2021 World Championship Match, Game 8

 This was, I think, the first truly disappointing game of the title match. All the previous ones were hard-fought draws or games decided by very fine technical points after an epic struggle; this, however, was one decided by a simple blunder half-way through.

Nepomniachtchi would presumably never have played 21...b5?? had it not been for the marathon game two rounds earlier; with play on both successive days meaning he hadn't really had time to recover since then.

With the score now 5-3 to Carlsen with just six games to go, it seems unlikely that the challenger can mount a comeback.


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