- Carlsen edges longest game in world championship history
- Both players miss chances in 136-move game-six epic
Magnus Carlsen fought back from the brink of disaster to draw first blood against Ian Nepomniachtchi in the sixth game of their world championship showdown in Dubai, scoring a decisive result in a heart-stopping encounter that spanned 136 moves – and parts of two days – before ending after midnight in Dubai.
The gruelling back-and-forth marathon was the longest game in the 135-year history of world championship matchplay – surpassing the 124-move stalemate in game five of the 1978 title match between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi in 1978 – with both players missing winning opportunities under extreme clock pressure at the first time control.