The 15 year old Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen has become the youngest player ever to reach the last 16 of the next Fide World Championship after eliminating a fourth Grandmaster ranked in the world's top 100 at the Fide World Cup. After a tough match that went to Blitz Chess, Carlsen got the better of the Russian Vladimir Malakhov 3.5-2.5 after coming back from a defeat in the third game to win the fourth and stay in the match.

The first two games at a slower time limit were drawn and then Carlsen was black in the first Rapid Game played with 25 minutes on the clock and a ten second increment. Malakhov played a quiet opening, the Italian Game and after a couple of careless moves Carlsen was two pawns down with a lost position.

Carlsen hit back in the second rapid game and launched a direct attack on the Russian Grandmaster's king - see below. He then improved on his play in game three and won the first blitz game playing black after which he easily held a draw with white in the return, avoiding possible winning lines in favour of a certain draw.

Carlsen is guaranteed at least tenth place and a Candidates spot in September 2006. He will also pocket a minimum of $26,000 US. The youngster has eliminated Georgian Zurab Azmaiparashvili, Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria, the French champion Joel Lautier and now a Russian international. He lost narrowly to the Russian champion Evgeny Bareev. He has clearly been a world title prospect for some years but this result surpasses even his draw against Garry Kasparov in a Rapid Chess game in 2004 and he becomes the youngest player ever to compete in the Candidates matches.

Round six play offs

Places 1-4

Grischuk draw draw Ponomariov, playoff; 0-1 0-1, Ponomariov wins

Places 5-8

Rublevsky draw draw Bareev, playoff; 0-1 draw, Bareev wins

Places 9-12 (Winners reach the Candidates)

Malakhov draw draw Carlsen, playoff; 1-0 0-1 0-1 draw Carlsen wins Kamsky draw draw Vallejo Pons, playoff; 0-1 1-0, draw 1-0 Kamsky wins

Places 13-16

Lautier draw draw Van Wely, playoff; draw draw 0-1 draw Van Wely wins

M Carlsen - V Malakhov
Fide World Cup Khanty Mansyisk (6.4)
25m + 10s

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 a6 5.e3 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Qb3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Be2 Nbd7 ( The position resembles a bad Gruenfeld Defence where Black has failed to organise counterplay against d4) 11.e4 Nb6 12.Bf4 Be6 13.Qc2 Bc4 14.Rfd1 Rc8 15.Rac1 Bxe2 16.Qxe2 Qd7 17.h3 Qb7 18.Bg5 Rfe8 19.e5 Nfd5 20.Ne4 Nd7 21.Qd2! (White has control of c5 so Black cannot break out. With the centre also blocked Carlsen prepares a kingside attack) 21...Qb8 22.Bh6 Bh8 23.h4! Nf8 24.Nc5 Qa7 25.h5 Nc7 26.hxg6 hxg6 27.Bxf8! Rxf8 28.Qh6 Bg7 29.Qh4 (Simply threatening Ng5) 29...f6 30.Qg4 Kh7 31.Nh4 g5 32.Qh5+ Kg8 33.Nf5 Ne8 34.Qg6 1-0

Malakhov

Carlsen

Final position after 34.Qg6 Ne6 is coming and if 34. ...fxe5 35.Qe6+ and 36.Nxe7