MANILA, Philippines – Wesley So gained traction after nine rounds of the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Championships rocked by the withdrawal of defending champion Magnus Carlsen on Friday, December 27 (Saturday, December 28, Manila time), on Wall Street in New York City.
The Filipino-born So, now a mainstay of Team USA, won over GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov in Round 6 then drew with GMs Semyon Lomasov, Vasif Durarbayli, and Daniel Dardha in succession to raise his total to 5.5 points and share 31st to 54th places in the Open rapid section of the $1.43-million event.
Carlsen, the world No. 1, got fined $200 for wearing jeans, a violation of the governing body (FIDE) dress code, and not heeding the organizers’ order for him to change attire before Round 9.
The top seed in both rapid and blitz, who was not paired for Round 9 and Round 10 on Saturday (Sunday, December 29, Manila time) told Take Take Take that he won’t appeal the decision and will “probably head off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer than here.”
After eight rounds, Carlsen and So were in a big group of 5-pointers in the 182-man field.
The joint leaders with 7.0 points each after Round 9 of the 13-round rapid section were 18-year-old Russian GM Volodar Murzin, Polish GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi, and Russian GM Alexander Grischuk.
American GMs Samuel Sevian, Leinier Dominuez, and Daniel Naroditsky, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Anis Hiri, Denis Lazavik, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Javokhir Sindarov, and Andrey Esipenko follow with 6.5 points.
Speed chess specialist Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja were bunched at 6.0 points with 14 others.
New York-based Filipino GM Oliver Barbosa struggled again, splitting his assignments, losing to Mongolian GM Dambasuren Batsuren and Russia GM Semen Khanin and winning over German GM Dennis Wagner and Slovakian International Master Juraj Druska.
Barbosa was lodged at 4.0 points and was too far to contend for the major prizes.
So tackles Ukrainian GM Andrei Volokitin in Round 10, while Barbosa faces Taiwanese IM Adelard Bai. – Rappler.com