The Week in Chess

Magnus Carlsen beat Daniil Dubov 2.5-0.5 in the first set of their quarter finals of the online match in the Opera Euro Rapid. This event is part of the Champions Chess Tour. Carlsen's loss to Dubov in the Airthings Masters in December was on his mind so when he took the lead in the first game, just as in that match and drew the second with black he concentrated on being solid in the third game with white, which he lost in the previous match. This time he quickly got the advantage and converted that too.

After two draws Teimour Radjabov won a fine third game against Anish Giri in a Sicilian Kalashnikov for an extremely dangerous initiative and then won the favourable endgame he earned. Giri struck straight back to tie the set with a Bogo-Indian where he got decent chances straight out of the opening and gradually outplayed Radjabov for his first defeat of the event.

Wesley So came back from an incredibly disappointing loss in the second game where he was pressing for a very long time in a game with really tremendous complications where he needed up with three minor pieces for a queen. The game suddenly ended when So grabbed a pawn and lost a piece to a Queen check also attacking the piece. So not only won the next game in a long grind from near equality out of the opening but then won another wild tactical battle to win the set.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave beat Levon Aronian 2.5-1.5. Aronian grabbed a very hot pawn in game two with 10.Nxb5 and already with 13.Qd2 he was lost and MVL didn't let him off the hook.

The final day 2 of the Quarterfinals is tomorrow at 4pm GMT on Wednesday 9th Feb.