Wesley So shares Lindores lead with Carlsen, 2 others
UPSET. Last November, Wesley So (left) stunned top-ranked Magnus Carlsen to rule the first World Fischer Random Chess Championship. File photo
MANILA, Philippines – Wesley So won his first two games then drew the next two to share the lead with world champion Magnus Carlsen and two others in the Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge on Tuesday, May 19 (Wednesday, May 20, Philippine time).
The Philippine-born So, now representing the United States, trounced Chinese stars Yu Yangyi and Wei Yi in succession in the online chess tournament before splitting the point with Polish Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Russian Alexander Grischuk for 3.0 points, the same as Carlsen, Russian Sergey Karjakin and fellow USA stalwart Hikaru Nakamura.
So avenged his last round defeat to Yu on board 3 in the recent Online Nations Cup which enabled China to edge the US for the title.
It was a promising start for So as the first Fischer Random Chess world champion handled black thrice, against Yu, Duda and Grischuk.
Karjakin lost to Nakamura in the opener of the tournament serving as second leg of the $1 million Magnus Carlsen Tour, but rebounded strongly with victories over Yu, Wei and Duda.
China’s Ding Liren, ranked 3rd in the world, was at solo 5th with 2.5 points, followed by Grischuk, a three-time world blitz champion, and Armenian Levon Aronian with 2.0 each.
The fifth round will be on Wednesday with So battling Karjakin, Carlsen facing Yu, Ding tackling Grischuk, Duda meeting Russian Daniil Dubov and Wei tangling with Iranian sensation Alireza Firouzja.
Slated on the same day are the sixth to eighth rounds. The ninth to 11th rounds will be played Thursday with the top 8 advancing to the knockout section slated Saturday.
Carlsen ruled the first Magnus Carlsen Invitational serving as the inaugural of the five-edition online series. – Rappler.com
