Wesley So triggers Magnus Carlsen into beast mode in Croatia chess
MANILA, Philippines – Stung by back-to-back losses to Wesley So and Leinier Dominguez, world champion Magnus Carlsen turned into a beast and surged ahead in the 2022 SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia on Saturday, July 23, (Sunday, July 24, Philippine time) at the Westin Hotel in Zagreb.
Carlsen won his next five games in the first round-robin of the blitz segment to tally 18 points – 1.5 ahead of So with 16.5, and 2 ahead of the 16-point tally of Jorden Van Foreest, the erstwhile leader after the rapid segment of the event serving as the third leg of the 2022 Grand Chess Tour.
So, on the other hand, lost to Van Foreest in the fourth round, drew with former world champion Veselin Topalov in the fifth, beat Ivan Saric in the sixth before splitting the point with Dominguez, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Candidates Masters winner Ian Nepomniachtchi to close the day.
The Filipino-born So opened up by trouncing Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and drawing with Alireza Firouzja, who salvaged fifth spot with 14.5 points after besting Van Foreest in Round 9.
Nepomniachtchi, who was supposed to challenge Carlsen again for the world title until the Norwegian icon announced that he will not be defending his title, overtook Firouzja with 15.5 points. (READ: Magnus Carlsen will not defend world chess title next year)
The second round-robin of the blitz segment will be held Sunday. – Rappler.com