GM So has an astounding four entries in the GOTY Contest, but inevitably they had to start falling, and the first one did just that today, but nevertheless him managing four games in the top seven is a feat which might not be matched anytime soon.
This is the fourteenth part in a series of articles which will count down to revealing what game was voted as the 2014 USCL Game of the Year. For more information on exactly how this process works and the prize information, please refer to: Game of the Year Contest
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
7th Place: GM Wesley So (STL) vs GM Alex Lenderman (CON) 1/2-1/2
A very interesting back and forth battle began with 12. Bxg6!?, and after some interesting play, an endgame draw eventually came about
GM Alejandro Ramirez (4th Place, 17 Points): A theoretically important game. Although this piece sacrifice has been known for some time, no one has actually tested it. The first trial seems to indicate that things are alright for Black. A game that was full of fighting spirit and resourcefulness from both sides.
FM Ron Young (7th Place, 14 Points): Despite opening with the Manhattan variation, the players quickly remind us that life is not one just one big cocktail party. By move 12, in fact, I felt I was in the Bronx. I’d have ranked the game lower if I weren’t pretty sure the very last move is a typo.
IM Priyadharshan Kannappan (8th Place, 13 Points): The opening was clearly home preparation, and after that in lot of tense positions, both sides erred, and the advantage was a see-saw. The end was pretty bizarre as Lenderman gave a draw, after a mouse slip or not??
FM Ingvar Johannesson (12th Place, 9 Points): Interesting fighting game as games with material imbalances tend to be. So sacrificed a piece for some Pawns and had a promising attack. Lenderman managed to fend it off, and in the endgame So forced the draw with a repetition but not after a stage where it was not quite clear what was going on. (I am assuming my .pgn is wrong and that the last move was R7e6 and not the losing R1e6).
FM Alisa Melekhina (13th Place, 8 Points): With so many entries by So in the GOTY contest, it’s only a matter of which game gets selected for top honors. Unfortunately, it’s not this one.
I did appreciate the daring 12. Bxg6 sacrifice that imbalanced the game. Computers are not equipped to properly evaluate these types of positions – both players demonstrated their over-the-board creativity. However, the complications were more dizzying than dynamic.
Although Black surfaced better in the end, I understand that Lenderman accepted the draw to secure the win for his team. It was a magnanimous decision, but makes the game feel incomplete.
Total Score of So vs Lenderman: (7th Place, 61 Points)
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Stay tuned for six more such articles as the field shrinks by one game almost every day to see which of the following games will be the 2014 Game of the Year!
Week 5: GM Alex Lenderman (CON) vs GM Gata Kamsky (NY) 1-0 Article
Week 6: GM Niclas Huschenbeth (BAL) vs GM Wesley So (STL) 1/2-1/2 Article
Week 7: GM Joel Benjamin (NJ) vs GM Holden Hernandez (RIO) 1-0 Article
Week 8: GM Daniel Naroditsky (SF) vs GM Conrad Holt (DAL) 1/2-1/2 Article
Semifinals: GM Wesley So (STL) vs GM Julio Becerra (MIA) 1-0 Article
Championship: GM Wesley So (STL) vs GM Conrad Holt (DAL) 1-0 Article
Eliminated:
7th Place (61 Points): GM Wesley So (STL) vs GM Alex Lenderman (CON) 1/2-1/2 Article Elimination Article
8th Place (60 Points): IM David Vigorito (NE) vs FM Andrew Shvartsman (MAN) 1/2-1/2 Article Elimination Article
9th Place (55 Points): GM Anton Kovalyov (RIO) vs GM Daniel Naroditsky (SF) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
10th Place (55 Points): GM Julio Becerra (MIA) vs GM Julio Sadorra (DAL) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
11th Place (48 Points): GM Anton Kovalyov (RIO) vs GM Gata Kamsky (NY) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
12th Place (48 Points): GM Niclas Huschenbeth (BAL) vs GM Julio Becerra (MIA) 1/2-1/2 Article Elimination Article
13th Place (42 Points): GM Daniel Naroditsky (SF) vs GM Conrad Holt (DAL) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
14th Place (41 Points): GM Varuzhan Akobian (STL) vs GM Renier Gonzalez (MIA) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
15th Place (38 Points): GM Mackenzie Molner (ARZ) vs GM Eugene Perelshteyn (BOS) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
16th Place (36 Points): IM Jeffery Xiong (DAL) vs GM Varuzhan Akobian (STL) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
17th Place (36 Points): GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) vs IM Jeffery Xiong (DAL) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
18th Place (32 Points): GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) vs GM Conrad Holt (DAL) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
19th Place (20 Points): IM Georgi Orlov (SEA) vs GM Alex Stripunsky (NJ) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
20th Place (19 Points): IM Kassa Korley (CAR) vs GM Julio Becerra (MIA) 0-1 Article Elimination Article