Wesley So: "I Learnt from Kramnik's Games"

Время публикации: 19.04.2015 12:25 | Последнее обновление: 20.04.2015 17:49

 Vladimir Kramnik enjoying himself in Shamkir 

Vladimir Kramnik and Wesley So drew their first game against one another at today's round of the Gashimov Memorial. By-passing the middle game, they went straight into an ending, where Kramnik thought White had a small advantage, but insufficient to count on anything serious. The American held the position without much trouble. "I was ready to play a complicated middle game", said the Russian, "but it didn't happen. I was not in the mood to try to win this position at all costs. One and a half out of two is a good start anyway. I had some small winning chances, and I created a bit of pressure, but my opponent defended well. OK, it is nothing too bad. No, I do not strive for highly complicated positions, I just play the way I can. It's not my fault if I just happen to have a boring style, is it?"

"Were either of you worrying about each other before this first encounter?", asked Evgeny Surov at the press conference.  

Kramnik: "I am in general never afraid. The worst thing that can happen in chess is to lose a game. That is hardly the most terrible thing in life, so I don't see any point in worrying about such things. Especially as they has not been the only thing I have experienced in my career." 

As for Wesley So, he is a very strong player and in the world top ten. A year or two ago, I predicted that he would become a top player. Today I understood very well that I was up against a player of very high class, despite his youth and the fact that he is only just beginning to play in super tournaments. I have seen his game, and know that he is in no way weaker than anyone else in the top ten." 

So: "For me it was a great honour to meet Vladimir over the board. I learnt from his game and one of my favourites books is his - "My life and games". I don't think he has a boring style, and I would rather describe his play today as cautious. He pressurised me, drove me into time trouble and I was worried about the result of the game. But I managed to defend with accurate moves. I learnt a lot from Kramnik, especially such important factors as the two bishops. In our game today, White had the bishops... 

Among other world champions, I have also never played Vishy Anand, and wait the meeting with him with impatience..." 

Starting tomorrow, chess lovers will have three strong events to follow - Shamkir, plus the two world team championships. Both Kramnik and So would have been leading their teams, but preferred to play the Gashimov's Memorial. 

So: "The US chess federation sent me the world team championship contract too late, after I had already concluded the agreement with Shamkir. So I had to say no. This is one of the strongest events in the world, is extremely well organised, and I am happy to be here. Especially as this is my first visit to Azerbaijan." 

Кramnik: "Sometime in January, Mark Glukhovsky spoke to me about the event, and said that he would like me in the team, but if not, so be it. I replied that if I had nothing else on on those dates, I would definitely play. But then I was invited to Shamkir. Firstly, my being in the team is not critical, because the team is still strong. Secondly, I had heard a lot about the tournament in Shamkir, and many people last year said it was wonderfully organised. Last year I could not play, and it seems to be that I could not refuse a second time, and I should respect the memory of Vugar. It is not just another tournament, but one in memory of a player who I had played against and got on well with. That also played a part. In any case, it is quite possible that I will play in the European Championship in November."

Kramnik also admitted he has not yet found an ordinary tournament regime here. "Today I overslept again. Maybe it is because of the clean air. But there may also be other reasons - when you have two young children, then you just sleep when you can and that is it." 

