The defending champion held a 5-3 advantage in the series heading into game nine against challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Nepomniachtchi, who is playing under the Russian Chess Federation flag, made a mistake on move 27.

The move saw Nepomniachtchi trap his bishop.

The mistake was seized upon by Carlsen, playing with black pieces.

Nepomniachtchi was forced to resign from game nine, with Carlsen securing back-to-back wins either side of yesterday’s rest day.

Carlsen has now secured three wins in the contest and appears poised to retain his title.

He leads 6-3 in the 14-game series at the Dubai Exhibition Centre.

Carlsen lifted his first world title in 2013 at Chennai in India and has since retained it in Sochi in 2014, New York City in 2016 and London in 2018.

The World Championship was supposed to take place last year but was postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The winner will collect $1.2 million (£900,000/€1.1 million) of the $2 million (£1.5 million/€1.8 million) prize fund, with the runner-up receiving $800,000 (£600,000/€700,000).