This elite rapid event started Sunday, and after two days of the three-day preliminary the field remains tightly bunched. Sixteen players are fighting it out in a round-robin to determine the top eight places for the knockout portion of the event, and with five rounds to go the top 12 players are within two points of each other, with two more players are just a further half point back. (And these two aren't exactly chumps: Daniil Dubov and Alireza Firouzja!)
Anish Giri led after the first day with 4/5, while Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana were among those mired at 50%. Giri had a tough second day, getting only 2/5, while Caruana got hot with 4/5 to take the lead - or rather, the lead on tiebreaks; he, Teimour Radjabov, and Hikaru Nakamura all have 6.5 points out of 10. Had Magnus Carlsen won his last game on day, against Levon Aronian, he too would have 6.5, but he wound up losing. He, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Ding Liren all have 5.5 points, half a point behind Giri and Wesley So and half a point ahead of Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Ian Nepomniachtchi and Aronian have 4.5, which is further evidence that being ridiculously strong and possibly even the world champion in a few months is no guarantee of even qualifying for the top eight in this event.
More info at the event website, and this page is also convenient.