Saint Louis Rapid Day 2: Carlsen takes sole lead

So and Nepomniachtchi are close behind

Harikrishna did not have a great day as he lost his games against Nepomniachtchi and Carlsen. The only scoring game was against Aronian where he made draw. Although he had a good position against Nepomniachtchi and time advantage against Carlsen, a positional and tactical mistake against them respectively cost him the game. Carlsen won all his games to take the lead with 9.0/12. He beat overnight leader Aronian in the first game then he beat Dominguez by doing a beautiful combination, capitalizing on his opponent's tactical error. So and Nepomniachtchi are at shared second position with 8.0/12. So's sole win of the day was against Dominguez when the latter misjudged his opponent's attack. Nepomniachtchi bounced back with a victory against Nakamura after losing a 21-move miniature against American prodigy Xiong.

Round 4: Five decisive results

Carlsen outplayed one of the overnight tournament leader - Aronian. The latter got into a difficult position after the opening and could not recover later.

Carlsen - Aronian

Find out why 12...Nd7 is a mistake and what black could have played instead.

Dominguez had a seemingly equal position and he was doing fine despite So having an initiative. Then he allowed So to launch an attack and everything fell apart.

So - Dominguez

24...Kg7 allows white to launch a relentless attack on the kingside. Find out how black could have prevented it.

Sometimes a simple move can cause a huge ripple effect which eventually has a long lasting consequence.

Nakamura - Firouzja

At a first glance 17...Nc7 seems harmless, only a careful check reveals that it was the move that caused black's demise.

Harikrishna had an advantage early in the middle game against Nepomniachtchi. However an incorrect exchange of pieces allowed the Russian to get back into the game.

Harikrishna - Nepomniachtchi

Here white made the difficult decision of taking the knight with 28.Bxe5 which was not the best idea. Find out what white could have done instead.

Although black has a firm control over the position here, the game is far from over. White continued with 38.Qe4 which is a mistake. What was the better continuation for white here?

Round 5: A Xiong miniature and Carlsen combination

Nepomniachtchi blundered early in the opening and gifted Xiong the full point in just 21 moves.

Nepomniachtchi - Xiong

Find out why 10.Qb7 is a blunder.

After the game, Nepomniachtchi tweeted his thoughts about his loss

Harikrishna made a hard fought draw against Aronian, after being in a difficult position early in the middle game.

Aronian - Harikrishna

The game continued with 18.Re1. Find out what white could have done to stir up trouble.

Just when it seemed like Dominguez might escape with a draw, Carlsen came up with a brilliant combination.

Find out why 37.Qe4 is a blunder and what white could have done instead.

Round 6: Carlsen is back at the top

Harikrishna was playing fine against Carlsen until he made an irrevocable mistake.

Carlsen - Harikrishna

Harikrishna blundered here with 23...Nc5. Find out what black could have done instead.

Firouzja had a fantastic position against Dominguez but somehow he was unable to capitalize on the advantage and eventually lose on time.

Dominguez - Firouzja

How should black continue the attack after 21.g3 ?

Nepomniachtchi had a simpler win against Nakamura but he took the long route.

Nakamura - Nepomniachtchi

The game continued with 30...Qxf4, however the simpler win was 30....Qe3+ 31.Kh1/2 Nxc4 -+

Replay all Round 4-6 games from Day 2

Replay the live stream

Standings after Round 6

Schedule

Time is in IST

Prizes

Total Prize Fund: US$250,000

Scoring

• In each rapid game, a win is worth 2 points, a draw is worth 1 point and a loss is worth 0 points.

• In each blitz game, a win is worth 1 point, a draw is worth ½ point and a loss is worth 0 points. Games will not be rated.

Links

Tournament site

Tournament Regulations

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