Magnus Carlsen didn't really know what to do, says Vincent Keymer after beating world No 1 in Freestyle Chess semis

Vincent Keymer made headlines on Day 5 of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour event in Weissenhaus on Tuesday, pulling off a stunning victory over world No 1 Magnus Carlsen when all the other games ended in a draw. Keymer kept the German flag flying high at the Weissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort after a stellar display against Freestyle Chess co-founder Carlsen, who resigned in 39 moves in Game 1 of their semi-final clash.

Speaking on the Take Take Take app after his victory over Carlsen, Keymer revealed Carlsen was in a confused state of mind, especially towards the closing stages of the game, and “didn’t really know what to do”.

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“I could sense from the way he was acting that he didn’t really know what to do. This has been the biggest issue for him,” Keymer said after pulling off what arguably is the biggest win of his career so far.

“Even though I have no immediate threat, it’s incredibly difficult for him to make a sensible move because whichever move he plays, he will change something in the position and he runs the risk that some tactical possibilities pop up.

“No matter which move he chooses, he has to choose several tactical ideas which if of course horrible if you don’t have a lot of time on the clock,” Keymer added.

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"I could sense from the way he was acting that he didn't really know what to do. This has been the biggest issue for him."

The man of the hour, @VincentKeymer04, in his post-game interview with @DavidHowellGM. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hajDpMpryU

— Take Take Take (@TakeTakeTakeApp) February 11, 2025

Keymer added that Carlsen was starting to look “increasingly” nervous as the game wore on.

“I’m specifically talking about the final stage of the game. Because usually when he is low on time, he makes his moves with still quite a decent amount of time on the clock and some confidence, and here he went incredibly low.

“And he was getting increasingly nervous, showing that he was not entirely certain of what to do, whether it was actually okay,” Keymer added.

Carlsen faces a must-win scenario in Game 2 of the semi-final showdown against Keymer if he is to keep his hopes of winning the Weissenhaus event alive.