Wesley So tames Duda, waits for Nakamura-Fedoseev victor

Wesley So started cold but got turbocharged and zoomed past Jan-Krzysztof Duda before cruising to the finish line.

Bucking a 0.5-2.5 deficit, So caught up in the 5-minute section, 4-4, revved up and pulled away after the 3-minute section, 12-5, then drove with caution in the 1-minute section to seal the 16-10 quarterfinals victory in the 2020 Elite Speed Chess Championships on Thursday, November 19 (Friday, November 20, Philippine time).

Now, the Filipino-born reigning US Open king needs to wait who between defending champion Hikaru Nakamura and Russian Vladimir Fedoseev is going to race with him in the semifinals of the online knockout tournament staking $100,000 (P4.8 million).

If it’s any consolation, the 22-year-old Duda fared better than when So, 27, crushed him, 20-7, in the semifinals of the 2018 Elite Speed Championship on the strength of a 9-1 rout in bullet play.

This time, So acknowledged the No. 1 Polish player is the better bullet player and has improved a lot.

“He is now more stable and is comfortable with unclear and complicated positions,” said So of Duda, the 2020 Speed Chess Invitational winner who ended world champion Magnus Carlsen’s record of 125-game unbeaten run in classical play in October.

According to So, he wasn’t rattled when he scored just half a point in the first 3 games.

“I took a deep breath and forget about it,” said So in the post-match interview where he was shown cuddling his pet cat. “You try to play solidly, not to blunder. Play positions you are comfortable with, and don’t take unnecessary risks.”

The ploy worked as So, who lifted Team USA to the 2016 Baku Chess Olympiad title by taking the board 3 gold medal, allowed Duda only 2 draws in the 3-minute section for a decisive 8-1 tally.

So said he was singing and talking to himself in some instances, to change his rhythm and the setting, just staying alive.

Asked about the prospects of another speed chess battle with  Nakamura, his two-time conqueror in the 2018 and 2019 finals of the tournament,  So admitted “it’s going to be tough” and “doesn’t want to think about it” at the moment. – Rappler.com