Carlsen embraces chaos in gripping draw with Nepo
As it happened: the move-by-move report from Game 2
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Some uneasy body language from Carlsen as he thinks for more than 13 minutes before deciding on 15. … a5, which is best. Any other move would have allowed Nepomniachtchi to occupy a5 himself with his pawn, knight or even bishop, forcing black into an uncomfortable struggle for space and control. Both step away from the board again and Nepomniachtchi returns first, playing 17. Bc3 after seven and a half minutes. A bit of commentary on the position from Nigel Short, the British grandmaster who famously challenged Garry Kasparov for the world title in 1993.
The engines say Carlsen’s best move is for the light-squared bishop to return to its home square (Bc3), but that’s an awfully difficult move to find without the aid of computer study. But if anyone is capable of sussing it out …
