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GMs Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi drew all their games during day one of the final match. Carlsen has to be disappointed not to take the first set because he was winning in three out of the four games. Credit goes to Nepomniachtchi for his never-say-die attitude.
How to watch?
Airthings Masters | Day 7 Standings
Day one of the final match did not disappoint. The games were incredibly hard-fought and gave us a glimpse of what could have been a big show in Dubai last year.
I think both players were fine with a draw because the game never drifted away from equality. If anyone watching had any questions about the players’ fighting spirit, they got their answer in game two. Game of the Day it is!
Carlsen got another White in game three. The opening battle turned out ok for Nepomniachtchi, but at some moment he lost the handle, and Magnus had more than one chance to take the lead.
All in all, Nepomniachtchi’s strategy of seeking complications (or avoiding quiet endgames where Carlsen excels) seemed to be paying off. Carlsen couldn’t avoid making mistakes in critical moments.
Game four was another statement to prove it.
I think we should thank the contestants for a great afternoon of entertainment. More to come tomorrow.
All Games Day 7
The 2022 Champions Chess Tour’s Airthings Masters runs February 19-27 on chess24. The preliminary phase is a 16-player rapid (15+10) round-robin. The top eight players advance to a knockout that consists of one four-game rapid match during the quarterfinals and semifinals and two four-game rapid matches during the final. Play advance to blitz (5+3) and armageddon (White has five minutes, Black has four with no increment) tiebreaks only if a knockout match ends in a tie. The total prize fund of the event is $150,000, with $750 for each win and $250 for each draw in the preliminaries.
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