A win that matters

It will end in a victory one way or the other. Fortunately, it ends in a victory and Wesley is good to go again. It was like having your first taste of glass of water after spending some time in the desert . After 10 consecutive draws he has fought in SPICE Cup, So finally got his first win in the history of the tournament courtesy of hard headed defending champion, GM Eugene Perelshteyn. Wesley's campaign really starts with that victory. He's a consistent player once off to a good start. I know Wesley is feeling that one victory, his confidence is back (so is the fans), and Wesley So is in very good position to redeem Philippine chess.

Wesley So will be facing another American prodigy in the third round, GM Ray Robson, US youngest grandmaster. The two youngsters will face each other over the board for the first time and definitely, the highlight match of the SPICE Cup. Young players tend to be more intimadated by fellow young player compare when facing an older and higher rated player so this match should be more interesting than others. The two will battle twice this tournament and we hope they will not all end in draws.

Hope a good performance by Wesley here in SPICE Cup will inspire this blogger again to update this blog in a regular basis :)


Susan Polgar chess blog is regularly updating the tournament while chessbomb.com offers live games of the tournament with cool computer analysis.

2010 SPICE Cup puts on a record

For two straight years, GM Wesley So will be participating in the tough SPICE CUP at Texas Tech University, USA. So's performance last year produced neither bad nor impressive result, though some were disappointed. Wesley drew all his games, most of them were but short draws. But a year had passed and So aged a year and has somewhat improve his games so we can expect a different So we saw from last year.

According to Susan Polgar's blog, this year's edition of the 2010 SPICE Cup will be the highest rated international invitational tournament in U.S. history to date with an average FIDE rating of 2631. There will be two section to be competed here. The A Group, where the big boys are, and the B group where the emerging talents will compete each other for a chance to play in the A group in the future.

GM Zoltan Almasi (HUN) 2707 (#1 in Hungary on the current LIVE rating list)
GM Alexander Onischuk (USA) 2688 (#3 in the U.S., former U.S. #1 and Champion)
GM Wesley So (Philippines) 2668 (#1 in the Philippines)
GM Georg Meier (Germany) 2659 (#2 in Germany)
GM Ray Robson (USA) 2539 (Youngest American GM)
GM Eugene Perelshteyn (USA) 2528 (winner of 2007 SPICE Cup)

Wesley So turns 17 today.

GM Wesley So turns 17 today, October 9. No other player since the days of GM Eugene Torre that captured the imagination of Philippine chess other than Wesley.

CH wish Wesley So a happy birthday and we sincerely hope for more of his success in the coming years. Cheers!

Wesley So simul in Biel

According to Biel International Chess Festival official website, GM Wesley So will be conducting a simul exhibition games today in downtown Biel although it was not clearly specify how many participants will be joining to test So. But I say it's quite an honor for So to be chosen to conduct a simul in the very heart of the city of Biel for the promotion of the event. The Young Grandmaster tournament category will start on Tuesday, July 20 where Wesley So will be the fourth seed.

Aeroflot 2010 round 5: Twin Celebration

Better start preparing your fire crackers and roses tonight (and those freebies that comes with it) you loyal Wesley So fans as we celebrate the Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day on this very same day. Not only you have to celebrate Wesley's round 5 victory in Aeroflot against Armenian grandmaster, Hrant Melkumyam, his first back to back wins in the tournament and putting him just half a point behind the leaders, the news that appeared on various chess sites and blogs that So is also set to participate in this years edition of Rising Star vs. Experience sometime in August is also another one reason to celebrate. That makes two celebration!

