So loses to Dutch grandmaster, hopes for a strong finish

By: Bert Eljera - 9 years ago

Wesley So (left) shakes hand with Anish Giri of the Netherlands in the Tata chess tournament in Wijk ann Zee, the Netherlands. CHESSDOM.COM PHOTO

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Wesley So bowed to an old nemesis, grandmaster Anish Giri of the Netherlands after an epic, eight-hour battle ending in his first loss. But he remained just one point behind the tournament leader with one round left in the Tata Steel chess tournament in Wijk ann Zee, the Netherlands.

Giri beat So after 111 moves in the 12th round, handing the Filipino his first loss in about a year and grabbing solo second with eight points behind Margnus Carlsen, who is showing the way with 8.5 points.

The 20-year-old Giri, the youngest in the tournament, outplayed So in a queen-and pawn endgame, promoting a distant passed as the Filipino grandmaster gallantly held on, hoping for at least a perpetual check to draw the game.

Despite the loss, his first since April 2014 – a span of 55 games – the 21-year-old So remained within striking distance with 7.5 points, a point behind Carlsen, the Norwegian world champion who drew his 12th round match.

So will play the white pieces against another Dutch player, Loek Van Wely, in the 13th and last round today, Sunday.

Giri, who beat So in 2010, also in Wijk ann Zee – “when we were kids”, So said – jumped to No. 5 in the world in live rating, with 2797.2, ahead of former world champion Vishy Anand, while So is at No. 7 with 2783.8 points.

Live ratings are updated within an hour in top tournaments and based on official FIDE ratings.

Carlsen rew with Chinese grandmaster Liren Ding, who now shares third to fifth places with So and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave with France, each with 7.5 points.