So battles Russian GM to a draw in World Cup
12/01/2009 | 02:32 PM
KHANTY-Mansiysk, Russia - GM Wesley So of the Philippines tried long and hard to squeeze out a win but eventually settled for a draw with GM Vladimir Malakhov of Russia in the opener of their two-game round-of-16 showdown in the 2009 World Chess Cup Monday at the Khanty-Mansiysk Center of Arts.
The 16-year-old So gave the 22nd-seeded Malakhov (ELO 2706) some uneasy moments in a highly-positional battle and seemed to challenge his Russian rival's tenacity before settling for the truce in 65 moves of the Slav.
So, who is seeking a fitting follow-up to his three stunning victories over GM Gadir Guseinov of Azerbaijan, former world championship finalist GM Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine and 2008 champion GM Gata Kamsky of the United States, emerged from the opening battle with a slightly better position but failed to find a successful conclusion against Malakhov's tenacious defense.
"It's a draw," commented GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. who now serves as one of two seconds of So in the 128-player, knockout-style tournament being held in this winter paradise in Western Siberia.
Before they agreed to a draw, So and Malakhov exchanged their remaining pieces on the board - knight and four pawns against a bishop and four pawns - and left both sides with only their kings and one rook each.
A fourth-year high school student at St. Francis of Assisi College-Bacoor, So will now play black in the second game against Malakhov, a world championship finalist in 2004 and 2007, on Tuesday seeking a win that will send him to the quarterfinal round.
Interestingly, So defeated both Ivanchuk and Kamsky with the disadvantageous black pieces in the openers of their second and third round showdowns.
The winner of the So-Malakhov encounter will meet the victor of the match between GM Peter Svidler of Russia and last year's World Cup runner-up GM Alexei Shirov of Spain in the Last-8.
Svidler, the third highest-rated player here with an ELO of 2754, subdued Shirov to emerge as one of only two winners in the first game of the elite round-of-16 stage.
Buoyed by a dramatic 5-3 win over GM Arkadij Naiditsch of Germany, Svidler came up with "a dozen of superhuman, almost computer-like moves" to repel Shriov's aggressive and decisive attacks.
GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan made short work of GM Victor Laznicka of the Czech Republic to boost his chances to advance to the next round.
The 13th-seeded Mamedyarov, who raised his total to a remarkable 6.5/7, won convincingly that "he left almost no chance for the opponent."
Aside from the So-Malakhov encounter, five other round-of-16 matches also ended in fighting draws.
Top seed GM Boris Gelfand of Israel drew with GM Maxime Bachier-Lagrave of France; second seed GM Vugar Gashimov of Russia halved the point with GM Fabiano Caruana of Italy;
GM Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine split the point with GM Nikita Vitiugov of Russia; GM Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine tied with GM Etienne Bacrot of France; and GM Alexander Grischuk of Russia drew with GM Dmitry Jakovencko of Russia. - GMANews.TV
The 16-year-old So gave the 22nd-seeded Malakhov (ELO 2706) some uneasy moments in a highly-positional battle and seemed to challenge his Russian rival's tenacity before settling for the truce in 65 moves of the Slav.
Grandmaster Wesley So during an earlier tournament. NCFP photo
So, who is seeking a fitting follow-up to his three stunning victories over GM Gadir Guseinov of Azerbaijan, former world championship finalist GM Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine and 2008 champion GM Gata Kamsky of the United States, emerged from the opening battle with a slightly better position but failed to find a successful conclusion against Malakhov's tenacious defense.
"It's a draw," commented GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. who now serves as one of two seconds of So in the 128-player, knockout-style tournament being held in this winter paradise in Western Siberia.
Before they agreed to a draw, So and Malakhov exchanged their remaining pieces on the board - knight and four pawns against a bishop and four pawns - and left both sides with only their kings and one rook each.
A fourth-year high school student at St. Francis of Assisi College-Bacoor, So will now play black in the second game against Malakhov, a world championship finalist in 2004 and 2007, on Tuesday seeking a win that will send him to the quarterfinal round.
Interestingly, So defeated both Ivanchuk and Kamsky with the disadvantageous black pieces in the openers of their second and third round showdowns.
The winner of the So-Malakhov encounter will meet the victor of the match between GM Peter Svidler of Russia and last year's World Cup runner-up GM Alexei Shirov of Spain in the Last-8.
Buoyed by a dramatic 5-3 win over GM Arkadij Naiditsch of Germany, Svidler came up with "a dozen of superhuman, almost computer-like moves" to repel Shriov's aggressive and decisive attacks.
GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan made short work of GM Victor Laznicka of the Czech Republic to boost his chances to advance to the next round.
The 13th-seeded Mamedyarov, who raised his total to a remarkable 6.5/7, won convincingly that "he left almost no chance for the opponent."
Aside from the So-Malakhov encounter, five other round-of-16 matches also ended in fighting draws.
Top seed GM Boris Gelfand of Israel drew with GM Maxime Bachier-Lagrave of France; second seed GM Vugar Gashimov of Russia halved the point with GM Fabiano Caruana of Italy;
GM Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine split the point with GM Nikita Vitiugov of Russia; GM Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine tied with GM Etienne Bacrot of France; and GM Alexander Grischuk of Russia drew with GM Dmitry Jakovencko of Russia. - GMANews.TV