We saw two Vietnamese co-leaders paired in round 5 but are just too friendly with each other to lock their horns. It's very obvious that these two will not ruin their momentum by giving each other a defeat and a bitter taste in their mouth for many days to come. A quick and uneventful 14 move draw is quite expected. And for Wesley So not to sense this and not to take advantage of this puts So directly in the list of prodigy who is in desperate need for a coach. Fortunately for So, he's smart enough not to pass this opportunity to get back into contention and scores a very convincing victory against the confused Melkumyan. So is now tied from 5th to 11th place with 4 more rounds to play. So will ba facing another Armenian in round 6. GM Arman Pashikian (2647). Though still a junior, So has the experience to surprise everyone. As mentioned, Aeroflot was notable for the balance of participants competing here. This is one of the super tournament that anybody has a good chance of winning. Aeroflot is highly unpredictable which makes this event a truly special. Forget the six man Linares at this moment. We have Aeroflot at hand.

From your's truly, a prosperous Chinese New Year and happy, intelligent Valentines Day to everyone!


For complete details, standings, results, games, PGN, pairings, please visit Aeroflot 2010 official website.

Aeroflot 2010 round 4: Wesley So struck back with a win; Laylo stops the bleeding with a draw

When So lost to Truoc Son in round 3, many thought he would dash into his computer, log in to his Facebook account and whine at everyone wishing the tournament is over, a thing he did after loosing to Anish Giri in round 10 0f Corus B. But no. Not this time. Wesley So stops from being a boy who accidentally dropped a cornetto ice cream and struck back (striking my palm here with my fist for greater effect) immediately with round 4 win against Alexandr Rachmanov of Russia. The early part of the middle game look's fine for Wesley but not so comfortable but just as good as he is, found a quick way to open up the board on his way to victory. The win puts So with 2.5 points, just a full point behind the two astounding Vietnamese players, Quang Liem and Truong Son, two surprise leaders who has 3.5/4.0. So is currently tied from 9th-33rd place. Got to keep an eye with these two. They're knocking out the favorites of the tournament one by one.

GM Darwin Laylo somehow managed to find a safe place to dressed his wounds and that was courtesy of IM Alexander Danin of Russia whom he settled for a draw. It would be quite interesting to follow on how Laylo could pull himself out of this as he's still being pressed downwards in the ranking board at no. 79 out of 80 participants.

For complete details, standings, results, games, PGN and pairings, please visit Aeroflot 2010 official website.

Aeroflot 2010 round 2: Wesley So delivers

After sharing the point with Iranian GM Ghaem Maghami in the first round with a quiet 25 move draw, GM Wesley So employs some tricks in his round two game against GM Dimitry Bocharov of Russia to gain a victory. After the mistake committed by Bocharov in his 29th move, one has to admit that the ensuing moves discovered by So to win a piece produced an element of surprise to his opponent. Things like you're expecting your enemy in the front door, grinning, when suddenly he just came tumbling down the roof. Just think So's lost to Giri in Corus.

GM Darwin Laylo on the other hand is struggling real bad. Laylo suffered his two consecutive defeats and we know how highly affecting a bad start in such a big event. Laylo could only hope a fair finished at this point.

So's round 3 opponenet is no other than another South East Asian rival, GM Nguyen, Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam.

Aeroflot 2010 official website

Corus Chess 2010 round 11: Battle of Prodigies, Wesley So mated by Anish Giri

Wesley So used to be the most dominant and feared under 16 chess player in the world but that distinction suddenly put to a hold by no other another fast emerging prodigy from Europe, 15 year old Dutch champion, GM Anish Giri. Wesley So's defeat at the hands of Giri in round 11 has to be his first lost to an opponent much younger than himself in a long, long time. One need to do an intensive research to find out who was the last player, prior his loss to Anish, to ever defeated So. So may yet to be a grandmaster then, or even an international master. The other last prodigy So ever met was GM Hou Yifan of China at the 2nd Subic Individual championship last year. That game ended in a draw. Hou was then just 14 and Wesley was 15. Wesley has long been mixing up with the big boys with much success and how does it feel to be defeated by another boy prodigy must be psychologically tormenting for So. Just like any other teen age boy, he can take a lose to a grandmaster older than him but not to another child prodigy like himself. The final position of the So-Giri game is somewhat unimaginable in the caliber of So. He was mated. It's painfully humiliating for Wesley. One can feel it. But the loss to Giri may not come as a surprise to many who are following the progress of Anish Giri as well. Just like So, Giri is also one of the youngest grandmaster in history, at number twelve ever, and I've heard that a great team was formed to supervised Giri's preparation and to work closely on his progress compare to So who has only his manager to accompany him here. Wesley So should evaluate his future of forming up a team/second after this tournament.

