[ubernostrum]

It's a little more complicated than that.

Yes, he was in a position that both engines and human grandmasters said was superior, with time pressure. But there's no clear line to force difficult moves for Caruana before the time control kicks in after move 40, and then it's a whole new game; Caruana gets a fresh 50 minutes on the clock and can potentially fight his way to an exhausting draw. Plus there's the risk that any blunder -- and remember this is coming in a crowded, grindy-looking middlegame -- loses the championship.

From that spot, it makes sense for Carlsen to try to go straight to the tiebreak games where he feels he's more strongly favored.