Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian became the first player to secure a spot in the semifinals of the FIDE Grand Prix in Berlin.

The grandmaster, who now represents the U.S., qualified to the knockout stage with one round to spare after getting an unsurmountable 1½-point lead in pool C.

So far, the newly minted format put forth by FIDE for this year’s Grand Prix series has worked wonders in terms of entertainment value. Tough battles have been seen throughout the first five rounds of the group stage, as the players have taken an aggressive approach while pursuing the one spot granted in each four-player pool, Chessbase reports.

After five rounds (out of six) in the group stage, only Aronian secured his pass to semis. He has won three games and drawn twice to get an unsurmountable 1½-point lead in pool C. His impressive performance has gained him 10.1 rating points, as he now sits in fourth place in the daily updated world ranking.