yeah this is really nice... It was pretty insane. I felt like from the very beginning that I probably had to win today, for the team. So I was just trying, pushing. He was fighting back and it was just a lot of fun."
He also added:

"It feels great, especially since it's exactly what the team needed. That makes it all the more special for sure."
Carlsen on what sets his team apart from others:

"We have this one guy who wins every single game. That kind of helps. I think we have got good performances from a lot of people. The women have done extremely well in general I think but Pragg has been the absolute star. Not only the fact that he wins games but the way he wins them, it seems like just with class every single game. I am really impressed."
The world no.1 on his team's chances of winning the event:

"It's looking pretty good now. Obviously this was massive but we got to keep it going. So we have had five blacks in-a-row, we have won four of them. But now the mentality changes a little bit. Now we have to start winning as white. The draw will not be enough. Like we have won two matches that have been 3-3 by traditional scoring, but we have won becaues we played black. It's not going to be easy for sure. It's a helluva ride. Every match comes down to the wire. So far we have come out on top. Hopefully we can continue."
Carlsen on whether he is having fun at this event:

"Oh yeah it's a lot of fun. As I said, it seems like just every match, there are so many twists and turns, that it's a great ride. Personally I won two games in-a-row, so I cannot complain."
Carlsen, finally, on his win helping the team to register a match victory:

By : Logendra_2711