In the 12th and penultimate round of the tournament, So will be facing yet another prodigy, Englishman David Howell, who holds the distinction for being the youngest grandmaster the United Kingdom has ever produced. Howell is half Asian by the way. His mother is originally from Singapore.

With Giri's win against So, Giri is closing in for the title of Corus B with two more rounds to play. If ever Giri wins the Corus B, he will be the youngest participant ever to be promoted to Corus A next year.

Replay the So-Giri game with GM Bong Villamayor commentaries

Chess Corus 2010 official website

Corus Chess 2010 R5: Wesley So scores his first win

For grandmaster Wesley So, notching his first victory after 5 rounds in the Corus 2010, B group, against Romania's Livieu-Dieter Nisipeanu is like finally finding an oasis in the middle of a vast, barren desert. With mounting pressure from fans with his five consecutive draws, the win is definitely a refresher, made more sweeter as his victory came from no other than the 2nd seed of the group and long time Romania's number one player that is Nisipeanu. Wesley So had already faced the top three seeded players and some of the biggest names in Corus B, a category 16 tournament. The win moves Wesley in tie for fourth place with 3 1/2 points, half a point behind the 2nd place Ni Hua and l'Ami (4.0) and a point and an a half with the current leader, 15 year old Anish Giri (5.0) who has gone so far with 5.0/6.0 and with a performance rating of 2926.

Wesley So wins a pawn in the 17th move of Reti opening and he never looks back. White was backing with his pair of bishops against So's pair of knights. But the knights maneuvers towards the white king proves to be more decisive. Wesley So picks up two more pawns in the ensuing moves until Nisipeanu, under severe time trouble, commits his final mistake after the 35th move (35...Bf1) by shielding his king from a rook check with his bishop instead of simply capturing the black's knight on f2. So will be facing 13th seed, GM Dimitri Reinderman in the seventh round and is currently occupying the last spot in the group.

Standings after 6 rounds

1. A. Giri 5
2. Ni, E. l'Ami 4
4. D. Howell, A. Naiditsch, W. So
P. Harikrishna 3½
8. P. Negi 3
9. E. Sutovsky, T. Nyback 2½
11. A. Muzychuk, L. Nisipeanu 2
13. V. Akobian, D. Reinderman 1½


Important links

Replay of Nisipeanu-So game with GM Villamayor analysis.

Corus 2010 official website

Real time live games from Corus 2010 with computer and grandmaster analysis.

Corus Chess 2010 Round 4: Wesley So accepts Negi's hints of draw

The game Negi-So last night tells us a bit more about the important role the color of pieces Wesley will be handling in this tournament. In the four games Wesley So played so far in Corus, Wesley was handling the black pieces three times and was able to hold his ground. The only game So was holding the white pieces was against Akobian and he was attacking, pressing and came close to a victory. Here's the picture. Wesley So will handle the black pieces 7 times in the 12 rounds he will playing here in Corus. So by going through four games with all ended in draws, Wesley "equal" his chances for a good position with 8 more rounds to play although he remains a full point behind the leaders, Ni Hua and Anish Giri.

