The second day of the Champions Chess Tour Finals delivered thrilling games, with Magnus Carlsen emerging as the sole leader after another action-packed session in Oslo. Carlsen secured victories in rounds 4 and 6 but stumbled against Alireza Firouzja in round 5. Firouzja was the star of the day, claiming wins in all three of his matches, propelling him to shared second place alongside Denis Lazavik and Ian Nepomniachtchi, all on 4 points.
An unusual pattern has emerged in the standings, with no player scoring 3 out of 6 points. Those sitting on 4 or 5 points are vying for direct qualification to the semifinals, a privilege reserved for the top two finishers in the round-robin. At the other end of the table, players with 2 points are battling to secure a spot in the survival stage. Wesley So, languishing with just 1 point, is mathematically out of contention despite one round remaining on Thursday.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Vincent Keymer and Levon Aronian are the three players still in contention for the survival stage, all currently on 2 points. Interestingly, none of these players are paired against each other in the crucial seventh round, adding another layer of suspense to the final day of the round-robin. Their performances on Thursday will determine who survives to fight for the last two semifinal spots. The survival stage is scheduled for Thursday, immediately after the conclusion of the round-robin.
Looking ahead, the semifinals will take place on Friday, giving the top two finishers from the round-robin a well-earned rest. With Carlsen in commanding form and Firouzja surging with momentum, the race for the title is heating up.
