KING ENDGAME!! Bu Xiangzhi vs Magnus Carlsen || World Blitz Chess 2025 - R16

Has not lost a game yet, but if that game ends in a draw, that would be a very unsatisfactory result for Magnus Carlsen, who is sitting at 10 points while the leaders are a half, a point and a half back. I don't think you're in a position where you can be making draws and you're up against someone who has only made draws if he's not beating you. Yeah, exactly. It happens when you're in great form like that, it tends to happen. Now, of course, you know, day one was a Yordick show, who we haven't yet seen from there. This is a pretty significant reputation for showing up late, but showing up late to a Blitz game is always more meaningful. I know there's increment and it looks like he's probably showing up right now as Chris Burtt looks like he's yeah, he looked like he was making way for the arrival of somebody and of course, there is Magnus and you know, he'll go for the customary pieces adjust here before hitting that clock. You know, you got to get into routines are on, but he's okay, he's there. It's like an accelerated drag in there. I was talking about Dubov and NBL already with a draw. I don't know. You don't want to make that comparison or make those errors for this one. This, this here, a loss, we can say definitively, right? He's out. If he loses this game, winning the next three rounds, most likely not help him at all. So he is definitely in crisis mode. And it's a solid opening choice from Bujangi. Now offering a trade of bishops, which Magnus says, nope, not having that. That's a beauty sitting there on B7. It's a typical Queen Sindon kind of setup. By the way, what we're saying about Magnus, he has the same score or they have the scores as he does. That's Rajabov, Abdisatorov, Nepomniachtchi. Knight d4 would fork the bishop. So that's why, bishop d3. And now Magnus blocks the position with e4 at least. He doesn't need to worry about the f5 pawn for the moment. But in the long run, it will be a weakness. And how do you break through? From which angle? The thing is, you know, the black king has to hang around the king side because otherwise it comes up h4, h5. And this bishop on c2 covers all the key squares. And the clock is ticking. Yeah. And now he's going to do exactly the same with his king. No, you're not getting in, sir. Now bishop d1 check can kick the king back. Is he going to jump in now with the knight d3? No, he can't do that. Be careful. Bishop b8 checkmate was a threat. All of a sudden. Magnus is down to 16 seconds. Oh, and hesitating there. Yeah, because he can also put the bishop on d5. But do he want to transfer it to d5? It's a big question. He goes for bishop c6. And that knight looks dim on the rim, but it can easily come back to the game, to civilization by maneuvering as he is right now. And it looks like he's headed to f3. But what next? He gets to f3, white covers h2. Yeah, Wesley's throw is all over Yann Kershav-Duda. If Wesley wins this game, he's almost guaranteed to qualify with a couple of draws. That's knocked Gukesh out of the runnings almost suddenly. Yes, tricky business these knights. But Magnus has shown his endgame wizardry. And yeah, you're right. No way to guard the c-pawn and the critical pawns in his position. That's a pawn. Magnus making improvements. And Boo's time situation is just as precarious. And now the king gets to e6, d5. Actually, Magnus is winning. It was a careless moment from Boo there. He just forgot to overprotect absolutely everything. But as you mentioned there, Peter, now the pawn comes. Magnus can just continue on improving the placing of the knights. That's exactly what he's going to do. Arjun won his game with a mating attack. So now he's in clear first place. And Magnus goes after the h2 pawn, knight f3. If h3, knight g1, h4, you keep on harassing this h-pawn. And the h6 pawn will decide the game. This is almost resignable. And less time than Magnus. And now he's got the e3 pawn. This is just crunch or munch. The pawn's just dropping like flies. And heartbreak for Alina Roebers as she loses to Bibisara Asalbe-Eva. Win for Magnus!