I thought that Negi, although he was handling the white pieces, hinted to Wesley for "fair" play instead. Obviously shaken by So's 11...h5, he burns a lot of time in his 12th move (h3), and it looks like he did it to defend other than attacking or improving his position. GM Villamayor noted after Wesley's push of his h pawn, "This h7-h5, is consistent to the plan of controlling h2-b8 diagonal...the fight on these squares e5 and f4 are crucial for both sides, plus g4 is available for the black knight. White should start looking for active play, if not then black's initiative will grow..." After white's 12th move one kibitzer even pointed out that Negi is playing for a draw and Wesley So should gladly accept it. He did. What ensued then was quick exchanges of pieces to reach a quick endgame. This may arouse a debate but the result is just the same. The game ended in a draw and for sure, Wesley wasn't the one who hinted about it.

Today is rest day and all the games resume tomorrow, Thursday January 21. Wesley So will face Indian grandmaster and ex prodigy himself, Pentala Harikrishna in round 5 with the white pieces.

Important links:

For complete details, standings and pairings, please visit Corus Chess 2010 official website

Replay of Negi-So game with GM Bong Villamayor commentary

Real-time live chess games from Corus at chessbomb

Corus Chess Round 1: Iron chinned Wesley So earned a hard fought draw against Naiditsch

Many times in the past, we heard chess fans about hating draws. But there also some rare occasions that fans love to see a a game ended in a draw...quickly. Ironic, isn't it? Naiditsch maybe one of the most hated chess players in Corus B for keeping everyone awake late that night but let us put ourselves in the situation Naiditsch was in, in the early and middle part of the game. He has nothing to lose, position and material wise and so Naiditsch made Wesley earn every ounce of his end game knowledge to earn his draw, just looking for "one more time" to find a hole and eventually trap Wesley and force the issue via rook and king mate! It's possible, if Wesley let go his guard. But Naiditsch was mistaken. Wesley knows his endgame.

Replay the game with live commentary by GM Villamayor here

The game was painfully slow and uneventful (okay, no thanks to Naiditisch). GM Bong Villamayor actually left the live arena at chessbomb where he is commenting live the game of Naiditsch-So sometime in move 80, I believe, not because he get's bored of the game, but according to him, "it's very difficult to reach the desired winning position (for Naiditsch...)" This is actually the first time that a live game commentator, as far as we know, abandon an ongoing game he is commenting. And who could blame him? The game dragged on for 111th move and lasted for 7 hours and it was getting on 3:00 am in the morning! Many are getting impatient and some hinted about the 50 move rule, it maybe reasonable but that won't happen since Naiditsch is pushing for a win having the advantages for nearly the entire game. He's just simply coudn't find a way to knock the iron chinned Wesley out with one final blow. Wesley is just that stubborn. You have to admire Naiditsch persistence there and likewise, you have to admire So's stiff resistance despite the odds.

Wesley So will be facing Dutch GM Erwin l'Ami in Round 2 on what is left of the energy he spent yesterday. The game will start at around 8:30 in the evening. I made a wrong calculation about the exact time the games will begin. Not 10:00 PM, as I previously posted but 8:30 PM, Manila time.

Group B: Round 1 results

Ni Hua - Erwin l'Ami ½-½

Emil Sutovsky - Dimitri Reinderman 1-0

Tomi Nyback - Liviu Nisipeanu 0-1

Anish Giri - Pentala Harikrishna 1-0

David Howell - Parimarjan Negi ½-½

Anna Muzychuk - Varuzhan Akobian ½-½

Arkadij Naiditsch - Wesley So ½-½


Round 2 pairings, Group B: Sun. Jan. 17th

Erwin l'Ami - Wesley So

Varuzhan Akobian - Arkadij Naiditsch

Parimarjan Negi - Anna Muzychuk

Pentala Harikrishna - David Howell

Liviu Nisipeanu - Anish Giri

Dimitri Reinderman - Tomi Nyback

Ni Hua - Emil Sutovsky



Important links:

Replay the Naiditsch-So game at Chessdom with GM Buenaventura Villamayor live comments

Real-time live chess games from Corus at chessbomb

Photos from Corus at ChessBase

Video from Corus at ChessVibes

Corus Chess 2010 official website

Good Vibrations 2010

Wesley So's rating chart: I'm pickin' up good vibrations...

Just two months ago, Wesley So dropped out in the FIDE ratings of the top 100 players in the world after almost a year of staying with the world's elites. It breaks the hearts of many. Two months later, he's back in the rating board with a vengeance, ranking him at no.77 in the world and beating some of the best in the business in the process. With a rating of 2656, gaining 16 points from his previous 2640, Wesley is officially the highest rated Filipino ever to achieved the feat. All 16 years of age of him.

The Philippines also barges into top 30 nations by ranking at no.29. The country's best place in many years with an average rating of its top 10 players of 2524. Norway, the Philippines rival for the spot in the top 30 is now a step ahead of us, placing them at no. 26 with top 10 players rating of 2543. One thing is for sure though. These are two emerging chess nations and the success of both Magnus Carlsen and Wesley So produced a positive effect to their respective homeland. Our neighboring chess country, Vietnam (2500) is ranked no. 36.

The Philippines (2524) is the 4th best chess nation in Asia behind China (2643) India (2635) and Uzbekistan (2540).

Back to Wesley So. I just hate to make premature comparison or prediction. It just excite one's imagination but it all seems inappropriate. Or maybe this chess blogger is just a coward. But at certain level of chess, at same age of 16, Magnus Carlsen rating back then, 3 years ago is 2690. I say that says something. It all ends there. I'm not saying that Wesley will be in the same level of what Magnus is enjoying right now or even getting close to it. What my feeling tells me at this moment is that Wesley will be among the top 50 or even top 30 players in the world a few years from now or before he turns 20. Perhaps that is safe to say at least?

I wish it will be a great year for Philippine chess. A blessed and prosperous New Year to all and let the fireworks begins!!

The Philippines top 20 players

Top 100 players
Top 100 women
Country top 100
Top 20 juniors
Top 20 girls

Wesley So confirmed he's ready for SPICE Cup 2010

As just announced in Susan Polgar blog, GM Wesley So sent his confirmation to Polgar that he'll be participating in the A Group of SPICE Cup 2010. And yes, there will be new rules to prevent early draws that plague the 2009 tournament. At the 2009 edition, So produced eight draws in 9 games and many of them, according Susan herself, where offered by So's opponents. These new rules will be implemented. No draw offer allowed prior to move 30 and a win will score 3 points, a draw score 1 point, and loss 0 point. Other early birds in the A group are as follows; GM Georg Meier (Germany), GM Jon Ludvig Hammer (Norway), GM Ray Robson (USA) and GM Eugene Perelshteyn (USA).

So is set to compete in the B group of Corus next January 2010 as he is automatically qualified after winning the C group last year.

Chess World Cup: On the contrary folks, Malakhov sends Wesley home

Although we personally had our doubts that Wesley So would even reached the semi finals even after beating the favorites of the world cup such as Ivanchuk and Kamsky in round 2 and 3, it still surprises us that So should received such a crude beating at the hands of Malakhov in the rapid tie break games, going down against the Russian, 0-3. So plays quite good in rapid, true. But perhaps, it was not Wesley himself, right? It's the man who defeated him, the ice cool Russian Vladimir Malakhov! We're all talking about experience against brute talent at the start of round 4 and we say Malakhov's experience, who reached the quarterfinal of this event in 2007, exhibits more profoundly in his playoff games against one of the most popular participant in chess world cup. I thought Wesley excel in tactics and opening preparation, so his opponent. But it was Malakhov's excellent time management and psychological gambit against the young So that proved to be decisive.

The world cup, in my opinion, is Wesley's greatest achievement by far since winning the tough Dubai Open two years ago when the then 14 years old boy bested out more than 30 Gms. Of course there was the Corus C but he was the top seeded there.

