Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge: Nakamura, Yangyi take lead

Hikaru Nakamura and Yu Yangyi secured big wins in their first mini-matches of the best-of-three quarterfinals in the Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge.

Published : May 24, 2020 16:43 IST , New Delhi

Hikaru Nakamura plots a move. (File Photo)

Hikaru Nakamura plots a move. (File Photo)

Blitz-king Hikaru Nakamura bounced back from 1-2 to beat Levon Aronian 3-2 in their first mini-match of the best-of-three quarterfinals in the Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge on Saturday.

Aronian won the first regular game and proved equal in the next two. In the fourth, Aronian needed a draw to prevail but fought back to win. Later, in the shorter time-control of the Armageddon game, Nakamura once again proved his superiority.

In another clash that went the distance, Yu Yangyi was lucky to beat his more illustrious Chinese compatriot Ding Liren 3-2. After the four regular games were drawn, Liren gained a winning position in the deciding Armageddon game, but unfortunately lost on time.

Should Aronian and Liren win the second set of mini-matches on Monday, the deciding mini-match will take place on May 27.

In the first mini-matches of the remaining two quarterfinals, Magnus Carlsen (Norway) takes on Wesley So (USA) and Daniil Dubov plays fellow-Russian Sergey Karjakin.