Wesley So’s performance at the 2009 World Cup was astonishing, considering he was only 16 years old.
Gata Kamsky vs Wesley So, French Defense, Steinitz, Boleslavsky Variation (C11)
World Cup (2009), Round 3, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
The format of the world cup is unforgiving. Each round eliminated 50% of the field as the players face each other to determine who advances to the next round. This a stressful tournament system for experienced players, let alone for someone Wesley’s age at the time. In round 1 he defeated Gadir Guseinov, which wasn’t as unexpected since his rating was already well above 2600. IN round 2 he eliminated the great Vassily Ivanchuk, which was a much more serious achievement! Ivanchuk is one of the greatest players of all time, and especially strong in stressful situations.
This game was played in round 3 and Wesley faced the American Gata Kamsky. Kamsky was only slightly higher rated, but, looking at the game, one would get an impression that Wesley was 500 points stronger.
They played a Steinitz French. A position which offers clear plans to both sides, and who ever manages to put their into action faster usually wins. Wesley So outplayed Kamsy in every section of play. He got better out of the opening, crushed him positionally in the middlegame, and found an easy conversion approaching the endgame, during all that he dominated every portion of the board. A remarkable display of just how deadly the French can be.
Game moves:
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3
Qb6 8.a3 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bc5 10.Na4 Qa5+ 11.c3 Bxd4 12.Bxd4 Nxd4
13.Qxd4 b6 14.Be2 Ba6 15.Bd1 Qb5 16.b4 Rc8 17.Nb2 Qc6 18.Rc1
O-O 19.a4 Bc4 20.Bg4 Bb3 21.O-O Bxa4 22.f5 Bb5 23.Rfe1 Rfe8
24.Re3 f6 25.fxe6 Nxe5 26.Bf5 g6 27.Bh3 Qd6 28.Rd1 Rcd8 29.Rd2
Qe7 30.Rf2 Nc6 31.Qd2 d4 32.Re4 dxc3 33.Qxc3 Rf8 34.g4 Rd6
35.Bg2 Ne5 36.g5 Rxe6 37.gxf6 Rfxf6 38.Rxf6 Qxf6 39.Re3 Bc6
40.Nd1 Qg5 41.Rg3 Qf4 42.Nf2 Bxg2 43.Kxg2 Nc4 44.Qd3 Ne3+
45.Kg1 Nf5 46.Qd5 Qc1+ 47.Nd1 Kf7 48.Rc3 Qg5+ 49.Kf2 Qf4+
50.Kg2 Qg4+ 51.Kf2 Qe2+ 52.Kg1 Qe1+ 53.Kg2 Kg7 0-1