Carlsen trounces So in first mini matches
Wesley So could not replicate his 2019 victory over Magnus Carlsen, when he defeated the world champion in the Fischer Random Chess Championship
by Roy Luarca
MANILA, Philippines – Wesley So groped for form and bowed to world champion Magnus Carlsen, 2.5-0.5, in their first mini match in the Lindores Rapid Challenge quarterfinals on Sunday, May 24 (Monday, May 25, Manila time).
Handling black, So blundered on the 19th move in the opener then erred on the 61st of a Spanish Opening, Exchange Variation with white to trail 0-2.
Rather than waste energy by trying to win the next two games and force an Armageddon tiebreaker, So opted to give up the match by agreeing to an 18-move draw via repetition in the third game.
Daniil Dubov was even more overpowering in the other mini matches, sweeping fellow Russian Sergey Karjakin, 3-0.
The Cavite-born So, who humbled Carlsen in their finals encounter for the first world Fischer Random Chess Championship crown last October, and Karjakin must rebound in the Round 2 mini matches on Tuesday, May 26, to force a deciding match on Wednesday, May 27.
Carlsen and Dubov need only to repeat over So and Karjakin to barge into the semifinals, where they will meet the winners of the other quarterfinals pitting Hikaru Nakamura against Levon Aronian and Yu Yangyi against Ding Liren.
Nakamura, the preliminary round topnotcher, and Yu were held to a 2-2 count by Aronian and Ding, respectively, but eventually prevailed via Armageddon.
All quarterfinalists in the event serving as the second leg of the $1-million Magnus Carlsen Tour will get $8,000. – Rappler.com