Carlsen Extends Lead In London

In round five of the London Chess Classic, Magnus Carlsen showed his class with a majestic win over Ni Hua to extend his lead and put himself in a commanding position in the tournament with just two rounds to go.

Carlsen (pictured, from the official site) was determined to head for an unclear and complex position and made the win look effortless.

The young Norwegian star is still only 19 years old, but he is rapidly developing the aura of a champion.

It was a less happy day for Hikaru Nakamura who lost to Luke McShane with the white pieces.  McShane has certainly had an eventful tournament so far, beating the Nigel Short in a first round marathon, only to lose to the heavyweights Carlsen and Kramnik in rounds two and three.

After a draw against David Howell yesterday, his win against Nakamura today puts him an impressive third in the standings.  Not bad considering he is a part-time player, now putting his analytical skills to use as a city trader with Goldman Sachs.

Elsewhere, the grudge match between English #1 Nigel Short and the previously long-time #1 Michael Adams ended in a draw, and David Howell earned a draw against Vladimir Kramnik.

The full standings after round five: