Wesley So wins Leuven Rapid/Blitz

The Grand Chess Tour (GCT) is a circuit of chess tournaments where the world Top 10 players compete for multiple prize pools. This started in 2015 and, as expected, world champion Magnus Carlsen became Tour Champion. In 2016, in a big shock heard around the world, the Filipino-American GM Wesley So became Tour Champion by winning both of the last two legs, the Sinquefield Cup and the London Chess Classic. In 2017 it was back to Magnus Carlsen as the Tour Champion.

This year the 2018 Grand Chess Tour consists of five events:

The Rapid/Blitz Tournament in Leuven, Belgium from June 12-16, 2018 is the first leg.

The second leg is in Paris, another Rapid/Blitz event, from June 20-24.

Third leg is the Saint Louis Rapid/ Blitz tournament from Aug. 10-16.

The last two legs of the Grand Chess Tour are classical chess tournaments in Saint Louis, the Sinquefield Cup (Aug. 17-28) and the London Chess Classic in December 2018.

What do I mean a Rapid/Blitz event? Well, first you have 9 rounds of rapid chess split over the first three days, then 18 rounds of blitz on the final two. The time control for the rapid is 25 minutes + 10 second delay per move while in blitz it is 5 minutes + 3 second delay.

A time delay is not the same as an increment. When you are playing with a 10 second increment for example after every move 10 seconds is added to your clock, so if you play fast enough you can add time to your clock. On the other hand when you play with a 10-second delay you are given 10 seconds to make your move before your clock starts running. No matter if you move instantaneously, after one second or after 10 seconds, the additional seconds is not added to your clock.

If I may say so playing under these conditions with thousands of dollars hanging on the balance is very nervewracking since if you are down to your last second you will forever have one second left, unlike with increments you can make your moves instantaneously and build up some time again.

The rapid and blitz event scores are combined BUT the rapid scores have more weight – they are counted double. One win in rapid therefore is equivalent to two points and a draw as one. Your Next Move Rapid & Blitz Leuven, Belgium June 12-16, 2018 Rapid Section 1. Wesley So, 7.0/9 2-3. Levon Aronian, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, 5.5/9

4-5. Sergey Karjakin, Hikaru Nakamura, 5.0/9 6. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, 4.5/9 7. Alexander Grischuk, 4.0/9 8. Fabiano Caruana, 3.5/9 9- 10. Viswanathan Anand, Anish Giri, 2.5/9

Time Control: 25 minutes play-tofinish with 10 second delay

The first leg in Leuven, Belgium was won by Wesley So — first he dominated the Rapid Section with 5 wins, 4 draws with no losses — this is 7/9 and, given that the rapid section counts for double, contributed 14 points to his combined score.

He did not do as well in the blitz with three wins ten draws and five losses (8/18). Blitz Section 1. Sergey Karjakin, 11.5/18 2. Hikaru Nakamura, 11.0/18 3. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, 10.5/18 4-6. Alexander Grischuk, Viswanathan Anand, Levon Aronian, 9.5/18

7-8. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Wesley So, 8.0/18 9. Fabiano Caruana, 6.5/18 10. Anish Giri, 6.0/18 Time Control: 5 minutes play- tofinish with 3 second delay

Wesley So had a 1.5 lead over Aronian and Vachier-in the Rapid event. Since the rapid games count for double this is equivalent to a 3-point buffer before the blitz tournament started, just enough for Wesley to finish 1st in the combined standings with 22.0/36, just half a point in the combined standings ahead of a resurgent Sergey Karjakin who won the blitz section with 11.5/18. Combined Standings

1. Wesley So USA, 22.0/36 ($37,500) 2. Sergey Karjakin RUS, 21.5/ 36 ($22,500)

3. Maxime Vachier- Lagrave FRA, 21.5/36 ($22,500)

4. Hikaru Nakamura USA, 21.0/36 ($15,000)

5. Levon Aronian ARM, 20.5/ 36 ($12,500)

6. Alexander Grischuk RUS, 17.5/36 ($10,000)

7. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE, 17.0/36 ($ 7,500)

