Hikaru Nakamura shocked Magnus Carlsen in the first set, but the world champion struck back in the second outing of their best-of-seven Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour championship match to level the count at 1-1.
Nakamura showed better preparation and grit in beating Carlsen seemingly with ease in the first set, 2½-1½, while Carlsen had to scramble to win the second set via blitz tiebreak and a 3½-2½ tally.
For a moment, it seems the American grandmaster is playing well enough to cause the Norwegian GM some real problems.
Some pundits are saying Carlsen is deliberately showing vulnerability because he wanted to make the match more interesting and to make people think Nakamura has chances against him.
Dear readers, just replay the games below and see if Carlsen is bluffing and holding back or if Nakamura is simply the better prepared among the two.
Carlsen, M (2863)-Nakamura, H (2736) [D37]
chess24.com (2.12) 2020
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 b5 6.e5 Nd5 7.Nxb5 Nb6 8.a3 Nc6 9.Be3 Na5 10.Qc2 a6 11.Nc3 Be7 12.Rd1 Bb7 13.Be2 Qd7 14.h4 Bc6 15.Rh3 Rb8 16.Rg3 Ba4 17.Nxa4 Qxa4 18.Rc1 Nb3 19.Rxg7 Nxc1 20.Qxc1 c3 21.Qxc3 Nd5 22.Qc1 Nxe3 23.fxe3 Kf8 24.Rg4 Qb3 25.Qxc7 Qxb2 26.Kf2 Qb7 27.Qa5 Rg8 28.Rf4 Qc6 29.Qd2 h6 30.Qd3 Rg7 31.Qxa6 Qxa6 32.Bxa6 Rb2+ 33.Be2 Bxa3 34.g4 Be7 35.Re4 Rg8 36.Rf4 Kg7 37.g5 hxg5 38.Nxg5 Bxg5 39.hxg5 Rh8 40.Kf3 Rh3+ 41.Kg4 Rxe3 42.Bf3 Rd2 43.Kh4 Red3 44.d5 exd5 45.Rf6 Re3 46.Rf5 Rd4+ 47.Kh5 Rb4 48.e6 fxe6 49.Rf6 Re5 50.Rg6+ Kf7 51.Rf6 Ke7 52.Kh6 Rb8 53.Rf4 Rf8 54.Rf8 Kxf8 55.g6 Kg8 56.g7 Re1 0-1
Carlsen, M (2863)-Nakamura, H (2736) [D37]
chess24.com (2.21) 2020
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 b5 6.e5 Nd5 7.Nxb5 Nb6 8.a4 Qd7 9.Be2 Nc6 10.0-0 Na5 11.Ng5 h6 12.Ne4 Bb7 13.Nc5 Bxc5 14.dxc5 Nd5 15.Ra3 a6 16.Nd4 Ne7 17.Qd2 Qd5 18.Rg3 Qxc5 19.b4 cxb3 20.Ba3 Qxa3 21.Qxa5 Bd5 22.Rxg7 c5 23.Bh5 cxd4 24.Rxf7 Kd7 25.Bg4 Kc6 26.Bxe6 Bxe6 27.Rf6 Kd7 28.Qb6 Bd5 29.Rd6+ Ke8 30.Rxd5 Nxd5 31.Qc6+ Ke7 32.Qb7+ Ke6 33.Qc6+ Ke7 34.Qb7+ Ke6 35.Qc6+ Kf5 36.Qxd5 Qe7 37.e6+ Kg6 38.Qe4+ Kg7 39.Qxd4+ Kg8 40.Qg4+ Qg7 41.Qc4 b2 42.f4 Rb8 43.Qe4 Rh7 44.Rb1 Qb7 45.Qe2 Rc7 0-1
Carlsen, M (2863)-Nakamura, H (2736) [A20]
chess24.com (2.23) 2020
1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.0-0 Nb6 7.b3 Be6 8.Qc2 Qd7 9.Rd1 0-0-0 10.Nc3 f6 11.d4 exd4 12.Bb2 Bf5 13.Qc1 d3 14.exd3 Bh3 15.Bh1 Bg4 16.d4 Bb4 17.d5 Bxc3 18.Qxc3 Nxd5 19.Qc4 Be6 20.Nd4 Bf7 21.Nxc6 Qxc6 22.Qg4+ Qe6 23.Qxg7 Rhg8 24.Qh6 Qf5 25.Bg2 Kb8 26.Rd4 Rde8 27.Qd2 c6 28.b4 Qh5 29.Re1 Rxe1+ 30.Qxe1 Re8 31.Re4 Rxe4 32.Bxe4 Bg6 33.Bg2 Qf5 34.a3 Qd3 35.h4 Kc7 36.Kh2 Qb1 37.Qd2 Be4 38.Bxf6 Bxg2 39.Kxg2 Kb6 40.Bd4+ Kb5 41.Bxa7 Ka4 42.Bc5 b5 43.Qe2 Kxa3 44.Qe6 Qd3 45.Qxc6 Kb3 46.Qe6 Qc4 47.Qf5 Nxb4 48.Bxb4 Kxb4 49.Qxh7 Qd5+ 50.Kh2 Ka3 51.Qa7+ Kb2 52.Qg7+ Ka2 53.Qg5 Qd3 54.Qc5 Qe2 55.h5 Qb2 56.h6 b4 57.h7 Qf6 58.Kg2 b3 59.Qa7+ 1-0
Nakamura, H (2736)-Carlsen, M (2863) [C65]
chess24.com (2.26) 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bd6 6.Nbd2 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5 8.Nc4 Nd7 9.Ne3 Nf8 10.Nf5 Ne6 11.g4 Bg6 12.Be3 c5 13.c3 Qd7 14.Qc2 0-0-0 15.0-0-0 f6 16.Kb1 Kb8 17.d4 cxd4 18.cxd4 exd4 19.N3xd4 Nxd4 20.Rxd4 Bxf5 21.exf5 h5 22.Rhd1 hxg4 23.hxg4 Qe7 24.Qa4 b6 25.Qc6 Be5 26.Rd7 Rxd7 27.Rxd7 Qb4 28.Bd4 Bd6 29.Qe4 Qa4 0-1
*******
PUZZLERS
WHITE TO MOVE,
MATE IN TWO.
The key to our last problem is 1.Qb6! Black’s futile options are 1…Se7/d6/h6/h4/g3 2.Qxe3#; 1…Sd4 2.Qg6#; 1…Qf2+ 2.Qxf2#; 1…Qc5 2.Kd2#; 1…Qxb6 2.O-O-O#./PN
