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Despite a slow start Nakamura, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on the day of the match, won the 5+1 mini-match 5:4. With two wins So took an early lead but with wins in a row Nakamura won the first stage of the match.
But in the 3+1 portion of the match Wesley So was the dominating player and won 4½:3½.
The seventh game of this series was particularly turbulent.
Thus the score was tied at 8½:8½ before the last stage of the match, the bullet blitz with a time control of 1+1. Nakamura's skills in bullet chess are legendary and in this match he again showed why he is considered the world's best or second best player in this discipline. He won four of the first seven games to take a big lead and though Wesley So caught up at the end, this was not enough and Nakamura narrowly won the match.
On Friday, December 11, 18:00 CET, 9 a.m. Pacific, Magnus Carlsen and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave will play the second semi-final. On Saturday, December 12, 18:00 CET, 9 a.m. Pacific, the winner of this match will face Nakamura in the final.