Nonetheless, Wesley will return home fully accomplished and deserves a hero's welcome making his legion of fans proud of the new found sports hero's dramatic run in world cup. Boy, he nearly sent Ivanchuk into premature retirement.

Notes posted on Susan Polgar's blog following Wesley So's defeat:

as I said before, Wesley has enormous natural talent. But unless he will improve his weaknesses and enhance his various areas of strength, he will have a hard time now that the elite players will seriously prepare when they play him.

Karjakin and Radjabov both faced similar problems in spite of their early success. They had to work hard to overcome "the wall". I do not want to go into details about his weaknesses in public for the obvious reason.

His success in the World Cup can be a both a good and bad thing. The good thing is he now knows that he can hold against the best of them. But the bad is he is no longer a "surprise" to the top players. So in order to consistently have success against top level opponents, he needs proper coaching and assistance.

Only Wesley can decide how far he wants to go in chess.

Best wishes,
Susan

Chess World Cup R4: So-Malakhov a cute draw, Ivanchuk changes his mind

Perhaps the most competitive game Wesley So ever encounter since the first round game 2 loss against Guseinov. I thought White looks pretty solid in the opener but black, according to Peter Doggers of ChessVibes: "Malakhov’s drawing combination was cute."

The best draw was So-Malakhov; a Slechter / Chebanenko hybrid that was slightly better for White all the time, but in the ending there was no way to make progress. Malakhov’s drawing combination was cute.

Kind of thinking why the two players wasted a lot of energy when it was obvious that the game is going nowhere a few moves after the 3oth. Wesley avoided the possible perpetual in the 53rd and that might probably irked the pride of Malakhov and probably the reason why the two battle it all out till the end.

In the meantime, constructive criticism works well for Vassily Ivanchuk. As we have predicted earlier, he has taken back his words of quitting chess after a sudden outburst in post game interview following the defeat he suffered at the brain of Wesley So in Round 2. Ivanchuk should thank Kamsky that he'll still keep his job.

Here's the English translation of the letter:

Please forgive me, my fans, friends and colleagues in arms and many chess fans for an emotional interview. I was very upset after the defeat, but in any case I’m not going to quit chess! And I want to refute what appeared in the media about my resignation…

Sincerely, Vassily Ivanchuk

Ivanchuk never mentioned to whom he was defeated but anyway, apologies accepted Chukky.

Replay of So-Malakhov game 1 with GM commentary

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...

Official Website

Chess World Cup, round 2: Wesley So lays out Ivanchuk

Many thought that Vassily Ivanchuk will go berserk in the second game of his first round 1 match with Wesley So. Ivanchuk has a lot of pride in him as a chess player but it looks like he plays quite tentatively in game 2. Perhaps nerves got into him again. As a result, Wesley So held on to his lead and win their match up, 1.5 - 0.5, resulting in one of the biggest upset in 2009 Chess World Cup and the biggest single match victory for the 16 year old So by far. Wesley So will have the Chess World Cup defending champion and Rogelio Antonio round 1 tormentor, Gata Kamsky in the third round. Some notes from Susan Polgar about Wesley's win against Ivanchuk.

The more games the talented Wesley plays against world class opponents, the better and more confident he gets. After losing to Guisenov in the second game of his first round match, he reeled off 3 straight wins in the rapid playoff to advance to the second round. Then he went on to pull off the biggest upset of the 2009 World Cup so far by beating Ivanchuk 1.5-0.5. Well done Wesley! With proper training, experience, and opportunity, I have no doubt that he will be an elite player for years to come.

The So-Kamsky round 3 duel will be available with live grandmaster commentary courtesy of GM Christian Bauer through Chessdom. We would like to say our thanks to our friends over there at chessdom for continually sending us the information every now and then.

