Young So continues to impress
The annual National Open Chess Championship, held last month in Las Vegas, was won by 19-yearold Grandmaster Wesley So of the Philippines on tiebreak over five other GMs. This youth has been continuously amazing the chess world since an early age. For example, when he was just 11, he became a FIDE Master.
Representing his country then in the World Youth Championships, he tied for first in the under-12 category. When he turned 12, he qualified to be a member of the Philippine Olympiad Chess Team and achieved a plus score in that illustrious worldwide competition.
By the time he was 14, he had earned the Grandmaster’s title to become the ninth youngest GM of all time. Putting that in perspective, Bobby Fischer once impressed everyone by earning the GM title at the historical record-breaking age of 15. As a Filipino, So has been a chess comet, blazing across the horizon: their youngest-ever GM, International Master and National Champion as well as their highest-rated player ever.
So’s progress through the teenage years has been just as spectacular. Five years ago, he jacked his rating above 2600 to become the youngest player to reach that level. The record he broke had been set by Magnus Carlsen, the current World No. 1 and highestrated player in history. Just a few months ago, he joined the worldwide elite, called “superGMs,” when his rating climbed above 2700.
To paraphrase a famous saying, a chess player can be known by the company he keeps. The GMs So tied with before winning the National Open Trophy on tie-breaks are superChampions themselves: 1) Jaan Ehlvest (World Open winner), Varuzhan Akobian (National Open Champion and World Open winner), Alejandro Ramirez (tied for first in 2013 U.S. Closed Championship), Manuel Leon Hoyos (2012 U.S. Open co-Champion), and Enrico Sevillano (2008 U.S. Open co-Champion). By the way, this column’s game shows how So defeated the front-runner GM Tamaz Gelashvili of Georgia (the country) to take the lead into the last round.
Known as one of the best blitz-chess players on the In- ternet, So emerged at the top of the two speeded-up side events in Las Vegas. In the Game-10 (each side gets 10 minutes total), he tied for first with Akobian. In the blitz event, So took first.
Game of the week GM So (2705)-GM Gelashvili 2013 National Open Las Vegas
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5(A) Bf5 4.Nf3(B) e6 5.Be2 Ne7 6.c3 h6 7.0–0 Nd7 8.Nbd2 Bg6 9.Nb3 Nf5 10.g4(C) Nh4 11.Nxh4 Qxh4 12.f4 h5 13.g5 f6(D) 14.Bd3 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 0–0–0 16.Bd2 fxg5 17.fxg5 Be7 18.Rf4!(E) Qxg5+ 19.Kh1 Qh6 20.Rf7 Bg5 21.Bxg5 Qxg5 22.Rg1 Qh4 23.Qg3(F) Qe4+ 24.Qg2 Qh4 25.Qxg7 Qe4+ 26.Qg2 Qh4 27.Nd2(G) Rdf8 28.Nf3 Qe4 29.Ng5 Qg6 30.Re7 Rhg8?(H) 31.Qh3 Re8 32.Rxe6 Qc2 33.Rxe8+ Rxe8 34.Qxh5 Re7 35.Qh8+ Kc7 36.e6 Nb6 37.Qe5+ Kc8 38.Rf1 Re8(I) 39.Rf7 Qb1+ 40.Kg2(J) Qxb2+ 41.Kg3 Qxc3+ 42.Kg4 Na8(K) 43.e7 Nc7 44.Rf8 Qd3 45.Qd6 Qe2+ 46.Nf3 b6(L) 47.Rxe8+(M) 1–0
A) The Advance Variation of the Caro-Kann Defense, considered by many to be the most aggressive continuation. B) An often-played solid approach. More immediately aggressive would be 4.g4 or 4.h4 to get pushy against black’s exposed bishop. C) Working to gain space and a potential attack kingside. D) 13...Be7 14.Be3 0–0–0 might be less weakening, but black may fear his queen getting trapped.
E) Opens the files for white. F) Temporarily a pawn down, So offers a Queen trade into a superior ending. G) Heading to g5 which will be decisive. H) 30...Re8 is necessary. I) Black continues stubborn defense until the end. J) If the king can step out from the checks, the game is over. K) Amusingly tenacious! L) 46...Qg2+ 47.Kf4 and no more checks! M) Following could be: 47...Nxe8 48.Qd8+ Kb7 49.Qxe8 Qg2+ 50.Kf4.