The Week in Chess

The FIDE World Chess Championship Match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi is tied at 1-1 after the first two games were drawn. In spite of these draws the early games promise a very interesting match which will be settled over the board not by the huge amount of opening preparation both sides have clearly done.

Carlsen had white in game two and a Catalan appeared on the board. It seemed at first that Carlsen had won the opening battle. Nepomniachtchi's 7... b5 was met by 8. Ne5 - a move that's been played at a high level this year but none the less he didn't seem ready for. Carlsen continued to play quickly for the next few moves and after 16...Na6 had some advantage in a wild position. Then however Carlsen miscalculated - 17.Ne5 was a mistake as after 17...Bxe5 18. dxe5 Nac5 (the move missed by Carlsen) black was suddenly better, after 20.Rb1? Carlsen was much worse (20.Be3 had to be played) perhaps close to losing. Nepomniachtchi was impressed - perhaps a bit too impressed - by 24.Be4 and he became a bit nervous about Carlsen's attacking chances, his 24...c3 let Carlsen right back in the game and then after 26...bxa4 (26...Qg7) the game was back to being balanced. After that there were no big swings in fortune, Carlsen had enough for the exchange and Nepomniachtchi returned it with 37...Rxd6 after which they liquidated to a drawn endgame.

Nepomniachtchi said that at first he had the impression neither of them had played well but later he thought the game "Very interesting - very chaotic". The truth is somewhere in between no doubt.

Game 3 Sunday 28th November 2021.