Got a comment in my post, “Wesley So, the Gifted Child“. I prepared a long response that I decided to actually just post a new entry about it instead. And so here goes.
Here’s what my commentator has to say:
I don’t think that Wesley So is a gifted child. In today’s world where computer softwares are readily available to budding chessplayers earning a GM norm or title is not really that hard anymore. And to compare him to the great Bobby Fischer is indeed a blasphemy! Fischer was a true genius never before and shall never be seen again in chess. However, Wesley’s achievements should make the Filipinos proud. But as we all know India is million miles ahead of us in chess considering its long list of Super GMs.
To Mr. Panday, if you think Wesley So is not a gifted child, that’s your opinion. You’re definitely entitled to one. Any software is available to everyone to help him/her in analyzing a game, but it does not conclude anyone can also be a grandmaster. It takes patience and determination on top of the inherent skills in someone who is a grandmaster in order to master the craft of chess. Computer chess softwares are merely a tool in studying and preparing for a game or tournament. They are not there to think for you during the actual game. Read more
In Germany, with Viswanathan Anand leading the match already at 6-to-3 after Game 9, the match was expected to be decided in his favor with three more games to play and needing only a draw in the next game. But Vladimir Kramnik still managed to draw blood at Game 10. Yet in Game 11, Kramnik settled for a draw, letting go of his reach for the crown.
Anand the King
And Anand the King was crowned the world champion.
It was a game of almost unbearable tension. Anand switched to 1.e4, Vladimir Kramnik went for do-or-die complications, Anand obliged, and for a couple of hours nobody knew what would happen. In the end, Vishy Anand prevailed, got a slightly better position and Vladimir Kramnik offered a draw. Anand remains World Champion.
WCC R11: Fighting draw, Anand wins World Championship by 6.5:4.5.
Download all the games of the match.
World chess chammpionship 2008 Round 6: Anand wins again, score now 4.5:1.5. He’s now two points behind to retaining the title – i.e., 4 draws. I would have expected Kramnik to at least win a game from this match, but from how it’s going–nevermind.
Viswanathan Anand, the defending champion, draws the first blood with black on the 3rd game of the World Chess Championship yesterday against the challenger, Vladimir Kramnik. This was after the first two games were agreed two by the two players.
It seems that in this match, players don’t recognize the dangers of the failure to castle. They just seem like to complicate things, to the delightment of the fans!
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The board is arranged at the starting position. Everything seems ready for the World Championship. Who will reign as the king of chess? Watch out for that as the World Championship 2008 unfolds tomorrow in Germany.
I’ll go for Vladimir Kramnik to win this match…
