Caruana beats Aronian in crucial matchup
On the second day of rapid chess, Levon Aronian was unable to repeat his impressive performance from the previous day, when he had scored three wins in three games.
Aronian began with a rather lively encounter against Leinier Dominguez. In the Classical Variation of the French Defence, Aronian, playing black, ended up in a rather unfavourable line, but was fortunate that Dominguez did not continue energetically enough, allowing equality to be restored.
After a mistake, Aronian again found himself in a worse position, but after some imprecise play by his opponent, he nonetheless escaped with a draw.
The next-round draw against Wesley So was far less eventful.
Aronian’s pursuer, Fabiano Caruana, also began the day with a draw against Wesley So, but then scored a win against Sam Shankland. With the white pieces, the 2018 World Championship runner-up obtained an overwhelming kingside attack against the Najdorf Variation. Shankland defended for a long time but was ultimately defeated.
In the third round of the day, the sixth overall, Fabiano Caruana faced Levon Aronian. The game, a Queen’s Gambit, remained balanced for a long time until Aronian undermined his own efforts with an ill-considered move.
The Classical Sicilian has stood the test of time as one of the most principled and fighting defences against 1.e4. With its rich history spanning world championship matches and modern elite tournaments, this opening remains a favourite among players who seek a dynamic, counterattacking approach without venturing into extreme theoretical battles like the Najdorf or Sveshnikov.
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Free video sample: 6.h3
With his victory, Caruana overtook Aronian to take the lead. After two previous draws, Wesley So defeated Grigoriy Oparin in round six and caught up with Aronian (both on 8 points according to the double scoring system).
In fourth place follows Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, a further point behind. Gukesh Dommaraju and Leinier Dominguez occupy fifth and sixth place in the middle of the standings.
On Wednesday, rounds 7 to 9 of the rapid tournament will be played, before the blitz event takes place on Thursday and Friday.
