Grandmaster Wesley So triumphed at the inaugural Chess.com Global Championship, defeating GM Nihal Sarin in the final with two games to spare.
Unfazed by a couple of recent performances, So showed what it means to be a grandmaster of his caliber, coming back to reach one of the top achievements of his career.
So takes home the $200,000 (P11.6 million) grand prize the largest ever prize of his career along with the dazzling championship trophy.
“Winning this one certainly. Just keep trying. I just finished a tournament. Reykjavik didn’t go well. I finished in sixth place. So it’s nice to win from time to time,” So said.
Amazingly, So seemed to get stronger with each of his matches despite the top-notch competition clinching the championship with one of his best games of the event.
Winning this one certainly. Just keep trying. I just finished a tournament. Reykjavik didn’t go well. I finished in sixth place. So it’s nice to win from time to time.
Perhaps to help switch up his approach, Nihal chose a new way to warm up for his games today: table tennis.
The fast-paced nature of ping-pong seems optimal for a player to clear their head before embarking on an activity as thought-intensive as chess. Indeed, there was new life in Nihal’s play today, especially in the first duel of the day. In game five, he revisited the dynamic and unorthodox Modern Defense to gain winning chances with the black pieces.
Contrastingly, So chose a very different approach even more chess in online blitz to warm up for today’s games. This seemed to contribute to his sharp form, especially by the last game of the day.
Game six was a spectacular expression of So’s precise and resourceful defensive abilities, often using the king itself to fend off Nihal’s attack.
