12/06/2016

Nakamura Dominates Paris Blitz But Loses To Carlsen




Round nine: Nakamura goes too far
The tournament finished today with a wonderful final clash between Nakamura and Carlsen, the two horses who are ahead of the pack so much that “we can't even see the other players,” as Maurice Ashley put it. With a 1.5 point lead, it was more or less a must-win for Carlsen but that didn't seem to happen. Nakamura was in full control from the start, and the Norwegian could barely hold it, until the position was repeated a few times.
But... Nakamura decided to play on, got lower on time and the position became better for Black. Playing several moves on increment (with three seconds ticking away each time!) Nakamura failed to defend it, and lost, to his bitter disappointment.
“I really really really needed this one,” said Carlsen. “If I would have lost it, that would have been it. The last phase wasn't about chess, it just came down to nerves.”