GM Magnus Carlsen has once again proved why he is one of the greatest players Chess has ever seen. The Norwegian chess maestro has claimed his fifth World Chess Championship after beating GM Ian Nepomniachtchi with a 4-0 record.
Although the series of games between the two were close at first, it was evident that Carlsen was the better player by the end. Carlsen assumed control of black pieces in his final encounter with Ian Nepomniachtch, and although the match seemed destined for a draw at first, a big blunder by Nepomniachtch gave Carlsen the opening to close the game. Carlsen’s 7½-3½ victory with three games left is the most lopsided win in a world championship match since José Ral Capablanca defeated Emanuel Lasker in Havana precisely 100 years ago. Carlsen’s achievement is even more remarkable because he has faced four different opponents to win the championship on five separate occasions. Furthermore, Carlsen has always been the younger player than all his championship opponents.
Two of the biggest highlights of the series were games 6 and 8, which Ian Nepomniachtch lost. Nepomniachtch, who played brilliantly in earlier games, made a massive blunder in both games 6 and 8, which Carlsen capitalized on quickly. Game 8, in particular, was arguably the lowest point for Nepomniachtch, where he played multiple loose moves, ultimately handing a significant advantage to Carlsen. He conceded the game in 45 moves, and it was clear that his resilience was starting to break against one of the greatest chess players ever.
