Wesley So overcame an opening game defeat and downed Levon Aronian, 2.5-1.5, to advance to the winners’ semifinals of the Chessable Masters of the Champions Chess Tour Monday night, April 3.
The Cavite-born So suffered an early loss to Aronian, born in Armenia but is now representing the United States, but struck back by scoring 2.5 points in the last three games including smashing wins in the second and fourth games.
*Wesley So battles fellow American Hikaru Nakamura in the winners' semifinals. (File Photo/FIDE)*
The match triumph catapulted the former Fischer-Random king and two-time US champion to the winners’ semis where he will battle another American in Hikaru Nakamura, who needed an Armageddon win to turn back Russian Vladimir Fedosev, 2.5-2.5. It was a round that saw reigning world titlist and Tour leader Magnus Carlsen suffer a shock 3-2 defeat at the hands of Vladimir Artemiev of Russia. That sent Carlsen crashing down to the losers’ bracket where he would need to beat all his opponents including Vietnamese Le Quang Liem from then on to stay in the title hunt. Artemiev, in contrast, advanced to the winners’ semis against the United States’ Fabiano Caruana, who survived the upset axe by trouncing Le, 3-2, via the Armageddon route. So is hoping to match, if not improve, on his third-place finish in the CCT season-opening Airthings Masters last February that was won by Carlsen ahead of Nakamura.
*Wesley So battles fellow American Hikaru Nakamura in the winners' semifinals. (File Photo/FIDE)*
The match triumph catapulted the former Fischer-Random king and two-time US champion to the winners’ semis where he will battle another American in Hikaru Nakamura, who needed an Armageddon win to turn back Russian Vladimir Fedosev, 2.5-2.5. It was a round that saw reigning world titlist and Tour leader Magnus Carlsen suffer a shock 3-2 defeat at the hands of Vladimir Artemiev of Russia. That sent Carlsen crashing down to the losers’ bracket where he would need to beat all his opponents including Vietnamese Le Quang Liem from then on to stay in the title hunt. Artemiev, in contrast, advanced to the winners’ semis against the United States’ Fabiano Caruana, who survived the upset axe by trouncing Le, 3-2, via the Armageddon route. So is hoping to match, if not improve, on his third-place finish in the CCT season-opening Airthings Masters last February that was won by Carlsen ahead of Nakamura.