Chess World Cup R2: Wesley So upsets Ivanchuk

It's a pity that there's no live coverage with grandmasters commentaries on the Ivanchuk-So match up. Wesley So just defeated one of the biggest name in chess today and the favorites to win the world cup, Vassily Ivanchuk (2739) in a stunner that shook the entire chess community. Highly regarded as the best player never won a championship, Ivanchuk is Wesley's biggest name in chess he has defeated by far, and he did it with black pieces! Peter Doggers of ChessVibes wrote the following in his blog after Wesley So's victory:

...Vassily Ivanchuk, the favourite to win this World Cup according to the ChessVibes visitors, against super-talent Wesley So. It seemed that the Ukrainian was totally outplaying his Pinoy opponent, but when he couldn’t find the knockout blow he should probably have taken the draw. Instead, in terrible timetrouble already, Chuky decided to play on but then lost in the ending.

Surely, big Chucky didn't expect Wesley to be this good. He won't spent much time a-thinking over Wesley's moves if they weren't worth the effort of every neurons in his brain. Wesley opted for the French this time that saw Ivanchuk chose the exchange variations. You can watch the replay of games with computer analysis at chessbomb-chessdom live arena which provides real time live games of the championship. Wesley So just needed a draw in their second game to finally moved on to the next round and look, white pieces he'll be handling. It would be quite interesting what would be the opening push Wesley will employ today. Will he go for the sweep? That is asking to much but who knows ;)

Chess World Cup official website

Day 1 of Chess World Cup...definitely, maybe

Day one of Chess World Cup begins today in frozen land of Khanty Mansiys, Russia. The Philippines will be sending three players; So, Antonio and Laylo, the third most in Asia behind regions powerhouse China and India. GM Rogelio Antonio, in his round 1 match with ex world championship contender and defending Chess World Cup champ, Gata Kamsky of USA, will be featured in Chessdom in a real time live chess game using the critically acclaim new chess engine for viewing live chess games powered by chessbomb. Getting featured in a real time live chess game with grandmaster commentaries is the first time in Antonio's career.

For GM Joey Antonio, there is no such thing as "nothing to lose" here. As we know, he is scheduled to set a new world record for simultaneous chess in January 22-23 next year dubbed "1 vs. 600: Pinoy Ironman". If he loses badly, certainly the credibility as well will be hurt even in the caliber of player such as Kamsky. If Antonio puts up a decent games against Kamsky, which he really can, or even pull an upset, not impossible but probable, not only the win will make Antonio an instant celebrity, GM Joey's credibility to tackle such an historic event where every physically fit GMs in the world will have no problem about of duplicating and surpassing, anytime, anywhere, would surge considerably and the world record breaking attempt won't be too much of a hype but will consequently turn out as an event that deserves serious attentions from the global chess community. Two defeats in round 1 against Kamsky is somewhat unacceptable. A fighting draw and a loss is about okay. But moving to the next round of CWC is what we're looking forward. The last time these two met was at the 2005 HB Global Challenge in Minneapolis, USA. Antonio somehow managed to eked out a draw against Kamsky.

We have already discussed So and Laylo's chances against their respective opponents in round 1. Please check our previous post here. The consistency of Darwin Laylo will be tested and whether Wesley So is fully recovered after SPICE Cup and his deserving place among the elite will once again be revealed. At his time, it is Antonio who will play more part in Chess World Cup. So how's Antonio's chances of getting pass Kamsky?

...definitely, maybe.

Wesley So met his fans

A small gatherings between a young icon and avid supporters just happened at Burgoo Restaurant Mall of Asia where fans of GM Wesley So finally got their chance to talk, sign autographs and took pictures of the beloved youthful grandmaster. So received a late birthday gifts from his fans and even conducted a friendly games! The gathering was supposed to take place last Saturday but due to strong typhoon that hits Manila Friday evening, it was moved to a latter date. Fellow chess blogger aka Rusticbull of Chess Window, formerly the Malibay Chess Club has the story and piles of photos as well from the said reunion with Wesley's adoring fans.