Magnus Carlsen won the World Chess Championship by dominating the rapid tiebreaker

Four-time World Chess Champion Magnus
Carlsen.
FIDE

• Magnus Carlsen has won his fourth
  World Chess Championship, defeating Fabiano Caruana in
  London.
• After an unprecedented 12 draws in longer time controls, the
  classic chess gave way to rapid tiebreaks.
• Carlsen is the stronger rapid player and crushed Caruana 3-0.

It’s a four-peat for Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, who defeated
American Fabiano Caruana in London on Wednesday to win the 2018
World Chess Championship.

As in Carlsen’s 2016 title defense, against Russia’s Sergey
Karjakin, Carlsen needed rounds of rapid chess, 25-minutes
games. 

Carlsen is the world’s best at this so-called “rapid” chess.
After 11 consecutive draws in the classical time controls over
the first two weeks of the championship, Carlsen, 27, offered a
controversial draw in Game 12, betting that he could retain his
title by beating Caruana, 26, a less accomplished fast
player. 

Read more:

Game 12 of the World Chess Championship has ended in a shocking
draw and now goes to tiebreakers between Magnus Carlsen and
Fabiano Caruana

The World Chess Championship had never seen a deadlocked result
with no decisive wins for either player. But the clear victories
came quickly in rapid, as Carlsen dashed to a 2-0 lead, needing
just a draw to secure another half point and claim the crown for
the fourth time.

Carlson locked up the win in the third rapid game, posting a 3-0
final result after Caruana’s position with black collapsed and a
second Carlsen white queen appeared on the board.

In the end, it was a wipeout, ending America’s best chance at a
World Champion since Bobby Fischer in 1972. And the result
decisively cemented Carlsen’s position as not just the number-one
player on the planet, but also one of the most tenacious
champions of the modern era.

To Caruana’s credit, however, the young challenger was Carlsen’s
equal in the classical rounds, proving that his number-two world
ranking is well-deserved.