If Magnus Carlsen was left wondering if he had missed an opportunity to create a winning opportunity, then it is bad news for Ian Nepominachtchi in the coming games.
In what turned out to be an exciting second game of their World Chess Championship title-clash, the two contenders fought harder than they did in the first game before arriving at the same verdict - a draw.
"I completely missed Nepo's 18th knight move but I think I had a good position towards the end," said Carlsen.
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Nepo admired Carlsen's play after the champion ran into an inferior position. For 58 moves, the two battled hard. After Carlsen, playing white, let go of a queenside pawn for initiative and sacrificed a rook for a knight to slip into an apparent disadvantageous position.
But on the 26th move, Nepo captured a pawn and missed a more assertive queen-move to let his advantage slip away. By the 38th move, Carlsen was clearly holding a better position.
Thereafter, the game eventually moved into a rook and pawn end-game where only one result was possible.
The third game, where Nepo plays white, is scheduled for Sunday.
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