Hikaru Nakamura closed in on tournament leader Magnus Carlsen by winning an Armageddon thriller on time, reducing the gap to just half a point behind Carlsen.
Norway Chess 2024
Hikaru Nakamura (USA) and Magnus Carlsen (NOR) delivered an electrifying Armageddon match in the 12th Norway Chess 2024. After a 20-move draw in the Classical game, their Armageddon battle turned into a thrilling spectacle. Nakamura, who had played the Sämisch variation in the Nimzo-Indian exactly a decade ago on the same day and lost from a winning position, found himself in a similar scenario. The world no. 1, Carlsen, had even predicted this during a discussion with his second, GM Peter Heine Nielsen (DEN), the night before. Nakamura spotted a brilliant tactic to gain a winning position but stumbled towards the end, steering the game toward a draw. Nevertheless, he managed to clinch the win on time. Additionally, R Praggnanandhaa and Alireza Firouzja won their Armageddon games against Ding Liren (CHN) and Fabiano Caruana (USA), respectively. Carlsen leads with 13/21, followed by Nakamura with 12.5/21, and Praggnanandhaa with 11/21.
In the Women’s Norway Chess tournament, GM Anna Muzychuk secured the sole lead by winning a mini-match against Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun. Unfortunately, GM Vaishali Rameshbabu faced a setback, losing in classical chess to GM Koneru Humpy. Meanwhile, GM Lei Tingjie emerged victorious against GM Pia Cramling in an armageddon game
Source: chess.com