Sleepy Wesley So draws with Dominguez in Berlin Grand Prix opener

MANILA, Philippines – A sleepy Wesley So settled for a draw with fellow Team USA member Leinier Dominguez in the first round of the 2022 Berlin Grand Prix on Friday, February 4 (Saturday, February 5, Philippine time) at the World Chess Club Berlin.

The Cavite-born So, formerly the Philippines’ top player before migrating to the United States where he’s now back-to-back national champion, and Dominguez agreed to split the point after 34 moves of a Queen’s Gambit Accepted with both of them having a knight and three pawns each.

In the post-match interview, So said he was hit by jet lag.

“Today wasn’t ideal. I still haven’t slept well. I was falling asleep on the board,” said So.

Coming off a banner 2021 season, where he emerged overall champion of the Grand Chess Champion and placed second to world champion Magnus Carlsen in the Champions Chess Tour, So was hoping to surprise Dominguez with the white pieces.

Dominguez, however, was well-prepared and they drew their Pool D match.

Spain’s Alexei Shirov and India’s Pentala Harikrishna also played to a draw as the four players in Pool D wound up tied after the inaugural games.

Poland’s Radosław Wojtaszek and Russia’s Vladimir Fedoseev took the Pool B lead with victories over Germany’s Richard Rapport and 2021 World Cup winner Jan-Krzysztof Duda, respectively.

Levon Aronian, playing as an American for the first time, beat India’s Vidit Gujrathi to grab the solo lead in Pool C of the 16-man tournament serving as the first of the 2022 FIDE Grand Prix Series.

Seeing action in a classical event after a two-year hiatus, speed chess specialist Hikaru Nakamura of the United States drew with Etienne Bacrot of France in Pool A. The match between Andrey Esipenko and Alexander Grischuk also ended in a truce.

The winners in each pool will advance to the knockout semifinals and finals. – Rappler.com