Sergey Karjakin holds tough draw against Magnus Carlsen to keep chess match level

His trademark tenacity failed him as Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen was unable to grind down challenger Sergey Karjakin of Russia in a favorable endgame in Monday’s third game of their scheduled 12-game $1.1 million title match in New York City. Following two uneventful draws, the 78-move, seven-hour struggle leaves the match tied and could provide a psychological boost to the underdog challenger.

Playing White against Karjakin’s Ruy Lopez Berlin Defense, Carlsen steered for an ending where his knight dominated his opponent’s bishop, forcing the challenger to give up a pawn on Move 35. Black put up a stiff resistance, but was facing defeat when Carlsen missed several winning continuations in the final hours of play.

The last chance for a full point was lost on 71… Rh1 72. Rb7? (Rf7+ Ke6 73. Rf2 preserves the win) Ra1! (the saving resource) 73. Rb5 Kf4 74. Rxb4+ Kg3 75. Rg4+ Kf2 76. Nc4 h3 77. Rh4 Kg3 78. Rg4+ Kf2, and the White rook must shuttle between f4 and g4 to prevent the h-pawn from queening. The players agreed to a draw.

Karjakin will have the advantage of the White pieces in Tuesday’s Game 4, being played at the South Street Seaport at Manhattan’s Fulton Market. The match continues through Nov. 28, with a rapid playoff, if necessary, on Nov. 30.

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While the early-round sparring was going on in New York, some ex-champs — Bulgaria’s Veselin Topalov and India’s Viswanthan Anand — and (perhaps) future champs — American stars Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana — have been mixing it up a bit more freely at the Champions Showdown 2016 tournament at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center in St. Louis, a five-day affair featuring a mix of blitz, rapid and Game.60 contests.

Topalov, long one of the world’s most feared attacking players, engineered one of the most attractive wins of the event in the Game.60 portion, defeating Nakamura’s Ruy Lopez Berlin Defense — which tracks the Carlsen-Karjakin Game 3 up through Move 7 — with a string of inspired tactical shots.

White’s dark-squared bishop appears to have wandered a little too far afield on h6, especially when its escape route is blocked with 19. Qd2 g5. But Topalov demonstrates that it is Black’s king that is the one who needs protection.

Thus: 24. Qe2 Kf7!? (Bg6 is better, but White retains a potent attack after 24…Bg6 25. f4 gxf4 26. Qe6+ Bf7 27. Qg4+ Bg6 28. gxf4) 25. g4! Bd7 26. f4! Kg6? (and here 26…gxf4 27. Bxf4 Kg8 28. Bd6 Qe8 29. Qf2 Qg6 30. Re7 Bxg4 31. Rxb7 offered some drawing chances with the opposite-colored bishops) 27. fxg5 fxg5 28. Qe5! — Topalov threatens 29. Qg7 mate, and it turns out the bishop is poison after 28…Kxh6 29. Qd6+ Kg7 30. Re7+ Kg8 31. Qf6 Qf8 32. Qxg5+ Kh8 33. Rxd7 and White wins.

Nakamura tries 28…Qf6, but after 29. Re5! Bf5 30. g4! Bxg4 31. Rxg5+ Qxg5 33. Bxg5 Kxg5 34. Qxh7, Black’s uncoordinated rook and bishop are no match for White’s rampaging queen. In the final position, after 42. Qc7 Kd3 43. a6, the a-pawn can’t be stopped and Black resigned.

Carlsen — Karjakin, FIDE World Championship Match, Game 3, New York

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 O-O 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re2 b6 11. Re1 Re8 12. Bf4 Rxe1 13. Qxe1 Qe7 14. Nc3 Bb7 15. Qxe7 Bxe7 16. a4 a6 17. g3 g5 18. Bxd6 Bxd6 19. Bg2 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 f5 21. Nd5 Kf7 22. Ne3 Kf6 23. Nc4 Bf8 24. Re1 Rd8 25. f4 gxf4 26. gxf4 b5 27. axb5 axb5 28. Ne3 c6 29. Kf3 Ra8 30. Rg1 Ra2 31. b3 c5 32. Rg8 Kf7 33. Rg2 cxd4 34. Nxf5 d3 35. cxd3 Ra1 36. Nd4 b4 37. Rg5 Rb1 38. Rf5+ Ke8 39. Rb5 Rf1+ 40. Ke4 Re1+ 41. Kf5 Rd1 42. Re5+ Kf7 43. Rd5 Rxd3 44. Rxd7+ Ke8 45. Rd5 Rh3 46. Re5+ Kf7 47.Re2 Bg7 48. Nc6 Rh5+ 49. Kg4 Rc5 50. Nd8+ Kg6 51. Ne6 h5+ 52. Kf3 Rc3+ 53. Ke4 Bf6 54. Re3 h4 55. h3 Rc1 56. Nf8+ Kf7 57. Nd7 Ke6 58. Nb6 Rd1 59. f5+ Kf7 60. Nc4 Rd4+ 61. Kf3 Bg5 62. Re4 Rd3+ 63. Kg4 Rg3+ 64. Kh5 Be7 65. Ne5+ Kf6 66. Ng4+ Kf7 67. Re6 Rxh3 68. Ne5+ Kg7 69. Rxe7+ Kf6 70. Nc6 Kxf5 71. Na5 Rh1 72. Rb7 Ra1 73. Rb5+ Kf4 74. Rxb4+ Kg3 75. Rg4+ Kf2 76. Nc4 h3 77. Rh4 Kg3 78. Rg4+ Kf2 Draw agreed

Topalov — Nakamura, 2016 Champions Tournament, Game/60, St. Louis

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nf5 8. Nf3 O-O 9. d4 d5 10. c3 Bd6 11. Bd3 Nce7 12. Nbd2 c6 13. Qc2 g6 14. Nf1 Ng7 15. Ng3 f6 16. Bh6 Re8 17. Nh4 Bxg3 18. hxg3 Nef5 19. Qd2 g5 20. Rxe8+ Qxe8 21. Re1 Qd8 22. Nxf5 Nxf5 23. Bxf5 Bxf5 24. Qe2 Kf7 25. g4 Bd7 26. f4 Kg6 27. fxg5 fxg5 28. Qe5 Qf6 29. Qh2 Bxg4 30. Re5 Bf5 31. g4 Bxg4 32. Rxg5+ Qxg5 33. Bxg5 Kxg5 34. Qxh7 b6 35. Qb7 Rc8 36. Qxa7 b5 37. b3 Kf4 38. Kf2 Bf5 39.a4 bxa4 40. bxa4 Ke4 41. a5 Rh8 42. Qc7 Kd3 43. a6 Black resigns.

• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email at dsands@washingtontimes.com.