GM Wesley So ended his stint in Aeroflot Open 2010 in Moscow, Russia in a lifeless 10-mover draw to finish 11th overall with 5.5 points in a strong field of 80 players.
Compatriot GM Darwin, who probably played the worst campaign in his professional career, withdrew from the event after Round 7 to finish at the bottom with half a point.
GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam topped the event with a strong final-round kick by beating GM Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia to haul a total of 7.0 points for a total performance rating of 2872!!
The two Philippine flag bearers fashioned out completely contrasting results when it comes to Elo point production. Wesley earned 4.6 points, bringing his live rating to 2665.3 after the tournament, while Darwin lost incredible 28.6 Elo points. Laylo's live rating now stands at 2527.4 which will surely affect his rankings in the Philippines.
The draw in the last round was enough for So to retain his Top Junior title which he earned last year in the same tournament.
If not for some of the short and blodless draws of Wesley in this tournament, his 2700-mark campaign could have been much boosted.
Of course, as mere fans, we didn't know what Wesley and Darwin were going through in the course of the tournament. They might be troubled by a physical pain, whatever.
I'll say it again, as mere fans, all we could do is want and expect. After the game, as a consequence, we either jump for joy or grin in disappointment, and for some - even mourn in pain.
But surely, the 10-mover draw in Wesley's last game put a question mark to his image as an exciting, world-class player, considering that he was the one who offered the truce!
It's now always the Elo points, not the title that count.
Sometimes, the total character of a player who gives his best to exploring the deepest and wildest beauty of the game is what endear him to the world of sports.
If the Aeroflot Open 2010 served as a test of skills for Darwin, it served somethig else for Wesley - that is, a test of character.
Yeah, the pressure in that high-profile tournament was indeed too heavy to bear. But that's exactly the point!!
If you are to be a world champion, you have to be hungry and brave enough to face the stiffest opposition - and conquer them.
E Iturrizaga vs Wesley So
Round 9 Aeroflot Open 2010
PGN:
[Event "Aeroflot Open"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2010.02.17"]
[EventDate "2010.02.09"]
[Round "9"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "E Iturrizaga"]
[Black "W So"]
[ECO "D10"]
[WhiteElo "2616"]
[BlackElo "2656"]
[PlyCount "20"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 dxc4 4. e4 b5 5. a4 b4 6. Na2 Nf6 7. e5 Nd5 8.
Bxc4 e6 9. Nf3 Bb7 10. O-O Nd7 1/2-1/2
| Rank | Name | Flags | Score | Fed. | M/F | Rating | TPR | W-We | Col.Bal. | Rat-HiLo | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Le, Quang Liem |
| 7.0 | VIE | M | 2647 | 2872 | +2.58 | 1 | 2655.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | GM Korobov, Anton |
| 6.5 | UKR | M | 2648 | 2776 | +1.54 | 1 | 2606.0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | GM Motylev, Alexander |
| 6.0 | RUS | M | 2697 | 2755 | +0.67 | -1 | 2629.7 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | GM Zhou, Jianchao |
| 6.0 | CHN | M | 2632 | 2778 | +1.75 | 1 | 2660.1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 |
| 5 | GM Nguyen, Ngoc Truong Son |
| 6.0 | VIE | M | 2616 | 2749 | +1.61 | 1 | 2638.7 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | GM Grachev, Boris |
| 6.0 | RUS | M | 2653 | 2745 | +1.09 | 1 | 2616.3 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 7 | GM Cheparinov, Ivan |