[Event "Vugar Gashimov Mem 2015"] [Site "Shamkir AZE"] [Date "2015.04.18"] [Round "2.4"] [White "Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Black "So, Wesley"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2783"] [BlackElo "2788"] [ECO "A07"] [Opening "Reti"] [Variation "King's Indian attack"] [EventDate "2015.04.17"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. d4 Nf6 5. O-O O-O 6. Nbd2 Ne4 7. Nxe4 dxe4 8. Ng5 Qxd4 9. Qxd4 Bxd4 10. Rd1 Nc6 11. Bxe4 Bg7 12. c3 Ne5 13. f4 Nc4 14. Bd5 Nd6 15. Be3 h6 16. Nf3 e6 17. Bb3 b6 18. a4 Bb7 19. Ne5 Rfd8 20. a5 h5 21. Bc2 Bf6 22. b3 c5 23. axb6 axb6 24. Rxa8 Bxa8 25. b4 Nb5 26. Nd7 Bxc3 27. Nxb6 Bd4 28. Bxd4 cxd4 29. Nxa8 Rxa8 30. Bd3 Nc3 31. Rd2 Kf8 32. b5 Ke7 33. Rb2 Kd7 34. b6 Rb8 35. Rb4 Nd5 36. Rxd4 Ke7 37. Be4 Nxb6 38. Rb4 Nd7 39. Rxb8 Nxb8 40. Kf2 Nd7 1/2-1/2[Event "Vugar Gashimov Mem 2015"] [Site "Shamkir AZE"] [Date "2015.04.18"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Giri, Anish"] [Black "Mamedov, Rauf"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2790"] [BlackElo "2651"] [ECO "D11"] [Opening "QGD Slav"] [Variation "3.Nf3"] [EventDate "2015.04.17"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qb3 dxc4 5. Qxc4 Bg4 6. Nbd2 Nbd7 7. g3 e6 8. Bg2 Be7 9. Qb3 Qb6 10. O-O O-O 11. Nc4 Qa6 12. Bd2 Nb6 13. Rfc1 Ne4 14. Be1 Nxc4 15. Qxc4 Qxc4 16. Rxc4 Nd6 17. Rcc1 Rac8 18. e3 f6 19. a4 Bf5 20. Nh4 Be4 21. f3 Bd3 22. Rc3 Be2 23. f4 g5 24. Nf3 gxf4 25. exf4 Bc4 26. Bh3 Bd5 27. Re3 Kf7 28. Bb4 Nc4 29. Bxe7 Nxe3 30. Bxf8 Rxf8 31. Kf2 Nc4 32. b3 Nd6 33. Nd2 a5 34. Rc1 Rd8 35. Nc4 Ke7 36. Nxa5 Ra8 37. b4 Kd7 38. Bg2 h5 39. Ra1 b6 40. Bxd5 bxa5 41. Bb3 Nf5 42. bxa5 Nxd4 43. Bd1 Rxa5 44. Ke3 Nf5+ 45. Kd3 h4 46. g4 Ne7 47. Bb3 Kd6 48. Ke4 f5+ 49. gxf5 exf5+ 50. Kf3 Rc5 51. Kf2 Rc3 52. Bd1 Kc7 53. a5 Kb7 54. Be2 Nd5 55. a6+ Ka7 56. Rb1 1/2-1/2 [Event "Vugar Gashimov Mem 2015"] [Site "Shamkir AZE"] [Date "2015.04.18"] [Round "2.2"] [White "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Black "Anand, Viswanathan"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2762"] [BlackElo "2791"] [ECO "D38"] [Opening "QGD"] [Variation "Ragozin variation"] [EventDate "2015.04.17"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Bf5 8. e3 Nbd7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 c6 11. O-O O-O 12. a3 Be7 13. b4 a6 14. Rfb1 b5 15. a4 Re8 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. a5 Be7 18. Qc2 Bd6 19. Ne2 Rc8 20. Nc1 Nf6 21. Nd3 Ne4 22. Rb2 Bf8 23. Nc5 Nxc5 24. bxc5 Qc7 25. Ne1 Re6 26. Nd3 Rce8 27. Nb4 Qc8 28. Qd3 g6 29. Re2 Be7 30. f3 Bf6 31. Nc2 Qd8 32. Nb4 R8e7 33. g3 Ra7 34. Kg2 Kg7 35. Raa2 h5 36. h4 Ra8 37. e4 dxe4 38. Rxe4 Rxe4 39. Qxe4 Qxd4 40. Qxd4 Bxd4 41. Rc2 Bf6 42. Nxc6 Rc8 43. Nb4 Bd8 44. c6 Bxa5 45. Nxa6 b4 46. c7 b3 47. Rb2 1/2-1/2 [Event "Vugar Gashimov Mem 2015"] [Site "Shamkir AZE"] [Date "2015.04.18"] [Round "2.3"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2863"] [BlackElo "2754"] [ECO "D11"] [Opening "QGD Slav"] [Variation "4.e3"] [EventDate "2015.04.17"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O b6 8. a4 a5 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. b3 Ne4 11. Nxe4 dxe4 12. Nd2 Bb7 13. Ba3 f5 14. Rc1 Kh8 15. Nc4 Nd7 16. d5 Rc8 17. d6 e6 18. b4 axb4 19. Bxb4 Bd5 20. a5 bxa5 21. Bxa5 Qe8 22. Qa4 Bc6 23. Qb4 Rb8 24. Nb6 Ne5 25. Qc5 Ba8 26. Bc3 Nd7 27. Bxg7+ Kxg7 28. Nxd7 Qxd7 29. Qe5+ 1-0 [Event "Vugar Gashimov Mem 2015"] [Site "Shamkir AZE"] [Date "2015.04.18"] [Round "2.5"] [White "Adams, Michael"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2746"] [BlackElo "2802"] [ECO "C65"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez"] [Variation "Berlin defence"] [EventDate "2015.04.17"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nc3 O-O 7. h3 Nd7 8. Be3 Bd6 9. Qd2 c5 10. O-O Nb8 11. Nh2 Nc6 12. Ne2 Nd4 13. Rae1 Be6 14. b3 a5 15. f4 exf4 16. Bxf4 Bxf4 17. Rxf4 a4 18. Rf2 Nxe2+ 19. Qxe2 Qd4 20. Qe3 Qxe3 21. Rxe3 axb3 22. axb3 Ra1+ 23. Rf1 Ra2 24. Rf2 Ra1+ 25. Rf1 Ra2 26. Rf2 1/2-1/2 


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