Saturday, November 28, 2009

Chess World Cup, r3: Wesley So wasn't lucky against Kamsky!

"I got lucky all the time, you know...but I guess the more I practice, the more I got lucky." -Filipino pool legend, Efren "Bata" Reyes

I won't be surprise if Vassily Ivanchuk has already been thinking on calling off his earlier announcement of "retiring" from serious chess after suffering a humiliating (and tormenting) loss to a "lower rated" and "unknown" opponent in the name of Wesley So in round 2, even going beyond of saying that his young opponent "played very badly" in that two games they played. Yeah sure. Wesley So even said so. By I say an honest man won't go beyond of discrediting a 16 year old boy who spends 6-8 hours a day of his young life studying chess. Where's the word of encouragement there? But now, seeing his fellow elite grandmaster downed by the same boy in their game 1, round 3 match up, he might be having some second thoughts of giving up chess altogether. Even if Wesley So losses his remaining games to Kamsky, the result would be the same. Wesley shows that he can play in top level competitions and luck won't be much of a part to Wesley's success from thereon. Peter Doggers of ChessVibes wrote after So's game 1 win against Kamsky:

Like against Ivanchuk, So defeated Kamsky using the French Defence. However, this time So wasn’t lucky; he simply played a very good game. He already surprised Kamsky in the opening (15…Qb5 was new) and when the American didn’t go for 22.Nxa4, 23.Ra1 and 24.Rxa7, So got the upper hand. 24…f6! was very strong and 31…d4! killing.


Of course, we're referring to a post game interview with Wesley So who are very direct in saying that he admire Ivanchuk and got "lucky" to win their mini-match up. So said in the interview: "Honestly I was lucky when playing against Ivanchuk, - starts So. – I admire this chess player and I know that he plays much far better than me. In first game he was in time trouble and maybe that is why I was lucky."

Here it again Wesley from our Pinoy pool legend and arguably, the greatest pool player that ever played the game, Efren "Bata" Reyes: "I got lucky, you know...but I guess the more I practice, the more I got lucky."

Amen to that...

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7 comments:

Cheszka said...

Amen!

Anonymous said...

I lost my respect for ivanchuck " the choke: why? he is disrespectful of the opponent who defeated him... he is not a sport....

The Chess Connoisseur said...

Don't be quick to judge. For one who has seen it all, beaten the best chessplayers, Ivanchuk's reaction is forgivable. It was simply too hard for him to accept that he lost against a relatively unknown and weaker rival. Let us simply put it that way.

As for Wesley's win over Kamsky, this just goes to prove his great potential which if nurtured and unleashed correctly would catapult him among the chess elites.

http://chessconnoisseur.blogspot.com

The Chess Connoisseur said...

Young Filipino GM Wesley So sends shock waves in 2009 World Chess Cup

rjsolcruz said...

Luck often enough will save a man, if his courage holds.

The 13th Warrior
a movie by Antonio Banderas

Andrade said...

Kamsky is man enough to praise Wesley and his performance.Surely this players have a lot of ego with them but Kamsky nevertheless managed to swallow his not to discredit So's performance in Chess World Cup.

Des Catolos said...

Let's all gear up for So-Malakhov match guys. ChessHeroes wishes GM Wesley So all the best of luck!