Wesley So vs Alexander Vasilyevich Onischuk, Ruy Lopez (Spanish Game), Closed C84
2018 US Chess Championship, Round 2, St. Louis, 04/19/18
Wesley so is in berserk mode! He started the 2018 US Chess Championship with two very convincing victories. He played both games with amazing positional, tactical and theoretical precision, not missing almost a single improvement. In round 2 he faced Alexander Onischuk, who’d lost the first game as well. They entered a slightly uncommon Closed Ruy Lopez (with white playing d3 instead of Re1) in which Wesley knew exactly what he had to do, where his pieces should go and what his attacking plan should be.
He started maneuvering his pieces, starting with the common d2, f1, g3 Ruy Lopez knight maneuver. Once he was ready, he opened the center with d4 and Onischuk was busted! So much pressure was put on black’s position that no human could sustain it. Very soon Onischuk had a material disadvantage too and he soon resigned. After round 2, Wesley So is sharing first place with Var Akobian with 2/2. Right behind them are Fabi and Ray Robson with 1.5 points.
Standings after rd.2:
Wesley So 2/2
Varuzhan Eduardovich Akobian 2/2
Ray Robson 1.5/2
Fabiano Caruana 1.5/2
Samuel Shankland 1/2
Hikaru Nakamura 1/2
Jeffery Xiong 1/2
Yaroslav Zherebukh 0.5/2
Zviad Izoria 0.5/2
Awonder Liang 0.5/2
Aleksandr Lenderman 0.5/2
Alexander Vasilyevich Onischuk 0/2
Game Moves:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 d6
7. c3 O-O 8. Re1 Bg4 9. Nbd2 Nd7 10. h3 Bh5 11. Bc2 Nb6
12. Nf1 d5 13. Ng3 Bg6 14. Qe2 Re8 15. Be3 Qd6 16. Bxb6 cxb6
17. h4 h6 18. Bb3 d4 19. cxd4 Nxd4 20. Nxd4 Qxd4 21. Qg4 Qd6
22. d4 Kh8 23. Rad1 Qf6 24. h5 Bh7 25. dxe5 Qxe5 26. Bxf7 Rf8
27. Qe6 Bf6 28. Qxe5 Bxe5 29. Rd7 Rad8 30. Rxd8 Rxd8 31. b3
Rd7 32. Be6 Re7 33. Bd5 Bxg3 34. fxg3 Bg8 35. Kf2 Be6 36. Bxe6
Rxe6 37. Ke3 Kg8 38. Rf1 g6 39. hxg6 Rxg6 40. Rf3 Kg7 41. e5
Rg4 42. Kd3 b5 43. e6 Rg6 44. e7 Rd6+ 45. Ke2 1-0