| 5.5 | BUL | M | 2660 | 2715 | +0.69 | -1 | 2638.0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 8 | GM Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime |
| 5.5 | FRA | M | 2730 | 2700 | -0.33 | -1 | 2631.1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ |
| 9 | GM Nepomniachtchi, Ian |
| 5.5 | RUS | M | 2658 | 2691 | +0.42 | -1 | 2622.4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 |
| 10 | GM Bu, Xiangzhi |
| 5.5 | CHN | M | 2673 | 2700 | +0.33 | -1 | 2619.3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ |
| 11 | GM So, Wesley | j | 5.5 | PHI | M | 2656 | 2693 | +0.46 | -1 | 2612.1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 12 | GM Sargissian, Gabriel |
| 5.5 | ARM | M | 2680 | 2682 | +0.03 | -1 | 2604.1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ |
| 13 | GM Savchenko, Boris |
| 5.5 | RUS | M | 2638 | 2729 | +1.14 | 1 | 2651.1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ |
| 14 | GM Bacrot, Etienne |
| 5.5 | FRA | M | 2713 | 2717 | +0.06 | 1 | 2640.7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 15 | GM Timofeev, Artyom |
| 5.5 | RUS | M | 2652 | 2707 | +0.71 | 1 | 2631.3 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 16 | GM Bareev, Evgeny |
| 5.5 | RUS | M | 2643 | 2699 | +0.71 | 1 | 2620.7 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ |
| 17 | GM Najer, Evgeniy |
| 5.5 | RUS | M | 2665 | 2698 | +0.41 | 1 | 2618.4 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | GM Iturrizaga, Eduardo |
| 5.5 | VEN | M | 2616 | 2676 | +0.75 | 1 | 2594.7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ |
| 19 | GM Dreev, Alexey |
| 5.5 | RUS | M | 2650 | 2676 | +0.34 | 1 | 2584.7 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ |
| 20 | GM Mamedov, Rauf |
| 5.0 | AZE | M | 2640 | 2659 | +0.20 | -1 | 2620.7 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ |
| 21 | GM Novikov, Stanislav |
| 5.0 | RUS | M | 2557 | 2646 | +1.09 | -1 | 2612.4 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 22 | GM Salgado Lopez, Ivan |
| 5.0 | ESP | M | 2584 | 2654 | +0.84 | -1 | 2611.7 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ |
| 23 | GM Volokitin, Andrei |
| 5.0 | UKR | M | 2692 | 2652 | -0.52 | -1 | 2607.9 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 |
| 24 | GM Zvjaginsev, Vadim |
| 5.0 | RUS | M | 2642 | 2649 | +0.06 | -1 | 2601.1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 25 | GM Kobalia, Mikhail |
| 5.0 | RUS | M | 2637 | 2643 | +0.04 | -1 | 2599.0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ |
| 26 | GM Khairullin, Ildar |
| 5.0 | RUS | M | 2605 | 2706 | +1.21 | 1 | 2665.3 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 27 | GM Khalifman, Alexander |
| 5.0 | RUS | M | 2616 | 2690 | +0.90 | 1 | 2659.6 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 28 | GM Grigoriants, Sergey |
| 5.0 | RUS | M | 2560 | 2688 | +1.54 | 1 | 2646.3 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 29 | GM Belov, Vladimir |
| 5.0 | RUS | M | 2595 | 2677 | +0.99 | 1 | 2643.0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 30 | GM Sasikiran, Krishnan |
| 5.0 | IND | M | 2653 | 2681 | +0.32 | 1 | 2640.0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 |
| 31 | GM Melkumyan, Hrant |
| 5.0 | ARM | M | 2583 | 2667 | +1.02 | 1 | 2638.1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ |
| 32 | GM Pashikian, Arman |
| 5.0 | ARM | M | 2647 | 2672 | +0.27 | 1 | 2624.7 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ |
| 33 | GM Naiditsch, Arkadij |
| 5.0 | GER | M | 2687 | 2649 | -0.49 | 1 | 2617.7 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ |
