Saturday, February 4, 2017

Wesley So Wins 4 In PRO Chess Week 4

Wesley So Wins 4 In PRO Chess Week 4

Wesley So Wins 4 In PRO Chess Week 4

 
 
The Arch Bishops have a 3-1 score and with So in the lineup; they must be one of the favorites in the league.
For So's opponents, it was a real pleasure to play the champion on a world stage. After one game, So and his opponent, Matt Zavortink of the Portland Rain, had a delightful exchange.

The Flawless PRO Team

After this week, one team remains with a perfect score in the league. It's truly incredible that with 48 teams in the league, it took four weeks to winnow our way to this point.
It's not the Montreal ChessBrahs with Fabiano Caruana and Li Chao, nor the Miami Champions with Hikaru Nakamura, Leinier Dominguez, and Baadur Jobava. It's the San Diego Surfers.
They have an indisputably strong lineup with GM Melik Khachiyan scoring 3.5/4 on board one, but where many teams have been celebrated for their elite board ones, it's the lower boards that are often carrying the Surfers.
Earlier in the season, Craig Hilby was an MVP for the Surfers, but this week it was young IM Josh Sheng who upset GM Zviad Izoria in a game that must have given him great satisfaction.
Izoria123 (2592) vs. jjosu (2385)
Chess.com | 1 Feb 2017 | ECO: D02 | 0-1
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1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc65. Nbd2 Bf5 6. dxc5 e6 7. Nd4 Bxc58. Nxf5 exf5 9. Bd3 g6 10. Bg5 h611. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. c3 f4 13. Qf3 O-O-O14. exf4 Rhe8+ 15. Kf1 Bb6 16. g3 d417. c4 Nb4 18. Kg2 Nxd3 19. Qxd3Re3!As the commenters noted, this is similar to the move missed by Adhiban against Carlsen in Tata Steel.20. Ne4best. 20... Qc6 21. fxe3 dxe322. Qb1 Rd4Black wins back the knight, endings up only a little material with many threats. 23. c5?(23. Rd1 Rxd1 (23... Rxe4 24. Rd6!)24. Qxd1 Qxe4+isn't completely clear.)23... Rxe4 24. cxb6 Rxf4+ 25. Kg1(25. Kh3 Qe6+ 26. Kg2 Rf2+ 27. Kg1Qc6as in the game.)25... Rf2 26. Qc1 Rg2+! 27. Kf1Rc2!Black is completely winning.

Week 4 Chasers

Many teams are close behind the Surfers with 3.5 and three wins. One fan favorite is the Buenos Aires Krakens, who have both GMs Federico Perez Ponsa and Alan Pichot playing exciting chess. Pichot won both of these crowd-pleasers this week and was an instant favorite for the commentators.
Elshan1985 (2580) vs. platy3 (2536)
Live Chess | Chess.com | 1 Feb 2017 | ECO: E97 | 0-1
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Even in simpler games, he finished in style.
GMazapata (2414) vs. platy3 (2536)
Live Chess | Chess.com | 1 Feb 2017 | ECO: B43 | 0-1
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The Dallas Destiny had a closer than expected match against the Minnesota Blizzard. They were lead by world junior champion Jeffery Xiong.
Xiong managed to win all four of his games this week. He was in considerable trouble in this one and was definitely lost as the h-pawn advanced, but somehow his opponent couldn't quite get to Jeffery's king.
The Norway Gnomes are still hoping to get Magnus Carlsen into their lineup, but they did win a tight match against the previously perfect Gorky Stormbringers this week. GM Aryan Tari found a beautiful move in a difficult position in this game.
Mihail_Gorozhanin (2395) vs. AryanTari (2570)
Live Chess | Chess.com | 1 Feb 2017 | ECO: A45 | 0-1
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1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d5 3. e3 c5 4. c3 Nc65. Nd2 g6 6. Ngf3 Bg7 7. dxc5 Nh58. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Nd4 gxh411. Qxh5 e6 12. Bb5 Bd7 13. Bxc6 bxc614. f4 e5 15. Nf5 Bxf5 16. Qxf5 Qe717. fxe5 Qxc5 18. O-O O-O 19. Nf3 Rae820. Rae1 Qc4 21. e4 Qxa2 22. exd5 cxd523. Rf2 Rb8 24. Qc2 Qc4 25. Nd4 Rb626. Qf5 Qc7 27. Qh5 Rxb2!!This would be an excellent move even if White had a clear win in some way. Black was in a bad way, but now the game is very confusing. 28. Rf3(28. Rxb2 Qxc3 29. Rbb1 Qxd4+ 30. Kh1a5White is better, but Tari will have created a mess and the position is hard to play for White.)28... Qe7 29. Nf5 Qg5 30. Qxg5 hxg531. Ne7+ Kh7 32. Nxd5 Rd2 33. Nf6+Kg6 34. Ref1 Rb8 35. Ne4 Re2 36. Nf2Rbb2 37. Kh1 a5 38. h3 a4 39. g3 a340. gxh4 a2 41. h5+ Kxh5 42. Ne4 Rh2+43. Kg1 Rbg2#
Gorky did have the satisfaction of winning the final-round board-one duel as GM Evgeny Shaposhnikov defeated GM Jon Ludwig Hammer.
Nico Zwirs played excellently for the Apeldoorn Apes as Killian Delaney of the Dublin Desperados walked into a very sharp line.
Komodo_Dragaon (2229) vs. DeGrootteZ (2368)
Chess.com | 1 Feb 2017 | ECO: B22 | 0-1
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1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nf65. Nf3 Bf5 6. Be3 Nc6 7. Nbd2 cxd48. Bc4 dxe3!!This looks like preparation. Excellent preparation. 9. Bxd5 exd2+10. Qxd2 O-O-O 11. c4 e6 12. Qf4!?White manages to hang on with tactics for awhile. In general, White plays very well, but there proves not to be any good opportunities for White to coordinate and finish development. A cursory (very) look from this author cannot find equality for White after the queen sac. To defend in rapid would be a big ask. 12... Bd6(12... exd5 13. Qxf5+)13. Qg5 Bb4+ 14. Ke2(14. Kf1Maybe this?)14... h6! 15. Qxg7 Nh5 16. Qxf7 Nf4+17. Ke3 Nxg2+ 18. Ke2 Nf4+ 19. Ke3Rhf8 20. Qg7 exd5
The London Towers have been buoyed in a strong season by GM Jonathan Hawkins, who scored 4/4 on board two. He won a complicated game here.
The other London team, the Lions, have struggled so far, but this week they brought in free agent Sergei Movsesian, who scored 4/4 to give them a narrow win. They did lose this appealing attack to the Budapest Gambit.
justantan (2456) vs. bazsi97 (2398)
Live Chess | Chess.com | 1 Feb 2017 | ECO: C50 | 0-1
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The Amaravati Yodhas were soundly defeated by the Riga Magicians, but they did have the satisfaction of playing a move-of-the-week nominee.
Swarnapuri (2327) vs. PPokerChess (2402)
Chess.com | 1 Feb 2017 | ECO: A80 | 1-0
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It's been a rough season so far for the Abuja Rockstars, but IM Oladapo Adu found an opportunity for the sort of tactic one always likes to play for an audience.
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