Captivating Matchups: The Halfway Point at Tata Steel
Wei Yi and Magnus Carlsen shake hands, Photo official website.
Tournament cross tables can be deceptive, giving the impression that each round is of equal importance. When you're immersed in a competition, circumstances can make one game immensely more valuable than another.
A game between the top seed and a new prodigy can serve as a glimpse into the future. A victory at a key moment can give one a tournament lead. A match between long time rivals can settle their score once and for all. A brilliancy prize worthy game can be remembered and replayed long after the final prizes have been taken home.
Let’s take a look at some of the most notable games so far.
Matchup #1: Wei Yi vs. Magnus Carlsen
Wei Yi is a 16-year-old prodigy whose improvement trajectory has nearly mirrored Magnus Carlsen’s. Each time Wei reaches a new milestone in his chess career, a myriad of articles are released, comparing his achievements to Carlsen’s at the same age (Complete comparison available in the full article).
Naturally, the first game ever between the two has been one of the most anticipated games of the tournament.
Endgame Puzzle
How did Wei prevent Carlsen from slowly grinding his superior position to a victory?
More head-to-head matchups discussed in the full article, Captivating Matchups: The Halfway Point at Tata Steel, on US Chess News:
- Matchup #2: Magnus Carlsen vs. Fabiano Caruana - the tournament leaders face-off
- Matchup #3: Caruana wins a critical game against Ding Liren, knocking Ding out of the race for 1st
- Matchup #4: Wesley So achieves a rare victory over Anish Giri
- Matchup #5: Hou Yifan's brilliancy versus David Navara
