Living up to his reputation, World champion Magnus Carlsen produced two flawless displays over four games and defeated Hikaru Nakamura 2.5-1.5 to win the $250,000 Magnus Carlsen Invitational online chess tournament on Sunday.
The triumph was worth $70,000 for Carlsen in the richest online event. Nakamura received $45,000 for his performance in the 16-day competition.
Carlsen, known to wear down his rivals in long positional battles, reproduced the magic in the opening game. Playing with white pieces, Carlsen squeezed out a minor advantage after 67 moves and eventually won in 84 moves.
Nakamura drew level following a fine technical victory in the second game. Carlsen again carved out a positional masterpiece in the third game to regain the lead. In the fourth, where Nakamura came close to winning, Carlsen summoned all his defensive skills to force a draw and win the title.
Final result: Magnus Carlsen (Nor) bt Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 2.5-1.5.
