King Carlsen wins richest online chess event ever
Baku, August 21, AZERTAC
Magnus Carlsen has won his own $1 million signature tournament proving he is the best online speed chess player on the planet, according to the official FIDE website.
Chess fans around the globe were gripped today as the World Champion overcame US star Hikaru Nakamura in a thrilling marathon Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour final.
Carlsen had to come from behind three times over the week before finally toppling his rival in a nail-biting tiebreak today to decide an incredibly-tight seventh set.
A clearly relieved Carlsen said afterward: "I don't know what to say, there were just so many twists and turns. Ultimately it's a bit random that everything is decided by one game but it has to end at some point."
Paying tribute to his opponent, Carlsen said: "He's just very, very resilient and I just found the whole match very difficult and unpleasant to play. At some points, I felt that I was outplaying him and then he started turning it around.
"I never felt I had the energy and never felt at any moment cruising so it was just a never-ending struggle. That's why it became so close."
The Norwegian banks an online record of $140,000 for winning the final and takes a total of $315,000 in prize money overall from the event.
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