8. Viswanathan Anand IND , 14.5/36 ($7,500)

9. Fabiano Caruana USA, 13.5/ 36 ($ 7,500) 10 Anish Giri NED, 11.0/ 36 ($7,500)

Note: Rapid Scores x 2 added to Blitz Scores

Are the games from these quickplay events just pure rubbish with blunders following blunders and pure luck determining the final winners? Not at all. I will first show you Wesley’s best game. So, Wesley (2778) - Giri,Anish (2782) [A29]

Your Next Move GCT 2018–Rapid Leuven (4), 13.06.2018 1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 e5 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nc3 Nb6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.d3 Be7 8.0–0 0–0 9.Be3

Wesley used 9.a3 to defeat Topalov in the 2016 Sinquefield Cup. That game continued 9...Be6 10.Be3 Nd5 11.Nxd5 Bxd5 12. Qa4 ( White covers the d4– square to rule out ..Nd4 which is one of Black’s main simplifying maneuvers) 12...Re8 13.Rac1 a6 14.Nd2 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 Nd4 16.Bxd4 exd4 17.Qb3 Rb8 18.e4!? dxe3 19.fxe3 Rf8 (19...Bf6 20.Ne4 is a bit awkward for Black) 20.Ne4 Qd7 21.Rf3 White’s pieces are more active. So,W ( 2771)-Topalov,V ( 2761) Saint Louis 2016 1–0 41.

9...Be6 10.Rc1 Nd5 11.Nxd5 Bxd5 12. Qc2 Re8 13. a3 a6 14. Rfd1 Bf6 15.Nd2 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Bg5

With perfect hindsight I think Black should play 16...Re6 followed by ...Be7 to keep an eye on the c5 square and then move over the rook to the kingside. 17.Bxg5 Qxg5 18.e3

Now it is not clear how Black can untangle on the queenside. White will play Nd2–b3(or e4)-c5. 18...Qe7 19.Ne4 Rac8 20.Nc5 Nd8

Everything is defended ... so far. 21.d4 e4 22.d5 f5? <D> POSITION AFTER 22...F5 Giri overlooks a shot. He should have played 22...h6. 23.Nxa6! Nf7

[23...bxa6 24.d6] 24. d6 Nxd6 25. Nxc7! Red8 26.Qb3+

This is the reason why 22...f5 was a mistake.

26...Qf7 27.Ne6 Rxc1 28.Rxc1 Re8 29.Nd4 Qxb3 30.Nxb3

Wesley goes into a K+R+N endgame a pawn up. This is not yet a clear win but gives the Cavite native a chance to spotlight his endgame technique. First step: create a passed pawn on the queenside.

30... Kf7 31. Nd4 g6 32. Rc3 Kf6 33. Rb3 Re7 34. a4 Ke5 35. a5 Kd5 36. Rb6 Rf7 37. b3 g5 38. a6 bxa6 39.Rxa6 Threatening Ra5+ which wins the Black knight.

39...Nb7 40.Rb6 Nd6 41.Ra6 Nb7! 42.Rh6

Ok, can’t make progress on the queenside swing over to the other side and try to win some pawns. 42...Nd6 43.Rh5 Rg7 44.Rh6

With the idea of Rxd6 followed by Nxf5+, forking king and rook.

44...Rf7! 45.Rh5 Rg7 46.h4 gxh4 47.Rxh4 Ke5 48.Rh6

Reviving the threat of Rxd6.

48...Rf7 49.Rh5 Kf6 50.Rh6+ Ke5 51.Kh3 Rb7 52.Rh5

The threat is now g3– g4 followed by the exchange of all pieces on f5 and then pushing the b-pawn. 52...Kf6 53.Rh6+ Ke5 54.Kh4

White is still after the f5– pawn. He intends 55. Re6+ Kd5 56. Rf6 Rf7 57.Kg5. 54... Nb5 55. Ne2 Re7 56. g4 Nd6 57.Nd4 1–0

There is the twin threat of Nc6+ as well as Rxd6 followed by Nxf5+. If Giri plays 57... Rd7 then 58. Rh5 Rf7 59. Nxf5 Nxf5+ 60. Rxf5+ Rxf5 61. gxf5 Kxf5 62.Kh5 and even a patzer like me can win this pawn endgame.

A really marvelous performance from the pride of the Filipinos. I will show you some more games on Thursday.