| 34 | GM Vescovi, Giovanni |
| 5.0 | BRA | M | 2660 | 2659 | -0.05 | 1 | 2616.6 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 35 | GM Kamsky, Gata |
| 5.0 | USA | M | 2693 | 2650 | -0.56 | 1 | 2615.1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ |
| 36 | GM McShane, Luke J |
| 5.0 | ENG | M | 2616 | 2646 | +0.36 | 1 | 2605.7 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | GM Amonatov, Farrukh |
| 5.0 | TJK | M | 2634 | 2636 | -0.01 | 1 | 2587.3 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | GM Predojevic, Borki |
| 5.0 | BIH | M | 2642 | 2621 | -0.30 | 1 | 2580.9 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 39 | GM Tregubov, Pavel V. |
| 5.0 | RUS | M | 2628 | 2603 | -0.33 | 1 | 2559.7 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ |
| 40 | GM Sjugirov, Sanan | j | 4.5 | RUS | M | 2610 | 2655 | +0.56 | -1 | 2658.9 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 |
| 41 | GM Safarli, Eltaj | j | 4.5 | AZE | M | 2594 | 2631 | +0.48 | -1 | 2633.4 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 42 | GM Moiseenko, Alexander |
| 4.5 | UKR | M | 2677 | 2604 | -0.90 | -1 | 2604.7 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ |
| 43 | GM Ragger, Markus |
| 4.5 | AUT | M | 2568 | 2599 | +0.39 | 1 | 2601.9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ |
| 44 | GM Van Wely, Loek |
| 4.5 | NED | M | 2641 | 2606 | -0.44 | 1 | 2601.6 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ |
| 45 | GM Shabalov, Alexander |
| 4.5 | USA | M | 2611 | 2588 | -0.29 | 1 | 2583.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 |
| 46 | GM Ehlvest, Jaan |
| 4.0 | USA | M | 2600 | 2579 | -0.23 | -1 | 2627.4 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ |
| 47 | GM Potkin, Vladimir |
| 4.0 | RUS | M | 2611 | 2572 | -0.46 | -1 | 2612.1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ |
| 48 | GM Lenic, Luka |
| 4.0 | SLO | M | 2595 | 2563 | -0.37 | -1 | 2607.4 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ |
| 49 | IM Danin, Alexandre |
| 4.0 | RUS | M | 2519 | 2563 | +0.58 | -1 | 2606.1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 |
| 50 | GM Feller, Sebastien |
| 4.0 | FRA | M | 2579 | 2557 | -0.25 | -1 | 2602.7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 |
| 51 | GM Hou, Yifan | w | 4.0 | CHN | F | 2590 | 2552 | -0.45 | -1 | 2597.4 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ |
| 52 | GM Smirin, Ilia |
| 4.0 | ISR | M | 2668 | 2534 | -1.63 | -1 | 2582.1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 53 | GM Maletin, Pavel |
| 4.0 | RUS | M | 2591 | 2537 | -0.62 | -1 | 2581.4 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 |
| 54 | GM Volkov, Sergey |
| 4.0 | RUS | M | 2623 | 2536 | -1.04 | -1 | 2578.9 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ |
| 55 | GM Zhigalko, Sergei |
| 4.0 | BLR | M | 2668 | 2525 | -1.72 | -1 | 2571.6 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ |
| 56 | GM Bocharov, Dmitry |
| 4.0 | RUS | M | 2594 | 2617 | +0.31 | 1 | 2670.1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 57 | GM Rodshtein, Maxim |
| 4.0 | ISR | M | 2622 | 2599 | -0.25 | 1 | 2652.7 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 |
| 58 | GM Kosintseva, Tatiana | w | 4.0 | RUS | F | 2515 | 2596 | +1.00 | 1 | 2640.0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ |
| 59 | GM Shomoev, Anton |
| 4.0 | RUS | M | 2559 | 2578 | +0.26 | 1 | 2629.0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ |
| 60 | GM Rakhmanov, Aleksandr |
| 4.0 | RUS | M | 2591 | 2580 | -0.11 | 1 | 2628.4 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 61 | IM Kosintseva, Nadezhda | w | 4.0 | RUS | F | 2533 | 2585 | +0.67 | 1 | 2625.6 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ |
