Wei Yi
Hikaru
Wei Yi
 
Hikaru
 
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1
13
26 turns without comments
14

Wei Yi keeps playing fast moves, understanding that the clock advantage is just as - if not more - important than the position on the board as we reach a middlegame.

-02:-07 Bd3
14
15
2 turns without comments
15

Hikaru looking to expand on the queenside and get his pawns rolling.

03:50 Rb8
16

Wei Yi with the strong knight, and now it's all about what proves better: Wei Yi's attacking prospects on the center/kingside, or Hikaru's on the left-hand flank?!

01:03 Nf5
16
1 turn without comment
17

??MISTAKE??

Wei Yi a bit too quick to pull the trigger here, easing Hikaru's play as pieces come off the board.

-04:-33 Nxe7+
17
19
4 turns without comments
19

Hikaru has come out of the opening with by far the better chances, and also narrowed the deficit on the clock!

00:17 h6
20
1 turn without comment
20

Hikaru's pawns creating strong threats already, while Wei Yi's attack has fizzled out.

02:14 c4
21
22
3 turns without comments
22

Hikaru looking to plant a strong knight on the advanced outpost, cramping Wei Yi's position heavily.

00:-58 Nc5
23
1 turn without comment
23

Hikaru goes a different route with the knight than expected, and instead is just looking to pressure the weak pawn directly.

-03:-21 Ne4
24

Nice tactical awareness by Wei Yi! Though it still has to be said that there's risk here for him: now his right-hand pawn might get picked off soon!

01:25 Nd4
24

A big moment here for Wei Yi. The computer says only taking with the queen holds the balance, but for humans taking with the bishop looks super tempting.

-02:-30 Nxd4
25

He finds the right move, but Wei Yi has slipped below Nakamura on the clock now. That's a disaster given he started up several minutes on the clock!

05:43 Qxd4
25

Hikaru goes up a pawn, but it's not a disaster for Wei Yi for now as he has the better coordination and bishops.

00:-23 Qxh4
26
28
6 turns without comments
29

Hikaru has to watch out for this pawn push at any moment, which could trouble his minor pieces.

-01:-33 Rea1
29

Hikaru looks to resolve the rook tension. Now Wei Yi must either retreat, or trade off more pieces.

06:14 Rbb8
30
32
5 turns without comments
32

Hikaru holding steady for now, but the momentum slightly feels to be on Wei Yi's side in recent moves. He's no longer standing worse, which he had been for most of the middlegame.

06:32 Bg6
33
1 turn without comment
33

Hikaru allowing some interesting tactical opportunities for Wei Yi. Will he go for them?! That would make the game ultra sharp heading into the final minutes of Armaggedon!

07:10 Qb7
34

Wei Yi sharpens things up!

Just a couple minutes on the clock, and now we get massive complications. All three results possible, but for Wei Yi it's clear: he must win, or he will be eliminated!

03:39 e6
34
38
8 turns without comments
38

Brilliant move here, forcing the queens off the board. Hikaru looks to be well on his way to making the needed draw!

-01:-28 Qf6
39
41
6 turns without comments
42

Things completely collapsed for Wei Yi in the last few moves. Hikaru doing what Hikaru has done countless times, coming in clutch in the final minutes of the decider.

01:42 Bd2
42
46
8 turns without comments
46

hikaru into the quarterfinals!

He sends Wei Yi out of the Esports World Cup, after a tremendous fight that could have gone either way in games 1 and 2. But in a game of razor-thin margins, there has to be a winner, and Hikaru showed just why he is considered one of the tournament favorites, with a convincing performance in the Armaggedon! Wei Yi was unable to trouble him or threaten victory, and in the end the Chinese number 1 was forced to resign as he found himself beaten both on the board and on the clock.

Hikaru Nakamura through to the quarterfinals!

04:17 d3