After four draws in their semi-final match, including a dreaded Berlin draw
in the final game, Nakamura successfully outbid So to play with draw odds. So
had an extra six minutes to win, but it was not enough against the speedster.1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5Nf64.d3Bc55.Bxc6dxc66.O-OQd67.Nbd2Be68.b3a59.a4Nd710.Ng5f611.Nxe6Qxe612.Qh5+Qf713.Qg4Nf814.Nc4Ne615.Kh1h516.Qd1g517.Be3b618.c3Rd819.Qc2h420.Rad1O-O21.Bxc5Nxc522.d4exd423.cxd4Ne624.Qc3c525.dxc5...25.d5In a must-win
position, the resulting dynamics should make White feel a little more in
control.Nd426.Rde1f5Without this move, Black is simply waiting for
White to consolidate around e4-e5 and d5-d6.27.h3fxe428.Rxe4Qg7(28...Rxd5?!29.Ne5is the sort of variation that could give White a genuine
attack.)25....Nxc526.f3h327.g3Qe628.Kg1f529.exf5Qe230.Ne3Rde831.Qc4+Qxc432.Nxc4Rxf533.g4Rf7?33...Rf4-+34.Rd5...Black
presumably allowed this move as it was the clearest and fastest way to a draw,
and there was no need to give his crafty opponent chances to complicate things
if the game ran on.34....Rg735.Nxa5Re236.Nc6Nxb337.a5?...37.Rf237....bxa537...Nd2should be winning.38.Rf2∓Re1+39.Rf1Re240.Rf2...But this is clearly a draw, no "should be" qualifier needed.40....Re1+41.Rf1Re21/2-1/2 The game is a draw.41...Rxf1+∓1/2-1/2