Carlsen decides to keep chess world crown after Nepomniachtch draw 2021 World Chess Championship

Carlsen, 31, who played white, started with 1 e4. But the boiling hopes that Nepomniachtchi would break were quickly extinguished as he played in Petrov’s defensive game (1 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6), an identical fixed but steady opening he had chosen. on Sundays in an unfortunate eight games.

Frankly, I hadn’t thought he would play Petrov today at all, Carlsen said afterwards. I was preparing for various sharp openings he could play. The idea was, if he goes to 1st e5, get to see. I didn’t think a draw against Petrov would be a big problem.

3 Nxe5 d6 After 4 Nd3, Carlsen captured a white e-soldier (4 Nxe4) to continue the same line he played in the epic the sixth game of the 2018 World Cup against Fabiano Caruana of the United States, which he almost lost. Players remained in the familiar range (5 Qe2 Qe7 6 Nf4 Nf6 7 d4) until Nepomniachtchi played the first new move (7 Nc6), the novelty of Carlsen spent almost 20 minutes to reflect.

It was a little surprising because I thought this transfer order shouldn’t have been so good, Carlsen said. But I think you have to play Bb3 to try to do something against it, and I wasn’t in that mood.

Shortly after Carlsen overtook more ambitious alternatives to the natural 8 c3, the queens fell off the board (10 Qxe2 + 11 Bxe2) before the position was quickly simplified by increasing the exchange of materials. Carlsen said he believed he was a little better after 17g3, but was more than happy to be content with a half point after a brisk 2h 5min, which was the shortest scene of the match so far.

I think if I had played there a little more patiently, I could have gotten even the smallest edges, but of course I would have hunted it harder if the match had been different, Carlsen said. The 31-year-old Nepomniachtchi defended his calm opening choice, saying: Even if you play the so-called sharp opening like a Sicilian, if white wants to close it, white will certainly close it. That is not realistic. I have a couple of attempts with white pieces in the remaining four games. Of course, it depends on what I produce in Game 11. But today was just an idea to play a normal game, try not to mess up anything in my moves.

Carlsen will win 6-3 in a 2-meter ($ 2.26 million) match at the Dubai Exhibition Center on Thursday idle. Processing will continue on Friday, when Nepomniachtchi will hold white pieces. divide the white pieces.