Magnus Carlsen came back from the brink of defeat against Ding Liren on Saturday in the Magnus Carlsen Invitational semifinals, finishing off a dramatic turnaround he called one of his most rewarding victories in recent memory.
He will face Hikaru Nakamura on Sunday for the championship and accompanying $70,000 prize.
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Carlsen, hosting the online tournament to provide extra competitive chess competition during the coronavirus pandemic, has not been tested often in any format during his reign as the world's top-ranked player. His semifinals clash made him look vulnerable, however, if only for a moment.
When Ding blundered away a pivotal Game 4 in the semifinals, Carlsen pumped his fist and exhaled. From there, Carlsen took control of the match.
"It's of course relief, but I cannot remember being as satisfied with a win as I have today," Carlsen told Sporting News. "Usually going into such a match I'm thinking that, frankly, if I'm even close to my best I will win. But ... I knew there was nothing certain at all. Being able to pull it out after such adversity, it's a great feeling."
Professional chess has been thrown off-kilter by the spread of COVID-19, its annual Candidates Tournament postponed mid-competition and smaller events pushed back as well.
At the same time, though, quarantines around the world have granted grandmasters the opportunity to play in front of a larger online audience than usual. Interest in the game is surging.
So, as a player with a platform larger than any of his peers, Carlsen hopes his tournament adds to the spike in attention and helps him make good on his promise to be a positive ambassador for chess.