FTX Crypto Cup: Radjabov holds Carlsen; "Mosquito swarm" plays its part in Nepomniachtchi's loss

Facing a must-win situation to save the first match of their semifinal clash, Teimour Rajdabov surprised Magnus Carlsen with a 'novelty' to level the score at 2-2 in the FTX Crypto Cup on Friday. “I was preparing this for a very long time against someone at the very top level, and I finally got Magnus in this position,” said Radjabov about his victorious game.“I cannot say I was happy about it, because you never know what the reaction will be, but I was very happy about the time that he spent so it meant that he didn’t really expect this for sure. Nepomniachtchi missed the chance to grab So’s knight and let his rival off the hook.In the fourth game, with a visibly distracted Nepomniachtchi dealing with the mosquito swarm in his house outside Moscow, So managed to win from the black after facing moves of sub optimal strength.Later Nepomniachtchi remarked, “It was some kind of shamanic ritual, because during the last game, I didn’t care about the game at all, I only wanted not to get eaten down by mosquitoes. Some guy snoring in the audience and so on, we are quite used to it while playing in some tournaments like Dortmund or London, but this was an entirely new thing.”Semifinals: Match One: Wesley So bt Ian Nepomniachtchi 2.5-1.5; Magnus Carlsen drew with Teimour Radjabov 2-2.