Unlike the games with the classical time control, the rapid-play tiebreaker saw long, intense games where So showed the right mix of defensive skills, durability, and excellent play. As Nakamura said after the game: “I didn’t have much energy and didn’t really play great today.”

Rapid Game 1: Nakamura-So

For the tiebreaker, Nakamura was playing White in the first game and once more opted for 1.e4, but after So’s 1…e5, Nakamura went for the Vienna Game, clearly indicating his willingness to fight.

However, after tepid play by White, it was clear that Black had equalized. Still, the situation soon got worse, sliding into a clearly worse position. This, however, does not mean that Nakamura had been beaten or was even being close to being beaten. 

Little by little, Nakamura crawled back into the game, and when Black played 28…Nb3, White gained a massive attack against Black’s king. White sacrificed a knight on g7, which seemed decisive, but when the follow-up was less precise and So consistently found a series of only moves, Black escaped the worst and eventually into a drawn rook ending. A fantastic game to open the tiebreaker.

Rapid Game 2: So-Nakamura

Like in the second classical game of the final, the second game of the tiebreaker featured a Berlin Variation of the Ruy Lopez, although according to the players, it was not a tribute to the host city. In the second game, it was So playing the white pieces, but unlike Nakamura yesterday, he did not opt for the “forced draw” variation of the Berlin, but rather a careful attempt at playing for an edge.

Nevertheless, Nakamura managed to equalize. So decided to unbalance the game by accepting an isolated doubled d-pawn in order to exert some pressure on Black’s position. It gave a little but not much. However, Nakamura, perhaps worn out from two weeks on chess in Berlin and online, could not maintain a defensive pose, and while under increasing pressure, he blundered a piece. So converted the advantage flawlessly.