Magnus Carlsen wins the first match in the Julius Baer Generation Cup final

After the exciting semi-finals of the Julius Baer Generation Cup, World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen and 19-year-old Indian prodigy Arjun Erigaisi advanced to the finals which are played over two days with two 4-game rapid matches.

Magnus Carlsen convincingly won the first final match with a final result 2.5-0.5. Carlsen had a more active position with whites in the first game and continued adding pressure on his younger opponent. Arjun Erigaisi made a crucial mistake with 24…Nf8? as the evaluation engine bar showed a decisive advantage for the World Champion. The rest was technique and a beautiful mate net around Erigaisi’s king. With an aggressive approach in the second game, Carlsen scored another point though it seemed that Arjun stabilized his position for a moment. 27.Be3?? led the Indian grandmaster straight to another loss.

Erigaisi needed to win on demand in the third game to keep the first final match ongoing while the World Champion needed only half a point to score first and important victory in the finals. The former had a more pleasant position, but it wasn’t enough. Erigaisi terribly blundered in the endgame ending up in a losing position, but Magnus missed a way to win. The game finished in a draw and Carlsen took the victory in the first set of the finals. “I am far from satisfied with my play. I think there were some pretty bad moments today“, said Carlsen in the post-match interview.

Replay the games here / Finals – Day 1, replay the video coverage

The final match of the Julius Baer Generation Cup is played over two days 24-25 September, with two 4-game rapid matches. If the result is 1-1 after two played matches, the winner of the event will be determined in the playoffs. The play-off consists of 2 blitz games, followed by an Armageddon game if the score is 1-1. Julius Baer Generation Cup – Knockout stage LIVE