World Championship Round 9: Game Analysis

Two days after Sergey Karjakin shocked the world by beating Magnus Carlsen, he almost did it a second time. The two followed the game Nakamura-Kasimdzhanov for 20 moves, before Carlsen deviated. He got himself into a bit of trouble, but managed to imitate Karjakin and survive a difficult position. The game's critical moment came on move 39, when Karjakin spent all of his time before opting for the move 39. Bxf7+. Instead, had he played 39. Qb3, Magnus would have had a tougher defensive task.

Enjoy the analysis!