Yu Yangyi Cruising Through Capablanca Memorial -- Midway Report

While most of the chess world's attention is firmly fixed on the ongoing action in Norway, another elite tournament is currently taking place in Havana, Cuba: The 50th Capablanca Memorial, a six-player double round robin with an average rating of 2715 (!).

Chinese superstar GM Yu Yangyi has been unstoppable and is leading with 4.5/5 at the half-way mark. Trailing him with 2.5/5 are GMs Pavel Eljanov (UKR), Dmitry Andreikin (RUS), and Lenier Dominguez Perez (CUB). Rounding out the field is GM Lazaro Bruzon Batista (CUB) with 2/5, and GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS) with just 1/5.

So far Yu has only been in trouble once in the event — after a nice queen sacrifice by Nepomniachtchi — but luck was on his side, as he landed a fierce counterattack and caught White's king in the center of the board:

One of Yu's cleaner wins of the event was his slow middlegame grind against Dominguez:

In the final position, White resigned as he has no answer to the threat of 39...Be8!, trapping his queen.

Accurate and ruthless, Yu shows no signs of slowing down. Photo: Fernando Medina

As White, Yu has faced the Berlin Defense in all three games, though only Eljanov was able to survive:

The action continues with Round 6 on Sunday, June 21st, as the players switch colors and face off against each other once more. Look for a full recap after the event is concluded here on Chess.com.

2015 Capablanca Memorial | Round 5 Standings

#	Name	Rtg	Perf	1	2	3	4	5	6	Pts	SB
1	Yu,Yangyi	2715	3097		½	1	1	1	1	4.5/5
2	Eljanov,Pavel	2718	2716	½		½	½	0	1	2.5/5	5.75
3	Andreikin,Dmitry	2718	2716	0	½		½	1	½	2.5/5	5.00
4	Dominguez Perez,Leinier	2746	2710	0	½	½		½	1	2.5/5	4.50
5	Bruzon Batista,Lazaro	2677	2653	0	1	0	½		½	2.0/5
6	Nepomniachtchi,Ian	2720	2474	0	0	½	0	½		1.0/5