1.e4!

(IN PHOTO: GM Wesley So and GM Dmitry Bocharov)

I really love to watch RP's Numero Uno, the Pambansang Utak GM Wesley So, whenever he plays 1.e4 with White.

My admiration is not based on statistics (chessgames.com) which says that Wesley has a winning percentage of 57.4%, drawing percentage of 30.7%, and 11.9% percentage of losing with White when he pushes 1.e4.

Rather, my admiration is awakened by his do-or-die tendencies with 1.e4, just like a raging bull fearing no one.

With 1.e4, he plays with a fearsome attitude, a psychological torture that could entomb a faint-hearted.

A war over the board is not all brains after all. Attitude is important, too.

Don't tell me courage does not belong in chess. Isn't chess a war between generals whose armies possess an incredible attitude of following their general's orders at all times?

Remember how he lost to GM Anish Giri (although with 1.e4) in Corus 2010? Perhaps, he lost that attitude of courage in the latter part of their game.

Courage makes chess beautiful - and romantic - in fact.

I don't think chess maniacs would fall in love with this brain-enslaving sport if not for the element of courage over the board.

I am not so excited watching Wesley play 1.d4. It's not because statistics says he only has a winning percentage of 22.2%, a drawing percentage of a huge 66.7%, and a losing percentage of 11.1%. It's just that I don't feel his adrenaline-rush attitude with that opening.

Now, let's see how GM Wesley won with that fearsome 1.e4 against GM Dmitry Bocharov (2594) of Russia in Round 2 of Aeroflot Open 2010 in Moscow, Russia. Wesley now has 1.5 points after two rounds, tied from No.3 to No.32 with other 28 players.

Feel the attitude, and enjoy!!

So vs Bocharov
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PGN:

[Event "Aeroflot Open"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2010.02.10"]
[EventDate "2010.02.09"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "W So"]
[Black "D Bocharov"]
[ECO "B48"]
[WhiteElo "2656"]
[BlackElo "2594"]
[PlyCount "64"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 b5 8.
O-O-O b4 9. Na4 Nf6 10. f3 Ne5 11. Nb3 Rb8 12. Qf2 Be7 13. Ba7 Rb7 14. Bb6
Qc6 15. Bd4 Qxa4 16. Bxe5 O-O 17. Kb1 d5 18. exd5 exd5 19. Bd3 Qc6 20. Rhe1
Bd8 21. g4 Re7 22. g5 Nh5 23. Qh4 g6 24. Qxb4 Rfe8 25. f4 Bg4 26. Rc1 Bb6
27. Bd4 Rxe1 28. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 29. Qxe1 Nxf4 30. Bxb6 Nxd3 31. Qg1 Nb4 32. Bc5
1-0