Ding Beats Nakamura As Carlsen Increases His Lead in Norway Chess Round 9

Ding Beats Nakamura As Carlsen Increases His Lead in Norway Chess Round 9

Stavanger, Norway – World Champion Magnus Carlsen extended his lead in the Norway Chess tournament with a draw against Jan-Krzysztof Duda in Round 9 on Tuesday. Carlsen now has 5.5/9, a full point ahead of his nearest rivals, Ding Liren and Hikaru Nakamura.

Ding defeated Nakamura in a thrilling encounter that saw both players make several inaccuracies. Ding eventually managed to capitalize on Nakamura’s mistakes and secure the full point.

The other decisive game of the round saw Anish Giri beat Aryan Tari. Giri played a solid positional game and eventually squeezed out a win in the endgame.

The remaining games of the round all ended in draws. Fabiano Caruana and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov played a quiet game that ended in a draw by repetition. Wesley So and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave also drew, as did Alexander Grischuk and Alireza Firouzja.

With just two rounds remaining, Carlsen is in a strong position to win the tournament. He will face Nakamura in Round 10 and then Caruana in the final round. Ding and Nakamura will play each other in the penultimate round, which will be crucial in determining who finishes second.

Standings after Round 9

1. Magnus Carlsen 5.5
2-3. Ding Liren 4.5
2-3. Hikaru Nakamura 4.5
4. Anish Giri 4
5. Fabiano Caruana 3.5
6. Wesley So 3
7. Jan-Krzysztof Duda 2.5
8. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 2.5
9. Alireza Firouzja 2
10. Aryan Tari 1.5
11. Alexander Grischuk 1
12. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 0.5

Keywords

Norway Chess
Magnus Carlsen
Ding Liren
Hikaru Nakamura
Anish Giri
Aryan Tari
Fabiano Caruana
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Wesley So
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Alexander Grischuk
Alireza Firouzja