Chessable Masters: Anish qualifies for final, to battle Magnus Carlsen

Catch all the highlights and more from our coverage of Chessable Masters, the third event of the million-dollar Magnus Carlsen Chess tour.

In the Chessable Masters final, Magnus Carlsen will take on the winner of the Anish Giri-Ian Nepomniachtchi match.

Good evening! Hello and welcome to the highlights of Chessable Masters, the third event of the $1million Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour.

Magnus Carlsen won two games with black pieces and shut out Ding Liren 2.5-0.5 for a straight-set victory on the way to the final of the $150,000 Chessable Masters on Wednesday.

Having won the first set 3.5-2.5 by virtue of claiming the second blitz game late on Tuesday, Carlsen now awaits the winner of the Anish Giri-Ian Nepomniachtchi match.

In the second set, Carlsen faced early trouble in the first game but broke free by sacrificing a queenside pawn to gain space. He gained equality on the board, ignored a draw-offer two moves before Liren blundered a rook and suffered a painful loss.

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The second game, uneventful as compared to the other two games, ended with Liren forcing a draw by perpetual checks. In the third, Carlsen stayed in control while a desperate Liren lost his way in just 29 moves.

In the other semifinal, where Giri was ahead after winning the first set, Nepomniachtchi raised visions of forcing a decider after going ahead by winning the second game on Wednesday. After three games, the Russian led 2-1 and needed only a draw in the fourth to force the deciding set on today.

Semifinal results Second set (Rapid) Game One:  Ding Liren (CHN) lost to Magnus Carlsen (NOR); Anish Giri (NED) drew with Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS); Game Two: Carlsen drew with Liren; Nepomniachtchi bt Giri; Game Three: Liren lost to Carlsen; Giri drew with Nepomniachtchi.   FINAL Magnus Carlsen v Winner of Ian Nepomniachtchi v Anish Giri

Follow all the live action from the semifinals:

THE SEMIFINALISTS:

Name	Country	Age	Rapid rating	World ranking	Blitz rating	World ranking	Classical rating	World ranking
GROUP A
Magnus Carlsen	Norway	29	2881	1	2887	2	2863	2
GROUP B
Ding Liren	China	27	2836	3	2788	8	2791	3
Ian Nepomniachtchi	Russia	29	2778	9	2785	10	2784	4
Anish Giri	Netherlands	25	2731	24	2752	22	2764	10