Filipino-American chess super Grandmaster Wesley So is taking the moral high ground in the mad dash of some players to qualify to the 2024 Candidates tournament set from 2 to 25 April in Toronto, Canada.
After seeing the folly and artificial bids of his closest pursuers to gain rating points and overtake him in the current FIDE rankings, So issued a statement indirectly pointing a finger at super-GM Alireza Firouzja, a young Iranian now playing for the French flag.
In his silent campaign to get rid of shams and suspicious “instant tournaments” that aid in increasing Elo ratings points, the 30-year-old So isn’t taking the Firouzja route to the Candidates.
“I’ve been offered many times (and still do) to ‘arrange’ matches against players who could use a bit of cash and are more than happy to help you qualify for the Candidates,” said So, without dropping names.
“The thing is it’s against everything we stand up for and if you got any morals, I doubt you’ll want to do it,” said So, who has rested his case to the organizing FIDE, the world chess governing body known by its French acronym.
Eight Candidates are playing in Toronto. The winner of the double-round robin tournament will earn the right to challenge Ding Liren of China for the FIDE world championship.
Ding won the title by beating Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia this year after World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway decided not to defend his crown.
The 20-year-old Firouzja has just overtaken So via the Elo ratings after he swept with relative ease a four-man mini “instant” tournament which was nowhere near the high levels of elite competition.
The willing participants who became easy pickings include little-known Grandmasters Alexandre Debugadze of Belgium (Elo rating 2439), Andrei Shchekachev of France (Elo rating 2506), and Sergey Fedorchuk of Ukraine (Elo 2546).
The chess world ridiculed Firouzja for playing in such an event. “Play me, I’m old,” came tweets and statements from a handful of grandmasters, egging him to play more mini matches.
The double-round tournament which Firouzja dominated was held in his hometown of Chartres, France. He gained nine Elo points and has a live rating of 2758.9, enough to vault him on top of So’s 2757.4.
The FIDE has ordered the organizers of the Chartres tournament to submit a report following an investigation.
