Ding Liren, Wang Hao exit Chinese Rapid Championship quarterfinals

Former world champion Ding Liren and veteran grandmaster Wang Hao were eliminated from the Chinese Rapid Championship on Wednesday in Shaoxing. The two rating favorites failed to progress past the quarterfinal stage of the knockout tournament.

Ding lost to Xiao Tong after a series of draws in both the rapid and initial blitz games. The match concluded in the second blitz tiebreaker, where Ding faltered under time pressure while holding a positional advantage with the black pieces.

Wang Hao exited the competition following a 2.5-1.5 loss to Xu Xiangyu. The match featured mutual blunders in the first and third games, with Xu securing a decisive victory in the second game before holding a draw in the final encounter.

In the third upset of the day, Lu Shanglei defeated fourth-seeded Bu Xiangzhi with a 2.5-1.5 score. These results leave Yu Yangyi as the only rating favorite to survive the quarterfinals. Yu secured his semifinal spot by defeating Bai Jinshi 2.5-1.5, anchored by an opening win with the white pieces.

The semifinals will feature Yu Yangyi against Xu Xiangyu, while Xiao Tong faces Lu Shanglei. The tournament, which began on Nov. 2 with 24 participants, uses a knockout format featuring rapid games and blitz tiebreaks.