?You Take it Any Day?: Magnus Carlsen Does Not Regret Gaining Off Ian Nepomniachtchi Blunder

Once again, Magnus Carlsen reminded everyone why he is the best player in the world. However, this time, he had a bit of luck on his side. Game nine saw him cruising to victory, courtesy of a blunder committed by Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi. Now, having taken a 6-3 margin lead, Carlsen moves closer to defending his title, cementing his legacy as the greatest chess player of all time.

With an unfortunate error from the Russian grandmaster, Magnus could not believe his luck. Post the game, he spoke about the blunder made by his opponent.

Magnus Carlsen is heading to a fifth

The sensational chess player is known for his aggressive and unpredictable opening moves on the board. However, he seemed surprised after Nepomniachtchi made a blunder that forced him to withdraw from the game. After missing out on a tactical move, his white bishop was blocked as Carlsen won again. A bewildered Carlsen, however, talked about the blunder and how playing in a World Championship could lead to shocking moments. Regardless, he’ll take the win in whatever way it comes.

“I mean…it’s the World Championship. Basically, you prefer to beat an opponent who is playing at his very best, but if he’s not, yeah you take it any day of the week,” said Carlsen.

With a considerable lead over his counterpart, Carlsen looks to close out the series in the upcoming games. With Nepomniachtchi offering an able competition to Carlsen in the first five games, his form has dialed down since, with the pressure clearly getting the better of him. Costly mistakes derailed his route to win the championship, and Carlsen has now taken control of the proceedings.

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A costly blunder

The Russian grandmaster spoke about the blunder that cost him the match. After the 27 c5 moves, he thought it was okay for him to play that move. However, that move proved costly, as Carlsen capitalized on it and won the game.

“Till [27 … c6] was played I was quite happy. Just some insanely bad luck. I couldn?t imagine there is actually a way which exists to blunder in this position. The position was somewhere between slightly better and much better during most of the game … It?s even funny there?s a way to blunder this position in one move. Who could know?” said Nepomniachtchi.

What turned out to be a tight championship may now soon come to an end, given Carlsen’s significant advantage. Whether or not the Russian can make a stunning back remains to be seen. But, after that blunder, fair to say, the World Championship seems done and dusted.

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