The Week in Chess

The tenth game of the World Chess Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana in London was a tense thriller that finished in a draw in 54 moves. The game again was a Sveshnikov Sicilian following game 8 where Caruana was close to winning and again he innovated first. It isn't completely clear to me whether Carlsen knew of this move or not, but his next few moves were all supremely accurate and in the end it was he who ended up with a threatening looking position on the Kingside. Carlsen then played 23...Qg5 which after 24.Bxb5 might have put him under pressure, instead Carlsen emerged with the slightly more pleasant position but in time trouble he decided to simplify and by move 41.g4 the game was heading for a draw. There was late drama as 44...Kd4 was a move that promised Carlsen very little upside but instead cost him a pawn. Carlsen settled down and traded to a Rook Endgame with high drawing chances, the way Caruana played it even the small chances to play weren't taken and the game finished very quickly in a draw.

A very tense struggle and there were signs of the extreme tension of the situation starting to get to the clear thinking of the players. The final two standard games will both be played, one on Saturday 24th November, the second on Monday 26th November. The final day of rapid and blitz tie-breaks, if required. on Wednesday 28th November.

Score Carlsen 5 Caruana 5.

Carlsen: "I think it was a case of too complicated and too much at stake. I think I could've played better."

"Today it was a lot of nerves. I spent too much time. Then I was left with indecisiveness and couldn't decide whether to play it safe. Then it was something in the middle that didn't quite work. "

Carlsen quotes from press conference via Tarjei J. Svensen @TarjeiJS on twitter