Round 3 of the FIDE World Championship was performed right this moment between the reigning champion, the Norwegian GM Magnus Carlsen and his challenger, the Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi.

(title picture – FIDE / Eric Rosen)

Lichess is offering a broadcast of the strikes being performed in real-time. Additionally, GM Nijat Abasov is offering recreation annotations and insights on the video games every day. Round three’s recreation annotations might be discovered beneath.

Carlsen, enjoying with the black items right this moment, responded to Nepomniachtchi’s invitation of 1. e4 with one other closed Ruy Lopez – much like their first spherical conflict. Whereas within the first spherical, Nepomniachtchi performed 8. h3, right this moment he tried one other anti-Marshall line with 8. a4. This line was extra well-trodden than their earlier video games, with the primary novel transfer coming at transfer 15.

Nepomniachtchi had a imply bishop pair and it regarded like close to absolute central management, however Carlsen’s place was nonetheless safe sufficient to forestall any apparent assaults. In any occasion, it appeared that Nepomniachtchi once more doubtlessly had the slight higher hand – though engines evaluated the place as almost lifeless equal. 

https://lichess.org/research/embed/RoBvWqfx/1dx8ll2B
After a powerful construct up of rigidity, virtually all main items had been traded off, adopted by rooks being traded off shortly after. They simplified right into a theoretical draw, with same-coloured bishops, and each gamers knew the opposite would have the ability to trivially defend – which means the third spherical additionally led to a tense and gripping draw.

Lichess analysed the sport afterwards with Stockfish 14 NNUE, the place it was assessed as being an extremely correct 3 common centipawn loss for white, and a pair of common centipawn loss for black. This appears to be essentially the most precisely performed (as assessed by an engine) FIDE World Championship recreation to have ever been performed. When requested how each gamers felt about making historical past, Carlsen remarked “it fills me with pride…but it’s still only half a point!”. Meanwhile, Nepomniachtchi wryly joked, “that’s quite a murky question to bring up just before the anti-doping test.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PudmQyKXL3M&t=14470s
GM Nijat Abasov’s ideas on the primary three rounds, concludes in his annotations (obtainable above): “The players are off to the first rest day with a relatively calm draw. What can we say about the first three games? All games so far ended in a draw, but we definitely can’t say it’s a boring match. I believe, Carlsen, so far, doesn’t play in his usual manner. Especially yesterday’s game felt more like the Rachmaninoff style than Mozart’s flowing melodies 🙂 Nevertheless, he is the one who controls the beat. His playing style looks more like to neutralize Nepo’s sharp play. Well, he manages it well, so far. It feels like Nepo hasn’t yet found his comfort zone. Tomorrow is the rest day. It’s time for players to chill for a bit, analyze the first three games and of course, think about the match-strategy for next rounds.”

The subsequent recreation might be performed, 30 November 12:30 UTC (it’s a relaxation day on the twenty ninth!) For extra particulars on the match, you may evaluate our first spherical recap which has extra data.

(GM Nijat Abasov achieved the GM title at simply 15. He was Azeri nationwide champion in 2017, additionally successful the Baku Open the identical 12 months. He has performed the Tata Steel Challengers and the Grand Swiss (twice), amongst many different tournaments, reaching his all-time peak ranking of 2670 in February 2020. He not too long ago represented Azerbaijan on the European Team Championships, successful a board prize with a efficiency ranking of 2760).