Magnus Carlsen plays to fighting Game 1 draw with Ian Nepomniachtchi at World Chess Championship – live!
by Bryan Armen Graham from on (#5SC8B)
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Some extraordinary prep for Nepomniachtchi continues through 10. axb3 Bb7 11. d3 d5 12. exd5 Qxd5 13. Qf3 Bd6 14. Kf1. Carsen responds with 14. ... Rfb8 as we move toward a queenless middlegame. (A technical glitch in which the automatic board recorded the move as the far inferior 14. ... Rfc8 briefly had the chess cognoscenti in a titter.)
Both players leave the board after 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3. Magnus returns and plays a new move with 8. ... Na5! Nepomniachtchi takes nearly two minutes to assess before responding with 9. Nxe5 and inviting the exchange with 9. ... Nxb3. The opening is an an anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez.
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