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Wesley So eliminates Polish foe to reach semis of Opera Euro Rapid chess tilt

Sports

Wesley So eliminates Polish foe to reach semis of Opera Euro Rapid chess tilt

By Kristel Satumbaga-Villar

Wesley So

Grandmaster Wesley So made short work of Polish Jan-Krzysztof Duda in their quarterfinal duel to barge into the semifinals of the Opera Euro Rapid of the Champions Chess Tour Thursday, Feb. 11.

After winning the first of the two four-game duel Wednesday, 2.5-1.5, the 27-year-old So went for the kill early as he smashed Duda twice to negate the last two games as it was all the former needed to leapfrog to the semis.

The win arranged the reigning world Fischer-Random and two-time United States champion a semis tussle with Azerbaijan’s Teimour Radjabov, who needed an extra two-game tiebreaker to eliminate Netherland’s Anish Giri.

So seeks his second title in this tour after ruling the opening leg’s Skillings Open late last year.

In the second leg’s Airthings Masters a month ago, So also made it to the quarters but yielded to French Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the semis.

In the other side of the bracket, world champion Magnus Carlsen survived rising Russian star Daniil Dubov to advance to the next round against Vachier-Lagrave, who bested Armenia’s Levon Aronian.

Carlsen took Day One, 2.5-.5, but Dubov bounced back by claiming Day Two, 2.5-.5, to force the two-game blitz playoff, 1-1.

Carlsen took the semis slot by winning their Armageddon playoff over Dubov.

Related Tags

Wesley So Magnus Carlsen Opera Euro Rapid

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