Aronian clinches Asian Rapid crown; Carlsen, So stay 1-2 overall

In-form Levon Aronian clinched the Goldmoney Asian Rapid crown on Sunday, July 4, even as Magnus Carlsen and champion Wesley So kept their 1-2 positions overall in the Champions Chess Tour (CCT).

Replicating his triumph in the preliminary phase of the $100,000 event, Aronian trounced Russian prospect Vladislav Artemiev, 2-0, in their two-day, two-set of four games each finals match.

Aronian, the longtime Armenian No. 1 now representing the United States, edged Artemiev, the 23-year-old former European champion, 2.5-1.5, in the first set on Saturday and then sealed his first Tour triumph by winning the first two games of the second set on Sunday.

The victory was worth 50 points and $30,000 for Aronian, who vaulted to fourth overall after seven legs of the CCT with 131 points, trailing world champion Carlsen (286), United States champion So (207), and Airthings Master titlist Teimour Radjabov (133).

Carlsen, winner of the New in Chess Classic and FTX Crypto Cup, defeated So, winner of the Skilling Open and Opera Euro Rapid, in the quarterfinals and settled for third place after beating world No. 3 Ding Liren, 1.5-0.5, in the blitz playoff.

Ding forged the tiebreaker with three straight wins over Carlsen in the second set of the rapid portion.

Only in his second finals stint in the CCT, Aronian overtook quarterfinalist Anish Giri (123 points), world title challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi (115), speed chess star Hikaru Nakamura (85), and French icon Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

So, who is bankrolling the prizes of the ongoing Wesley So Cup of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines, will be joining the eighth leg of the CCT set on July 31 to August 8. – Rappler.com