World chess champion Magnus Carlsen defeats France's top ranked plater Maxime Vachier-Lagrave to increase his lead on day seven of his tournament.
SHOWS: INTERNET / VARIOUS UNKNOWN LOCATIONS (APRIL 24, 2020) (CHESS24 HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) 1.
MATCHUPS FOR ROUND 4 ON DAY 7 OF TOURNAMENT - MAGNUS CARLSEN (NORWAY) V MAXIME VACHIER-LAGRAVE (FRANCE) AND ALIREZA FIROUZJA (IRAN) V FABIANO CARUANA (USA) 2.
ACTION FROM GAME 1 BETWEEN CARLSEN AND VACHIER-LAGRAVE 3.
GAME 1 BETWEEN CARLSEN AND VACHIER-LAGRAVE ENDS IN DRAW 4.
GAME ACTION OF CARUANA DEFEATING FIROUZJA IN GAME 2 OF THEIR MATCH 5.
VACHIER-LAGRAVE REACTING AFTER LOSING GAME 3 OF THEIR MATCH 6.
CARUANA AND FIROUZJA DURING GAME 3 OF THEIR MATCH 7.
ACTION FROM GAME 4 OF BOTH MATCHES 8.
VACHIER-LAGRAVE DRAWS WITH CARLSEN IN GAME 4 BUT CARLSEN CLINCHES MATCH WIN 2.5 TO 1.5 / CARUANA WINS GAME 4 TO SEAL 3 TO 1 MATCH WIN OVER FIROUZJA STORY: World Champion Magnus Carlsen increased his lead over his tournament Friday (April 24) after defeating France's top player.
The Norwegian, who has ruled the chess world for a decade, dispatched Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 2.5-1.5 to extend his lead at the top of The Magnus Carlsen Invitational.
Following draws in the opening two games of Round 4, Carlsen broke the deadlock in the third with a super-smooth win.
Carlsen had winning chances in the final game, but had to settle for a draw after a complex ending.
In the other match, Fabiano Caruaua vs Alireza Firouzja looked effectively over after the American won the first two games - the second a particularly crushing victory.
But 16-year-old Firouzja stormed back in the third with a nice trick to end his miserable run of five consecutive loses by forcing Caruana, the world number 2, to resign.
It left the teenager needing to win with the black pieces in the fourth game to take the match to a tiebreak.
He fought hard, but could not make the breakthrough.
The game ended in a draw and the match 2.5-1.5 to Caruana.
The American lies second in the tournament table on 8 points, behind Carlsen on 11 points.
Tomorrow sees Hikaru Nakamura vs Ian Neopmniachtchi and Ding Liren vs Anish Giri.
(Production: David Grip and Peter Bullock)
Top ranked Dutch player Anish Giri stuns chess champ Magnus Carlsen with 2.5 to 1.5 defeat of the Norwegian tournament host
