Magnus Carlsen got off to a good start at the rapid and blitz chess tournament in Warsaw. From Friday he will also play the Champions Chess tournament, so he faces a busy weekend. Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB
Of NTB | 08.05.2024 18:24:30
Sport: That places him in 2nd place among the ten players. He is two points behind Kirill Shevchenko, a Ukrainian 21-year-old who now represents Romania.
Carlsen started the tournament with a draw against Indian Arjun Erigaisi. In the next game, he beat Chinese Wei Yi with black pieces, before rounding off the first day with a draw against Polish home favorite Jan-Krzysztof Duda.
Carlsen is not among the players who have committed to play the Grand Chess Tour this year, but he has accepted a wildcard to the first tournament. There, rapid chess is played on the first three days, blitz chess on the last two.
Among the participants is Dommaraju Gukesh, who last month won the candidate tournament and secured the right to face Ding Liren in the battle for the WC title. The Indian has had a bad start in Warsaw and is last after a draw and two losses on the first day.
Shevchenko won all three of her games, the first of them against Gukesh. Shevchenko and Carlsen meet in the next round on Thursday.
Carlsen faces a busy weekend. From Friday he will also take part in this year’s 2nd Champions Chess tournament, and later in the month Norway Chess awaits.
(© NTB)