World Chess Championship: Carlsen draws his second game with Nepominachtchi
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.
Published : Nov 27, 2021 23:13 IST
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.
WATCH: Meet Wang Yuji, the 11-month-old viral Chinese snowboard sensation
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.