Wesley So sets new unbeaten record at 55, leads going to last round

Philippine chess fans will know by Sunday evening if Wesley So will win the 2017 Tata Steel Chess Tournament.

He set a new personal record of 55 unbeaten games after drawing with Wei Yi on Saturday. So, Cavite-born but playing under the US flag, has 8 points and is being pursued by 3 men with 7.5 points. These are Wei Yi, world champion Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian. 

A crowing of a Philippine rooster is certainly welcome among Filipinos who have not had a chess idol for years. They clung to the Indian summer of Eugene Torre, who won a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympiad behind So, who won the gold medal. 

So will be playing black against Ian Nepomniatchi of Russia in the final round. So has 8 points out of 12 after drawing against Wei Yi on Saturday. This was what was meant when championship and remaining unbeaten for a long stretch does not necessarily watch. 

In his game against Wei Yi, So had a superior ending after exchanging queens in the Queens Gambit, Tarrasch Variation. Wei Yi, a sharp attacking player, had two weak doubled pawns, a weak c-pawn. His position was undeveloped, which would have spelled disaster. 

But this is theory, following Ding Liren-Wei Yi 2014. Instead of 15. Be3, So tried 15. Bf4 check but the 18-year-old Chinese grandmaster managed to equalize. So drew by perpetual check after 32 moves. 

The tension tightens. If So draws and any of the pursuing trio (Wei Yi, Carlsen and Aronian) win, there will be a playoff for the title. 

Carlsen will battle Sergey Karjakin whom he defeated to keep the world title last year. Aronian faces Dmitry Andreikin and Wei Yi meets Radoslav Wotasek.

Following So’s relatively risk free approach, a draw can be expected and it would be up to Carslen, Aronian and Wei Yi to win and force a playoff. – Rappler.com