Stung by a painful loss in the third set, Magnus Carlsen stopped Hikaru Nakamura 2.5-1.5 in the fourth to level their final clash at 2-2 in the $300,000 Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour Finals on Monday.
In the only decisive game of the best-of-four rapid games, Carlsen came out as an impressive winner in the third encounter. He did let go of a good opportunity to win the first game. But eventually that missed chance did not matter.
Unlike on Sunday, Carlsen stayed in control throughout the set. Nakamura did manage to save the first game with an excellent display of his defensive skills. But Carlsen did not let the disappointment get to him.
He made a steady draw in the second game to get his composure back. Thereafter, with white pieces, he did not let Nakamura off the hook. In the fourth, with Nakamura in a must-win situation to stay in the set, Carlsen held the upper hand until 34 moves before failing to see the winning continuation. Nakamura managed to draw in six more moves but could not prevent Carlsen from levelling the match.
The results:
Final: Set Four: Magnus Carlsen (Nor) bt Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 2.5-1.5.
After four sets: Carlsen and Nakamura are tied 2-2.
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