Nepomniachtchi es deixa una peça a la 9ª partida del mundial
L'error "no forçat" de l'aspirant a la novena partida del Campionat del Món deixa el títol virtualment decidit (el c5?? condemna l'alfil de b7, ja que el negre respon c6! i la peça queda atrapada). 
Poques jugades més tard es consuma la pèrdua del punt sencer. Carlsen aconsegueix tres punts d'avantatge enfront Nepomniachtchi, a manca de cinc partides. El norueg ha sumat tres punts i mig a les darreres quatre partides, per deixar el marcador en un 6 a 3 al seu favor. Twitter ha reflectit el següent diàleg entre dos coneguts Grans Mestres (el gerundenc Àlvar Alonso i Edouard Romain, 10è del rànking a França).
GM Àlvar Alonso: "I feel even Magnus won't be happy to win this way".
GM Edouard Romain: "I think he will be extremely happy. And he didn't play a bad game -so no reason not to be. Sad for Nepo he will probably be".
GM Àlvar Alonso: "Yeah overall maybe, but Magnus also wants a challenge".
GM Edouard Romain: "I think he always hopes to get the strongest possible challeger. But once the match has started he just wants to win games!"
GM Edouard Romain: "I think he will be extremely happy. And he didn't play a bad game -so no reason not to be. Sad for Nepo he will probably be".
GM Àlvar Alonso: "Yeah overall maybe, but Magnus also wants a challenge".
GM Edouard Romain: "I think he always hopes to get the strongest possible challeger. But once the match has started he just wants to win games!"