So tackles Radjabov, Carlsen battles Vachier-Lagrave in Opera semis

Being pitted against Wesley So is like a death sentence for Jan-Krzysztof Duda.

Chances are the Polish No. 1 will lose.

Look at the ongoing Opera Euro Rapid. So beat Duda in the preliminary stage then booted him out, 2-0, in the two-set quarterfinals that ended early Thursday, February 11.

So barged into the semifinals opposite Teimour Radjabov, who won the final blitz game to oust Anish Giri in another round of 8 encounter.

World champion Magnus Carlsen was tested to the limit before exacting revenge on Daniil Dubov and forging a semifinal tussle with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who got the draw he needed in match 2 to eliminate Levon Aronian.

The Filipino-born So, the reigning United States champion, also toppled Duda in the Skilling Open which he won, and the Airthings Masters ruled by Radjabov.  

In addition, So bested  Duda in the 2018 and 2020 Speed Chess Championship.

After whipping Dubov, his quarterfinals conqueror in the Airthings Masters, in the first match, 2.5-0.5, on Wednesday, Carlsen thought he was in for smooth sailing in the second match.

Instead, Dubov pushed him into deep waters with a similar 2.5-0.5 victory. 

Dubov and Carlsen split the two blitz games before Carlsen prevailed in the decider.

While Carlsen is a solid pick over Vachier-Lagrave, the So-Radjabov encounter is projected to be a thriller.

So and Radjabov drew their preliminary games in the Skilling Open and Airthings Masters although So bundled out the Azerbaijani No. 1 in the Skilling Open quarterfinals.

Radjabov, however, is wielding sharp form of late, emerging as the only unscathed player after the single-round robin preliminaries of the Opera Euro Rapid which serves as the third leg of the $1.5 million Champions Chess Tour.

With his victory in the Airthings Masters, Radjabov overtook So as the leader in both the points and money derby of the tour. – Rappler.com