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Three out of four quarterfinal matches in Division I of the Airthings Masters had clear winners — i.e. players who only needed three games to remain in the winners’ bracket. One of these three players was Arjun Erigaisi, as he scored three consecutive wins to take down quick-play specialist Alireza Firouzja. Arjun will face Magnus Carlsen in semis. In the other semifinal matchup, Wesley So will face Hikaru Nakamura.
Leinier Dominguez won his round-7 game in the U.S. Championship after only ten moves. The opening debacle prompted Jon Speelman to locate similar examples both in a book by Yakov Neishtadt and in the database of his own games. And he also remembered to give the solution of the proof game from last week!
Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana have done it again. For a second day in a row, the frontrunners to take the title scored full points in Madrid. Nepo still leads Caruana by a half point, while Hikaru Nakamura now stands 1½ points behind Caruana in sole third place. It has become hugely unlikely for a player other than the tournament’s two protagonists to bounce back and win the whole thing. | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage
Le Quang Liem and Pentala Harikrishna are sharing the lead with 3 points after 4 rounds at the Masters section of the Prague Chess Festival. The two co-leaders have three players standing a half point back going into the event’s one rest day. Meanwhile, Vincent Keymer is the sole leader in the Challengers section, also with 3 out of 4. | Photo: Petr Vrabec
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov defeated Vishy Anand to climb to sole second place with a round to go at the Norway Chess Tournament. The Indian star, who was having a great run in Stavanger, made a one-move blunder and immediately resigned the game on move 22. Meanwhile, Magnus Carlsen beat Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in Armageddon to keep the sole lead — the world champion goes into Friday’s final round a half point ahead of Mamedyarov. | Photo: Lennart Ootes