Champions Tour Under Way: Blockbuster With Predictable Scenario
World Champion Magnus Carlsen scored a convincing win over Polish No.1 Jan-Krzysztof Duda in the first round of the eponymous event, Meltwater Champions Chess Tour.
The $210,000 all-play-all event is the new season of the online event organized by Carlsen’s company, PlayMagnus. It will be played over seven days in Oslo and, according to the organizers, is “the world’s first fully in-person chess e-sports event”. Carlsen won the previous edition of the Series and will probably continue to dominate the field. The event’s line-up features top-level players, with some missing — notably, Wesley So, who decided to opt out to focus on over-the-board chess, according to his manager.
According to his interview, Carlsen is using the event to experiment with the openings and expand his repertoire: “I’ve definitely been trying to play creatively in many of these events so I intend to continue that. Not as a rule, but once in a while and I think it’s been working pretty well getting my opponents a little out of book and keeping them on their toes,” — said Carlsen.
The organizers tried to invite some new players to the Series to ensure that there is media interest in the event where Carlsen is a clear favorite. We’ll enjoy following Indian Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, who recently catapulted into the elite level. He managed to dispatch his opponent, the Dutchman Jorden van Foreest, in only three games.
The Champions Tour gives start to a busy chess season, with the American Cup taking place in St. Louis, and the Grand Chess Tour, a OTB series established by Garry Kasparov and Rex Sinqfuild just a few days away.
You can follow all of the events on World Chess as well as on the official websites of the organizers.
