12.08.21 Game 10 of the World Chess Championship between the Champion Magnus Carlsen and the Challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi was played to a draw after 41 moves. The Match score now stands at 6.5 - 3.5 with Carlsen needing only a single point--one victory or two draws to maintain the title.

One gets the sense that Carlsen's progression towards defending his World Chess Champion title for the fourth time is comparable to the plate tectonics of continental drift--powerful, undeniable, and inexorable.

Game 10 of the Match began as a Petrov. An opening choice by Nepomniachtchi that surprised most commentators and the World Champion himself. Considering the Match situation with the Challenger down by three points and time running out, conventional wisdom would have predicted a sharper choice with the Black pieces. There was talk of a Sicilian Rossolimo or other sharp system to force the issue. On the other hand after two straight losses, the approach advocated by the historical Russian school of chess would be to stabilize the situation with a solid draw and come back next game with the White pieces and play for a win.

And so it was. Game 10 followed static equilibrium throughout the 41 moves. After a Queen trade on move 11, neither player had the appetite to press for sharper alternatives. Since the rules of the Match prohibit players from offering a draw before move 40, the combatants sparred until move 41 when a peace treaty was signed.

Nepomniachtchi's choice of the Petrov was surprising to many including Carlsen.

In this position, Carlsen spent almost 20 minutes considering the merits of 8.c3 vs 8.Be3. Concluding that there was no need to sharpen the position and avoid the trade of Queens, the World Champion played the ultra-solid pawn move.

The final position.

Ever resolute, Carlsen shows no signs of coasting.

The Challenger seems to be reading the writing on the wall.

Tomorrow is a rest day.

Game 11 begins at 7:30 a.m. eastern Friday, December 10th.

Match Score

Watch The Games Live with Commentary on Chess.com

Games and Coverage from lichess

Official Site of the FIDE World Chess Championship

Game 10 Coverage on ChessBase.com

Regulations

The match will be played over 14 standard games.

The first player to reach 7.5 points wins.

At the opening ceremony, a drawing of colors determines who will start with the white pieces.

The time control is 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 61.

If the scores are level after the regular 14 games, four tie-break games will be played. These are rapid games with 25 minutes for each player with an increment of 10 seconds after each move.

If it's still equal, two blitz games will be played (5 minutes plus 3 seconds increment). If it's still equal, a second pair of two blitz games will be played. If there is still no winner after five such matches, one sudden-death game will be played.
The player who wins the drawing of lots may choose the color. The player with the white pieces shall receive 5 minutes, the player with the black pieces shall receive 4 minutes whereupon, after the 60th move, both players shall receive an increment of 3 seconds starting from move 61. In case of a draw, the player with the black pieces is declared the winner.

The players cannot draw a game by agreement before Black's 30th move.

A claim for a draw before Black's 30th move is permitted only through one of the arbiters in
the cases of a threefold repetition.