Giri stuns Carlsen, So, grabs Invitational lead

Anish Giri bested world champion Magnus Carlsen and United States champion Wesley So in succession to highlight a three-win run that pushed the Dutch on top of the preliminary phase in the Magnus Carlsen Invitational.

Counting his third-round conquest of Alan Pichot, Giri posted 4 points after 5 rounds and overtook Carlsen and Levon Aronian, the longtime Armenian No. 1 who recently transferred to the US Chess Federation, with 3.5 each. (READ: Wesley So welcomes Aronian’s entry as Team USA tilts world chess scene)

The Filipino-born So also dropped his opening match against world No. 4 Ian Nepomniachtchi and landed at 9th spot in the 16-man field with 2.5 points.

So, the reigning world Fischer Random king, prevailed over Sergey Karjakin and Pichot and drew with Airthings Masters winner Teimour Radjabov.

So, winner of the Skilling Open and the Opera Euro Rapid and overall leader of the Champions Chess Tour, needs positive scores in the remaining two days of eliminations to advance to the quarterfinals.

Pitted against So from rounds 6 to 10 are Aronian, Russian Daniil Dubov, fellow American Hikaru Nakamura, Dutch Jorden van Foreest, and Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

The top-seeded Carlsen, loser to So in the finals of both the Skilling and Opera Euro, started with victories over Van Foreest, the surprise winner of the Tata Steels Masters, and Vachier-Lagrave before being held to a draw by teen sensation Alireza Firouzja and yielding to Giri.

Carlsen rebounded by trouncing Spain’s David Anton in the fifth round.

Joining Giri, Carlsen and Aronian in the Magic 8 thus far are Mamedyarov, Vachier-Lagrave, Radjabov, Dubov, and Nakamura with 3 points each.

Tied with So at 2.5 is Firouzja. (READ: Proud Fil-Am Wesley So grateful to PH legend Eugene Torre)

After beating So, Nepomniachtchi took a downturn and was lodged near the cellar at 1.5 points – Rappler.com