By Limuel S. Celebria
For the third time in this season’s edition of the Melwater Champions Tour, World Champions Magnus Carlsen and Wesley So will collide anew for top honors in the sixth leg of the rapid chess tour.
That’s right, both are world champs. Carlsen, of course, is the reigning world champ in classical play while So is world champion in Fischer Random chess.
Carlsen, the champion from Norway leads the Meltwater tour standings with 185 points and $95,000 in winnings. Wesley So, the US-based Filipino, is second overall at 145 points and has $90,000 in winnings.
In this tour, however, Wesley So has gotten the better of the champion from Norway twice. First during Carlsen’s birthday on December 1, 2020 for the Skilling Knockout Open championship and again on Valentine’s Day 2021 when So defeated Carlsen in the final of the Opera Euro Open. In the previous stage (New In Chess tourney), Magnus emerged champion while So was eliminated in the quarters.
So is so far undefeated in this tournament. He scored at least three wins and a number of draws to make it to the knock out stages. He then mauled French Super GM Maxine Vachier Legrave in the quarter finals and pounced on Russian GM Ian Nepomniatchi in the semis.
On the other hand, Carlsen fended off serious threats from SGMs Hikaro Nakamura and Teimour Radjabov to arrange the 3rd finals meeting with So.
