CHESS #1352

The first leg of the Grand Chess Tour is in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and it’s the first time a reigning world champion plays in Africa. Magnus Carlsen heads the 10-player field, with a prize fund of $150,000. It’s the usual format of nine rapid games (double-scored) and 18 blitz games. The sponsors include Vivendi SA, Canal+ Group and the Pullman Abidjan Hotel — another sign that changes in Fide are paying dividends. After three rapid rounds, Carlsen shares the lead with Wei Yi (both 5 points) with Hikaru Nakamura (4) in third place.

Meanwhile, Nihal Sarin and Harikrishna played the Tepe