Filipino American Wesley So has cruised to the Crypto Cup quarterfinals, notching zero losses in his bid to regain the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour leadership from world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway.
The Philippines-born Super Grandmaster representing the United States wrapped up on May 25, 2021 (May 26 Philippine Standard Time), the tourney preliminary stage of the 6th and final Major leg of the Champions Chess Tour in a 4-way joint No. 2 standing (9 points) with former tourney leader Dutchman Anish Giri, fellow American player Hikaru Nakamura, and Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave behind No. 1 Fabiano Caruana of the United States (10 points).
So has kept his strong showing since the beginning of the Crypto Cup, the world’s first bitcoin chess tournament with a prize pot of $220,000 in cash and $100,000 paid in crypto coins to the winner of the 16-man tourney.
Magnus Carlsen, the Champions Chess Tour leader, lags behind Wesley So, the Tour No. 2, at 8.5 points after the prelims going into the quarterfinals.
Wesley So is vying for his third title at the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour after beating Magnus Carlsen twice – first at the Skilling Open Championship leg in November 2020 and more recently at the Opera Euro Rapid leg in February 2021. Carlsen wrested the lead from So after winning the New In Chess Classic in early May.
The Crypto Cup quarterfinals on May 26 will pit Wesley So against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France. Magnus Carlsen goes up against Hikaru Nakamura of the United States.
SEND CHEERS AND WELL WISHES in the comments below to Wesley So as he cruises to the Crypto Cup quarterfinals in his bid to regain the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour leadership!
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