They were eliminated in the tiebreaks: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, 19, lost to Boris Gelfand, 41; Fabiano Caruana, 17, was eliminated by Vugar Gashimov, 23; and Wesley So, 16, was crushed by Vladimir Malakhov, 29.
Still, it was a memorable tournament for the teenager from Bacoor, Cavite. He beat GMs Gadir Guseinov (2625), Vassily Ivanchuk (2735 and one of the world’s elite) and Gata Kamsky (2695 and a former world championship challenger).
Before his match against Malakhow, So said in an interview that “to his mind he plays tiebreaks better than classical games.” The two drew their two classical games and had to play rapid tiebreakers. According to Chessdom, So “started aggressive and tried to complicate matters in the first game with black pieces. But Malakhov calmly rejected all attacks and converted into a winning endgame. In the second game Wesley tried a sharp variation against Malakhov’s reliable Chebanenko Slav, but black did his homework on time and maintained a roughly balanced position. Seeing that the possibilities are limited, Wesley tried to force in a reduced endgame and Malakhov used the chance to score another win. The young Filipino was probably downhearted when the third game had started, and somewhere in the middlegame he resigned when white breached to the 7th rank.”
Nevertheless, Chessdom added, “this is a fantastic result for the future chess star and we expect to see him shining again at the upcoming Corus Wijk aan Zee.”
Game of the week.
Philippine veteran national master Glenn Bordonada annotates the game that drove the world’s former number three to despair.
White: V. Ivanchuk (2739)
Black W. So (2640)
French Exchange
World Cup, Khanty Mansiysk 2009
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bd3 Nf6 The book recommendation to equalize is 5… Nc6 6. Nge2 Nge7 with the idea of taking the sting out of the Bishop with a trade at f5. 6. Nge2 O-O 7. O-O Bg4 8. f3 Bh5 9. Nf4 White is playing to win the Bishop pair. Ivanchuk is probably hoping he can grind down the young Wesley in a positional game. 9… Bg6 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Bg5 c6 12. f4 The advance of the f-pawn is aimed at enhancing the Bishop pair by opening up the position. 12… Qb6 13. Na4!? Very wily of Ivanchuk. It is probably the move that gives Black the most chances for error. If now Black’s Queen moves to any other square, White’s Kingside attack gains steam quickly. 13… Qxd4+! Wesley rises to the challenge. The line he chooses is not for the timid but it is actually the only path that does not lose. 14. Kh1 Ne4! Another line is 14… Bd2 15. Qxd2 (15. Bxf6 gxf6 16. Qxd2 Qxa4 17. f5 g5 and the attack is successfully blocked.) 15… Ne4 which also equalizes. Here if 14… Bd2 15. Bxf6 gxf6 16. Qxd2 Qxa4 17. Rae1 Nd7 18. Re7 Nc5 19. f5 Rae8 20. Rxe8 Rxe8 21. fxg6. 15. c3 Nf2+ 16. Rxf2 Qxf2 17. cxb4 f6 This is the point. The Bishop cannot retreat to h4 because that square is defended by the Black Queen. 18. Qg4! 18. Bxg6 fxg5 19. Qh5 Qh4 and Black defends and holds on to his material advantage. 18… fxg5 19. Qe6+ If 19. g3 Re8 20. Rf1 Re1 21. Qc8+ Kf7. 19… Kh8 20. Nc5 If instead 20. Rf1 Qh4 21. g3 Qh6 22. fxg5 Rxf1+ 23. Bxf1 Qxg5 24. Qc8+ Kh7 25. Qxb7 Qc1 is a draw. While 20. g3 Qf3+ 21. Kg1 Qh5 22. Bxg6 Qh6 23. f5 Na6 =. Finally 20. Qxg6 Qh4 21. Nc5 Qh6 22. Qxg5 Qxg5 23. fxg5 Na6 and Black should win with his Rook vs Bishop advantage. 20… Qxb2! 21. Qh3+ Kg8 Here, instead of drawing with a perpetual check, Ivanchuk decides to continue to complicate. 22. Rf1 Qf6 23. g3?! White should have grabbed the draw with 23. Ne4 dxe4 24. Bc4+ Rf7 25. Qc8+ Kh7 =. 23… Re8! 24. Nxb7?! In time pressure, Black’s game slowly deteriorates but Ivanchuk is still playing for a win, perhaps unbelieving that the youngster can draw against him. If 24. Qg4 Qd6 25. Qxg5 Nd7 26. Bxg6 Nf6 27. Bxe8 Rxe8 and Black has the better endgame. Also, if 24. fxg5 Qxg5 25. b5 Qh5 26. Qg2 Re7 27. Qc2 Qh3 28. Nxb7 (28. Qf2 Nd7) 28… cxb5 is winning for Black. 24… gxf4 The best line is 24… Nd7! temporarily giving up a piece. If 25. Qxd7 Re7 26. Qg4 Rxb7 27. f5 gxf5 28. Bxf5 Qh6 29. Be6+ Kh7 and Black’s advantage remains. 25. Rxf4? Missing 25. Nc5! which draws as Black’s Queenside remains undeveloped. 25… Re1+! Black is back in the driver’s seat. 26. Kg2 Qe6 27. Qxe6+ Rxe6 28. Nc5 Re7 29. b5 Nd7 30. Nxd7 Rxd7 31. bxc6 Rd6 32. Bb5 Re8 33. Rd4 Kf7 34. Rf4+ Ke6 35. Rg4 Ke5 36. Kf3 Rf6+ 37. Ke3 Kd6+ And here apparently, White’s flag fell. The game could have continued with 38. Kd4 Rb8 39. a4 a6 40. Bxa6 Rb4+ winning the Rook. As a friend commented, this is a historic day for Philippine chess. It recalls to mind Torre’s win over Mikhail Tal in Leningrad in 1973.
Puzzler.
White — Ka4, Ba6, Nb8, Nc6, Qc1, pawns on e3 and h4
Black — Kd5, Nd6, Rf7, Bh7, Rh3, pawns on b3, c4, c7, d4, e6 and f3
White to play and mate in four.
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