| 62 | GM Andriasian, Zaven |
| 4.0 | ARM | M | 2613 | 2580 | -0.39 | 1 | 2614.9 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ |
| 63 | GM Zhou, Weiqi |
| 4.0 | CHN | M | 2600 | 2566 | -0.39 | 1 | 2613.3 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 64 | GM Efimenko, Zahar |
| 4.0 | UKR | M | 2657 | 2520 | -1.66 | 1 | 2566.3 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 |
| 65 | GM Khusnutdinov, Rustam |
| 3.5 | KAZ | M | 2513 | 2543 | +0.33 | -1 | 2620.3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ |
| 66 | IM Papin, Vasily |
| 3.5 | RUS | M | 2548 | 2523 | -0.33 | -1 | 2602.3 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| 67 | IM Krylov, Mikhail |
| 3.5 | RUS | M | 2511 | 2521 | +0.09 | -1 | 2589.6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ |
| 68 | GM Ajrapetjan, Yuriy |
| 3.5 | UKR | M | 2525 | 2510 | -0.20 | -1 | 2588.4 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 |
| 69 | IM Javakhishvili, Lela | w | 3.0 | GEO | F | 2493 | 2484 | -0.09 | -1 | 2605.4 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 |
| 70 | GM Iljushin, Alexei |
| 3.0 | RUS | M | 2551 | 2469 | -0.97 | -1 | 2594.7 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ |
| 71 | GM Sebag, Marie | w | 3.0 | FRA | F | 2510 | 2471 | -0.45 | -1 | 2594.7 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 72 | GM Ghaem Maghami, Ehsan |
| 3.0 | IRI | M | 2589 | 2457 | -1.58 | -1 | 2582.4 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ |
| 73 | GM Lopez Martinez, Josep Manu |
| 3.0 | ESP | M | 2593 | 2439 | -1.85 | -1 | 2557.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 |
| 74 | GM Vazquez Igarza, Renier |
| 3.0 | ESP | M | 2563 | 2434 | -1.54 | -1 | 2557.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 75 | GM Morovic Fernandez, Ivan |
| 3.0 | CHI | M | 2561 | 2486 | -0.89 | 1 | 2614.6 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 |
| 76 | GM Salem, A.R. Saleh | j | 3.0 | UAE | M | 2484 | 2420 | -0.62 | 1 | 2602.4 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | + |
| 77 | GM Romanov, Evgeny |
| 3.0 | RUS | M | 2599 | 2606 | +0.07 | 3 | 2652.7 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| 78 | GM Svetushkin, Dmitry |
| 2.5 | MDA | M | 2573 | 2411 | -1.95 | -1 | 2575.6 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ |
| 79 | GM Yudin, Sergei |
| 2.0 | RUS | M | 2573 | 2402 | -1.75 | -1 | 2587.4 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | - |
| 80 | GM Laylo, Darwin |
| 0.5 | PHI | M | 2556 | 2148 | -2.86 | 1 | 2558.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
2 Comments:
Wesley has to rest and for Darwin to focus on his coaching job. Wesley MUST earn a college degree if he wants to have a durable chess career. Wesley is very good but not great like Carlsen or other world champions. World champions are made, not born and the Philippines do not have the means to make. Sad but true! Look at the Presidentiables and the Filipino people, Carnival it is! From a Filipino chess observer.
I guess its back to school for GM Wesley So and earn a degree in a University. Chess will always be there for GM Wesley So. It's a hard life nowadays and for the parents of Wesley who sacrificed a lot and supported GM Wesley So. If at the age of 22 he should have to be in the elite class of 2700+ or being one of the candidate for a World Champion in Chess...It's a waste if he can't achieve it and I will really get mad at him. Yes I am a fan like most Filipino chess players do and what he does for our country in recognition.
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