Can You Play The Endgame Like Wesley So?

Image: Chess.com

As the PRO Chess League reaches its exciting conclusion this coming weekend (March 25-26), it's a perfect time to review some highlights of Wesley So, who scored 26/28, leading the way for the Saint Louis Arch Bishops. The Arch Bishops are joined in Championship weekend by Magnus Carlsen's Norway Gnomes and Fabiano Caruana's Montreal ChessBrahs, as well as the more balanced team, Stockholm Snowballs. Wesley has the top TPR in the league, and is now the second ranked player in the World. His victories often feature surprising ideas, tactics or turnarounds in the endgame. As IM Greg Shahade wrote in his US Championship preview: " The US Championship can easily become a battle between the top three to beat up on the other 9 players as much as possible. Based on Wesley’s terminator like performance in the PRO Chess League, I like his chances." See if you can Wesley your way to victory in these positions:

1.Wesley So [Saint Louis Archbishops] vs. Alexey Dreev [San Diego Surfers]:

Can you find Wesley's crushing continuation here?

Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "PRO League KO Stage"]
[Site "chess.com INT"]
[Date "2017.03.08"]
[White "So, Wesley"]
[Black "Dreev, Alexey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D52"]
[WhiteElo "2822"]
[BlackElo "2651"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r4/3n1k2/bprnp2p/6p1/2PP4/5PB1/3N3P/2R1RBK1 w - - 0 29"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "2017.03.01"]
[EventType "team-k.o."]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceDate "2017.03.15"]
[WhiteTeam "St Louis Arch Bishops"]
[BlackTeam "San Diego Surfers"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "USA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "USA"]

29. Rxe6 $1 {Wesley snags a decisive pawn} Nf6 (29... Kxe6 30. d5+ Ke7 31. dxc6
Nc5) 30. Rce1 Bc8 31. Re7+ Kg6 32. d5 Nf5 33. Bd3 Nxd5 34. cxd5 Rxd5 35. Nc4
Rxd3 36. Ne5+ Kh5 37. Nxd3 Nxe7 38. Rxe7 Rc3 39. Ne5 Bh3 40. Kf2 b5 41. Rb7 Rb3
42. Rb6 Bf5 43. Nf7 Bg6 44. Ne5 Bf5 45. h3 Rb2+ 46. Ke1 Rb1+ 47. Kd2 Rb2+ 48.
Kc3 Rc2+ 49. Kd4 1-0[/pgn]

2. Wesley So (Saint Louis Archbishops)- Maxime Vachier Lagrave (Marseille Migranes)

Playing against another elite Grandmaster, Vachier Lagrave, currently ranked #5 in the World, Wesley figures out how to press his advantage. Can you find his line?

Show Solution

Wesley breaks through with 28.Bc5! and follows it up with another bishop sacrifice a few moves later 31.Bxg6!, though that was one was not necessary for victory.

[pgn]

[Event "PRO League Stage"]
[Site "chess.com INT"]
[Date "2017.02.11"]
[White "So, Wesley"]
[Black "Vachier Lagrave, Maxime"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D02"]
[WhiteElo "2808"]
[BlackElo "2796"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4n3/4pkb1/1p3pp1/1P1p3p/1B1P4/3BPP2/6PP/6K1 w - - 0 28"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[EventDate "2017.01.11"]
[EventType "team-swiss (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceDate "2017.02.23"]
[WhiteTeam "St Louis Arch Bishops"]
[BlackTeam "Marseille Migraines"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "USA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "FRA"]

28. Bc5 bxc5 29. b6 Bh6 (29... c4 30. Bxg6+ Kxg6 31. b7) 30. f4 $1 (30. b7 $2
Bxe3+ 31. Kf1 Bf4) (30. Kf2 $2 cxd4 31. exd4 Bf4) 30... c4 31. Bxg6+ {Double
bishop sacrifice...in the endgame!} Kxg6 32. b7 f5 1-0

[/pgn]

Watch IMs Anna Rudolf and Danny Rensch call the game at the dramatic moment: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgR5Q2vvtao]

3.Wesley So (Saint Louis Archbishops) vs. Michael William Brown (San Diego Surfers)

Black has so many weaknesses, but how does Wesley seal the deal?

Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "PRO League KO Stage"]
[Site "chess.com INT"]
[Date "2017.03.08"]
[White "So, Wesley"]
[Black "Brown, Michael William"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C99"]
[WhiteElo "2822"]
[BlackElo "2478"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3b4/3k4/3p2p1/p1nPp3/PpN1P1N1/1P1nBP2/3K4/8 w - - 0 61"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2017.03.01"]
[EventType "team-k.o."]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceDate "2017.03.15"]
[WhiteTeam "St Louis Arch Bishops"]
[BlackTeam "San Diego Surfers"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "USA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "USA"]

61. Bh6 $1 Ke8 (61... Bc7 62. Bf8 {and Black is in zugzwang since} Nf4 (62...
g5 63. Nf6+ Kd8 64. Nxd6 Nxb3+ 65. Kxd3) 63. Ngxe5+ $1) 62. Nxd6+ Kd7 63. Nc4
Bc7 64. Be3 Ke7 65. Ngxe5 Bxe5 66. Nxe5 Nxe5 67. Bxc5+ Kd7 68. f4 Ng4 69. e5
Nh6 70. Kd3 Nf5 71. Kc4 Ng3 72. Kb5 1-0

[/pgn]

4. Melikset Khachiyan (San Diego Surfers) vs. Wesley So (Saint Louis Arch Bishops)

How does Wesley snatch victory in this crucial game vs GM Khachiyan?

Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "PRO League KO Stage"]
[Site "chess.com INT"]
[Date "2017.03.08"]
[White "Khachiyan, Melikset"]
[Black "So, Wesley"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C01"]
[WhiteElo "2530"]
[BlackElo "2822"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/1p3p1p/1P1k2p1/2pP2P1/2K2PP1/P7/8 w - - 0 38"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[EventDate "2017.03.01"]
[EventType "team-k.o."]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceDate "2017.03.15"]
[WhiteTeam "San Diego Surfers"]
[BlackTeam "St Louis Arch Bishops"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "USA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "USA"]

38. a3 f5! 39. gxf5 h5 40. f6 Ke6 0-1

[/pgn]

FM Mike Klein of chess.com explains how it could have gone differently:

GM Khachiyan had a rare opportunity to defeat GM So in a pawn endgame, but a fatal slip reverses the game. @ChessMike explains. #prochess pic.twitter.com/svwO39HX3C
— PROChessLeague (@PROChessLeague) March 11, 2017

5. Wesley So (Saint Louis Arch bishops ) vs. Cristian Ioan Chirila (San Jose Hackers)

How did Wesley finish the job against GM Chirila?

Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "PRO League Stage"]
[Site "chess.com INT"]
[Date "2017.02.22"]
[White "So, Wesley"]
[Black "Chirila, Ioan Cristian"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A16"]
[WhiteElo "2808"]
[BlackElo "2533"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4b3/2k5/2p1p1p1/2K1P1P1/4BP2/8/8 w - - 0 56"]
[PlyCount "35"]
[EventDate "2017.01.11"]
[EventType "team-swiss (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceDate "2017.03.01"]
[WhiteTeam "St Louis Arch Bishops"]
[BlackTeam "San Jose Hackers"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "USA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "USA"]

56. Bd2 {Wesley needs to "lose a move" to force the win of the c5 pawn.} Bd8
57. Be1 Bf6 58. Bf2 Be7 59. Be3 {Textbook! Wesley has reached the same
position, but now it's Black's move and the c5 (or g5) pawn must fall.} Bf6 (
59... Bd6 60. Bxg5) 60. Bxc5 Bd8 61. Bb4 Bf6 62. Bf8 Bd8 63. Bg7 Kd6 64. Kb5
Ke6 65. Bf8 Kf7 66. Bc5 Ke6 67. Kc6 Ba5 68. Be3 Bd8 69. Bb6 Be7 70. Bc5 Bd8 71.
Be3 Be7 72. Kc7 Bf6 73. Bc5 1-0

[/pgn]

6. Joshua Shen (San Diego Surfers)- Wesley So (Arch Bishops)

It's a race! So how does So win it?

Show Solution

[pgn]

[Event "PRO League Stage"]
[Site "chess.com INT"]
[Date "2017.02.15"]
[White "Sheng, Joshua"]
[Black "So, Wesley"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C48"]
[WhiteElo "2372"]
[BlackElo "2808"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7r/PNppk3/8/1PPRp1p1/4PbK1/8/8 b - - 0 51"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2017.01.11"]
[EventType "team-swiss (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceDate "2017.03.01"]
[WhiteTeam "San Diego Surfers"]
[BlackTeam "St Louis Arch Bishops"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "UAE"]
[BlackTeamCountry "USA"]

51... Ke5 $1 {The key is to prevent White's king from coming to f4 before the
decisive invasion with ...g3 and ...Rh1....Kf5! also works.} 52. b5 Rh3+ 53.
Kf2 g3+ 54. Ke1 g2 55. a7 g1=Q+ 56. Kd2 Rh2+ 0-1

[/pgn]

Wesley So on the cover of the November issue of Chess Life Magazine

Score and Recommended Further Reading 0-1-Winning Chess Endgames by Yasser Seirawan 2- Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge by Yuri Averbakh 3- Jeremy Silman's Complete Endgame Course 4- Dvoretsky's endgame manual 5- Get some inspiration from endgame legend and composer Pal Benko. 6- Hi Wesley!