Hans Moke Niemann

American GM

“My game against Alireza went incredibly smoothly. I probably took advantage of the fact that he was on tilt after losing his last two games. Otherwise, I doubt he would have pushed. But I think I also put some pressure on him in a creative way, which created serious practical problems.

When serious practical issues began, a draw wasn’t obvious. I saw the line, but it was quite counterintuitive. I also had a huge time edge, so it was natural that he collapsed.

Generally, having a time edge is a great advantage. You can see a lot of crazy blunders happen under time pressure. That’s when most games are won.”