GM So with back to back draws
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 18 Jan 2010
Filipino chess prodigy Wesley So's first two games in the prestigious Corus B tournament in Holland ended in draws. In his second game today against Dutch GM Erwin L'Ami, So played the black pieces and used the Queen?s gambit accepted rather than his usual Slav defense against d4.
Series of exchanges managed to simplify matters quickly and a truce was declared after 23 moves. Further exchanges would have left the players with a drawish rook with equal number of pawns endgame.
So drew with Germany?s Arkadij Naiditsch in his first game.
Naiditsch (ELO 2687) played the white pieces and opened with a surprise c4 signifying his intentions to use the English opening. The German usually plays e4 as his first move.
So (ELO 2656) went into a difficult endgame and after a series of exchanges was left with his dark squared bishop and two pawns against Naiditsch?s rook and pawn.
So was left fighting for a draw as Naiditsch had slim winning chances after 64 moves but a draw was agreed after a marathon 111 moves.
Filipino GM Buenaventura Villamayor provided live commentary on the games for the website chessdom.com.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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