So loses to American foe, bows out of title contention in FIDE Grand Prix

Joey Villar – Philstar.com

February 12, 2022 | 1: 26pm

MANILA, Philippines – Wesley So’s world title suppose used to be dealt a painful blow as he used to be proven the door by fellow American Leinier Dominguez Perez within the FIDE Estimable Prix 2022 in Berlin, Germany Friday evening.

So’s insecure play backfired as he drew with the white pieces within the well-known rapidly tiebreaker and used to be even extra passive within the 2d that enabled the Cuban-born chesser to delivery the decisive assault in sealing a 1.5-.5 employ and a semifinal berth where the latter clashes with one other American Levon Aronian.

The a lot of semis pair pits the US’ Hikaru Nakamura and Hungary’s Richard Rapport on this tournament that stakes two slots to the Candidates Match slated June 16 to July 7 in Madrid, Spain where the winner clash Magnus Carlsen for the world classical title.

And it might probably additionally had been the world Fischer-Random king and two-time US champion playing there rather then Dominguez-Perez.

So had all of the potentialities to solution to the semis as he beat Dominguez-Perez along with his aggressive play to catch a fat-point lead in Pool D.

But the Cavite-born chesser opted for his penchant of playing it too cautious when leading and drew his remaining two games within the community phases including one where he fully overlooked a lot of a success potentialities against Indian Pentala Harikrishna.

It snowballed as Dominguez-Perez, in inequity, went on assault mode and swept his remaining two games to total a dramatic comeback and forge a tiebreaker match that went the latter’s plot.

“That’s what chess is. You yelp so laborious and then the entire lot depends on that mandatory few seconds of resolution making,” stated So.

So could additionally presumably be referring to the decisive loss where his resolution to play a king switch in suppose of a central pawn leap forward in a necessary moment of the sport opened issues up for Dominguez Perez to employ the initiative and uncorked the decisive assault.