Magnus Carlsen completed a remarkable few days at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships on Wall Street, New York, when the Norwegian, 34, who first withdrew then returned to the event after Fide rescinded its ban on jeans, controversially agreed to share the Blitz crown with his old rival, Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, while their final sudden-death tie-break was still in progress.
The pair were survivors from an eight-player knockout, and Carlsen took a 2-0 lead before Nepomniachtchi fought back to 2-2. Official Fide rules then called for an indefinite series of sudden-death games, the chess equivalent of a penalty shootout, but after only three of these, all featuring conservative strategy by both sides, Carlsen suggested that they share the title at 3.5-3.5.
