Carlsen leads Wesley So in Goldmoney quarterfinals

World champion Magnus Carlsen won the first set of his quarterfinal match with Wesley So, 2.5-1.5, to put his rival on a cliff’s edge in the Goldmoney Asian Rapid on Tuesday, June 29 (Wednesday, June 30, Manila time).

Also a step closer toward the semifinals is Russian Vladismar Artemiev, who surprisingly blanked the higher-rated Anish Giri, 3-0.

Other quarterfinal pairings saw preliminary stage topnotcher Levon Aronian and world No. 3 Ding Liren being held to 2-2 standoffs by Indian prospect Arjun Erigaisi and Polish ace Jan-Krzysztof Duda.

The 17-year-old Erigaisi, the lowest-rated in the 16-player starting field and the last to qualify, even led 1.5-0.5, with a game 2 victory. Aronian, however, rebounded in game 3 before settling for a game 4 truce.

Proving his conquest of Ding in the preliminary stage was no fluke, Duda forced China’s highest-rated player ever to four straight draws.

So blundered away a bishop in the first game and resigned as Carlsen would be left with two connected passed pawns.

Although the pride of Bacoor, Cavite struck back with white in game 2, Carlsen regained the lead in game 3.

Though So tried to force a win in game 4 it ended up as a clear draw, giving Carlsen the victory in the early match between the two favorites in the event serving as the seventh stage of the Champions Chess Tour (CCT).

With back-to-back victories in the New in Chess Classic and the FTX Crypto Cup, Carlsen paces the overall race of the CCT with So, winner of the Skilling Open and the Opera Euro Rapid, a distant second.

So must prevail in the second set of four games on Wednesday to force a two-game blitz playoff, and, if necessary, an Armageddon.

If the second set ends in a draw, Carlsen will advance to the semifinals against the winner between Aronian and Erigaisi.

If Artemiev sustains his dominance over Giri, the 2019 European champion will meet the victor between Ding and Duda. – Rappler.com