London Chess Classic: Caruana one point ahead

Fabiano Caruana has taken an early advantage of the flurry of draws at the London Chess Classic. The American, who scored two back-to-back wins, was in the sole lead as the tournament entered its second rest day.

Fabiano Caruana (left) defeated Viswanathan Anand to post his second win on the trot at the London Chess Classic.

Fabiano Caruana has taken an early advantage of the flurry of draws at the London Chess Classic. The American, who scored two back-to-back wins, was in the sole lead as the tournament entered its second rest day.

He has 3.5 points, one ahead of his nearest rivals. He is the only player to win a game so far in this tournament.

But with six rounds remaining, there is plenty of chess left in the last stop of the Grand Chess Tour.

Caruana’s wins have come over Sergey Karjakin and five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand, both of whom thus are on two points. He had beaten the five-time World champion from Chennai in the fifth round, in 39 moves of Ruy Lopez Berlin. Black had to pay the price for blundering with his bishop on the 33rd move.

The standings (after five rounds): 1. Fabiano Caruana (US) 3.5; 2-10. Magnus Carlsen (Nor), Levon Aronian (Arm), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra), So Wesley (Fra), Hikaru Nakamura (US), Ian Nepomniachtchi (Rus) and Michael Adams (Eng) 2.5; 11-12. Viswanathan Anand (Ind) and Sergey Karjakin (Rus) 2.