Wesley So eliminated in World Chess Cup semifinals

MANILA, Philippines – The dreams of many Philippine chess fans were wrecked – not with the defeat of the country’s number one player to a young Indonesian in Turkmenistan – but with the elimination of Wesley So in the semifinal of the World Cup in Tbilisi, Georgia.

So lost the first blitz playoff in the semifinal against China’s Ding Liren, and a draw in the second game ended the quest of the Philippine-born chess player, who now plays for the United States.

Filipinos have clung to the idea that So, born in Bacoor, Cavite and who changed federation from the Philippines to the US in 2014, is still a Filipino.  

But So no longer plays for us and the barong tagalog he wears during awarding ceremonies reminds Filipinos where he came from.

Commiseration, pats on the back were on social media Thursday night, September 21 after So, fighting with only a Rook against Ding’s Queen, gave up. So’s prospects of qualifying by rating to the Candidates tournament depend on how well Vladimir Kramnik plays in the Isle of Man tournament in Gibraltar. 

Filipino chess fans were saddened as So, who had a bad slump in the Sinquefield Cup, appeared unlikely to reach this far. But through a strategy where So took his chances in the playoffs under faster time controls, he slowly made his to the semifinal, which is the farthest that he has gone in the World Cup since 2009. 

One can say So is still not experienced in this elite battle, after all he has only been in the top 10 in less than 4 years. But Ding is making his appearance at this rarefied level, and he is the first Chinese male to enter the Candidates. 

It’s unknown whether veteran trainer Vladimir Tukmakov was assisting So, but the pictures at the 2017 World Chess Cup website show Xu Jun, the tough Chinese grandmaster familiar to Filipino chess fans of an older generation. 

China’s aspirations nearly fell apart in Game 1 of the standard chess semifinal. So was clearly better but didn’t know how to continue. Ding knew he was worse and was only waiting. The game was drawn. Chess computers saw the solution after a few hours where So’s knight and two extra pawns would triumph against Ding’s lone rook. 

In Game 2, Ding had a comfortable position and missed a chance to try for more in the rook and pawn ending. It may have not been winning but So would have to defend. And so a draw resulted.

In Game 1 of the playoffs, played under rapid chess, once more So had a comfortable position but lost his way. Ding seized the initiative and was poised to deliver the winning blows, but failed. So escaped with a draw.

In Game 2 of the rapid chess playoffs, the game was drawn quickly, with Ding playing white. After missing two chances in Game 2 of the standard chess semifinal and Game 1 of the rapid playoff, Ding was clearly not in the mood for a struggle. A short draw and rest while waiting for blitz chess playoffs favored him. 

In this situation which favors So as the tide had clearly turned, So made a mistake in agreeing to a draw.

But in Game 1 of the blitz playoff, So could not take advantage of the situation and allowed Ding to gain the upperhand. So resisted mightily but he could not stave off the inevitable. The end after 69 moves of a Catalan Opening ended So’s dream and could usher a new era for Chinese chess. – Rappler.com