It may have been close at times, but in the end it was smooth sailing for Wesley So who made it to the top of the leaderboard for the 2021 Paris Grand Chess Tour. Although his rival for first place, Ian Nepomniachtchi chased the American the entire day, Wesley So ultimately took home the first place win with a round to spare.
The first day of blitz was a rollercoaster day for many of the players, but the clear storyline was the surge of Alireza Firouzja - from finishing win-less and in last place after the rapid portion of the 2021 Paris Grand Chess Tour to being tied for fourth after today’s 6.5/9 performance. Tomorrow, it will be a two horse race to find out who will ultimately win between Wesley So and Ian Nepomniachtchi as they are so far ahead of the rest of their competitors.
The last day of the rapid portion of the 2021 Paris Grand Chess Tour, gave us a series of intense and interesting games. Some players surged, while others tumbled hard, but it was American GM Wesley So that found himself with the most consistent play and landed in the top position as the players move into tomorrow’s blitz portion.
Round two of the GCT Paris Rapid & Blitz was another exciting day of chess. The full tour participants are joined by three unique wildcards in this event: French hero Etienne Bacrot, wunderkind Alireza Firouzja and World Champion Challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi. Today’s round was full of surprises, battles, and tumbling leaders!
The second leg of the 2021 Grand Chess Tour kicked off in the city of lights: the Paris Rapid & Blitz brings together some of the top players in the world in a scintillating tournament. The full tour participants are joined by exciting wildcards in this event: French hero Etienne Bacrot, wunderkind Alireza Firouzja and World Champion Challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi. At the end of Day One, we have 4 people tied for the lead!