Each gamers had probabilities within the sharp wrestle, however the end result was a 58-move draw within the second recreation of the 14-game world chess championship match between titleholder Magnus Carlsen of Norway and challenger Ian Neponiachtchi of Russia Saturday in Dubai.
After one other tense draw within the match’s opening recreation, the end result leaves each gamers with one level. The primary to succeed in 7 1/2 factors within the month-long match would be the winner and declare the lion’s share of the $2 million purse.
Carlsen has been champion since 2013 and efficiently defended his title 3 times, however the Russian challenger has managed to acquire promising positions in each video games to date, solely to let the benefit slip.
In Saturday’s recreation, a pointy Closed Catalan opening led to each gamers planting knights deep of their opponent’s territory, with Nepomniachtchi as Black making use of a lot stress that White was pressured to surrender a rook for a knight.
However apparently hasty subsequent play by Nepomniachtchi allowed the champion to construct up robust stress, forcing Black on Transfer 37, in flip, to surrender a rook to take away Carlsen dominating knight.
Carlsen emerged a pawn to the nice in a rook ending, however with all of the remaining pawns on the kingside, there was no probability for a breakthrough to acquire a handed pawn. The champion pressed his edge for greater than a dozen strikes, however the challenger didn’t crack and a draw was the end result.
The third recreation, with Nepomniachtchi once more having the benefit of the White items and the primary transfer, will probably be performed Sunday.
Carlsen-Nepomniachtchi, World Championship Match, Sport 2, Dubai, November 2012
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 b5 8. Ne5 c6 9. a4 Nd5 10. Nc3 f6 11. Nf3 Qd7 12. e4 Nb4 13. Qe2 Nd3 14. e5 Bb7 15. exf6 Bxf6 16. Ne4 Na6 17. Ne5 Bxe5 18. dxe5 Nac5 19. Nd6 Nb3 20. Rb1 Nbxc1 21. Rbxc1 Nxc1 22. Rxc1 Rab8 23. Rd1 Ba8 24. Be4 c3 25. Qc2 g6 26. bxc3 bxa4 27. Qxa4 Rfd8 28. Ra1 c5 29. Qc4 Bxe4 30. Nxe4 Kh8 31. Nd6 Rb6 32. Qxc5 Rdb8 33. Kg2 a6 34. Kh3 Rc6 35. Qd4 Kg8 36. c4 Qc7 37. Qg4 Rxd6 38. exd6 Qxd6 39. c5 Qxc5 40. Qxe6+ Kg7 41. Rxa6 Rf8 42. f4 Qf5+ 43. Qxf5 Rxf5 44. Ra7+ Kg8 45. Kg4 Rb5 46. Re7 Ra5 47. Re5 Ra7 48. h4 Kg7 49. h5 Kh6 50. Kh4 Ra1 51. g4 Rh1+ 52. Kg3 gxh5 53. Re6+ Kg7 54. g5 Rg1+ 55. Kf2 Ra1 56. Rh6 Ra4 57. Kf3 Ra3+ 58. Kf2 Ra4 Draw agreed