
Replay Game 9 below (or check out all the games with computer analysis on our broadcast page).
Check out the day’s live commentary and press conference with Judit Polgar and Anish Giri…
…and with the Champions Chess Tour team of David Howell, Kaja Snare and Jovanka Houska.
Ian Nepomniachtchi realised that trailing by two points in the match he needed to change something, and he did! On the rest day he not only cut off the man bun that had accompanied his recent rise, but had Sergey Karjakin flown in from Moscow.
Wow! Drastic times really do call for drastic measures — Ian has cut off the bun! And he arrives with Sergey Karjakin: https://t.co/GmknqqcaZb #CarlsenNepo #c24live pic.twitter.com/akdsQnxpGQ
— chess24.com (@chess24com) December 7, 2021
He then opened with the new move 1.c4 and once again we had a sharp, fighting game, but once again it all fell apart for Ian Nepomniachtchi in a single move, when he played 27.c5??, allowing Magnus to trap his bishop.
Giri had just been showing that 27.c5?? was a blunder when Nepo played it! "What! Oh my God! c5 c6, sorry, but I saw that instantly! Is he nuts? That is insane" https://t.co/GmknqqcaZb #CarlsenNepo #c24live pic.twitter.com/QxQDXET8I9
— chess24.com (@chess24com) December 7, 2021
As you can see above, Magnus instantly understood it was a blunder, and took just under three minutes to make the move on the board. Once again, the only question that remained for Ian was when to resign, and he threw in the towel on move 39.
Ian Nepomniachtchi resigns and @MagnusCarlsen takes a 6:3 lead with just 5 games of the 2021 World Chess Championship to go! https://t.co/GmknqqcaZb #CarlsenNepo #c24live pic.twitter.com/nNEzGQc5d0
— chess24.com (@chess24com) December 7, 2021