In the game between Grandmasters Amin Tabatabaei and Wesley So
in the 2022 FIDE Grand Prix yesterday the latter resigned the game after his opponent played 30 a4. This was the final position:
A local Chess coach was showing the ongoing game to a student. When the above position was reached the Ironman kept hitting the key that would have ordinarily shown the next move only there were no more moves made after Tabatabaei played his thirtieth move because Wimpy Wesley So RESIGNED! Try explaining that to any neophyte student attempting to learn how to correctly play Chess. The material is balanced, but White no doubt has a huge positional advantage. The Stockfish 14+ NNUE program used at lichess.org (https://lichess.org/broadcast/fide-grand-prix-2022-leg-3–knockout-stage/semifinals-game-2/d5hX2IQ7) shows White with an advantage of 4.8. Nevertheless, the game should have continued, and it would have continued if a less than wimpy player had been sitting behind the Black position. From Chess24.com:
You might reasonably ask why Wesley resigned when material was equal, but the US Champion explained: “It’s not going to be equal for a long time. Basically anybody who plays chess knows it’s lost, because White has the bishop pair, better pawn structure, active rook and Black cannot move. The rook is on the 6th rank, so all the technical pluses are for White. You just have to learn the basics to know it’s lost!” (https://chess24.com/en/read/news/nakamura-wins-grand-prix-both-semis-go-to-tiebreaks)
Wesley So is an extremely strong Chess player, but he is not a fighter. Many fighting Grandmasters, like Victor Korchnoi
for example, would have sat there many hours making life as difficult as possible for their opponent.
“What makes you a coward?” asked Dorothy, looking at the great beast in wonder, for he was as big as a small horse.
“It’s a mystery,” replied the Lion.
“I suppose I was born that way. All the other animals in the forest naturally expect me to be brave, for the Lion is everywhere thought to be the King of Beasts. I learned that if I roared very loudly every living thing was frightened and got out of my way. Whenever I’ve met a man I’ve been awfully scared; but I just roared at him, and he has always run away as fast as he could go. If the elephants and the tigers and the bears had ever tried to fight me, I should have run myself—I’m such a coward; but just as soon as they hear me roar they all try to get away from me, and of course I let them go.”
“But that isn’t right. The King of Beasts shouldn’t be a coward,” said the Scarecrow.
“I know it,” returned the Lion, wiping a tear from his eye with the tip of his tail. “It is my great sorrow, and makes my life very unhappy. But whenever there is danger, my heart begins to beat fast.”
“Perhaps you have heart disease,” said the Tin Woodman.
“It may be,” said the Lion.
“If you have,” continued the Tin Woodman, “you ought to be glad, for it proves you have a heart. For my part, I have no heart; so I cannot have heart disease.”
“Perhaps,” said the Lion thoughtfully, “if I had no heart I should not be a coward.”
“Have you brains?” asked the Scarecrow.
“I suppose so. I’ve never looked to see,” replied the Lion.
“I am going to the Great Oz to ask him to give me some,” remarked the Scarecrow, “for my head is stuffed with straw.”
“And I am going to ask him to give me a heart,” said the Woodman.
“And I am going to ask him to send Toto and me back to Kansas,” added Dorothy.
“Do you think Oz could give me courage?” asked the Cowardly Lion.
“Just as easily as he could give me brains,” said the Scarecrow.
“Or give me a heart,” said the Tin Woodman.
“Or send me back to Kansas,” said Dorothy.
“Then, if you don’t mind, I’ll go with you,” said the Lion, “for my life is simply unbearable without a bit of courage.”
“You will be very welcome,” answered Dorothy, “for you will help to keep away the other wild beasts. It seems to me they must be more cowardly than you are if they allow you to scare them so easily.”
“They really are,” said the Lion, “but that doesn’t make me any braver, and as long as I know myself to be a coward I shall be unhappy.” (https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/158/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz/2752/chapter-6-the-cowardly-lion/)
Before heading up the stairs at the old Atlanta Chess & Game Center, owned by L. Thad Rogers, a proud member of the United States Chess Federation Hall of Fame, the players would see a drawing of the following, which was put there by Thad:
M. Amin Tabatabaei 2623 vs Weird Wesley So 2778
Fide GP 3 Berlin – Playoffs
E21 Nimzo-Indian, three knights variation
- d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. g3 b6 8. Bg2 Bb7 9. d5 d6 10. O-O Qe7 11. Nh4 Nbd7 12. Re1 Ne5 13. e4 Nxc4 14. Bf1 Ne5 15. c4 Ng6 16. Ng2 b5 17. cxb5 exd5 18. exd5 Qd7 19. Ne3 Rfe8 20. Bb2 Nxd5 21. Nxd5 Rxe1 22. Qxe1 Bxd5 23. Rd1 Nh4 24. Rd3 Qg4 25. Qc3 Be4 26. Be2 Qg5 27. Rxd6 Nf5 28. Qe5 Qe7 29. Qxe7 Nxe7 30. a4 1-0
https://live.followchess.com/#!fide-gp-3-berlin—playoffs-2022/1357841333
- d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 (According to 365Chess.com the name of the opening after this move was the E20 Nimzo-Indian defence) 4. Nf3 (This move made it the E21 Nimzo-Indian, three knights variation. The two most often played moves are 4 e3 and 4 Qc2. The question is, do you play the former and allow your opponent to play Bishop takes Knight on c3 ripping apart your pawn structure? This writer prefers the latter. Komodo 11 @depth 47 plays the move played in the game, but Stockfish 14.1 @depth 73(!) will play 4 e3) 4…O-O (There are 10884 games in the ChessBaseDataBase in which Black has played 4…d5. There are 5197 games where Black played 4…b6, and both show a 54% score for White. Fritz 18 @depth 29 will play 4…b6. Stockfish 14 @depth 61 will castle, as will SF 14.1 @depth 62) 5. a3 (This move is not found at the CBDB. There are thirty examples contained in the ‘Big Database’ at 365Chess. Stockfish 13 @depth 60 plays 5 Qc2. SF 191221 @depth 66 plays 5 e3. The CBDB shows 1992 games of the former and 758 for the latter) 5…Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. g3 b6 (SF 14.1 @depth 41 will play 7…d5 and so should have Weird Wesley)
“Coward Of The County”
Lyrics by Kenny Rogers
Everyone considered him
The coward of the county.
He’d never stood one single time
To prove the county wrong.
His mama named him Tommy,
But folks just called him Yellow.
Something always told me
They were reading Tommy wrong.
He was only ten years old
When his daddy died in prison.
I looked after Tommy
‘Cause he was my brother’s son.
I still recall the final words
My brother said to Tommy,
“Son, my life is over,
But yours has just begun.
Promise me, son,
Not to do the things I’ve done.
Walk away from trouble if you can.
It won’t mean you’re weak
If you turn the other cheek.
I hope you’re old enough to understand:
Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man.”
There’s someone for everyone,
And Tommy’s love was Becky.
In her arms he didn’t have to prove he was a man.
One day while he was working
The Gatlin boys came calling.
They took turns at Becky.
There was three of them.
Tommy opened up the door
And saw his Becky crying.
The torn dress, the shattered look
Was more than he could stand.
He reached above the fireplace
And took down his daddy’s picture.
As his tears fell on his daddy’s face
He heard these words again,
“Promise me, son,
Not to do the things I’ve done.
Walk away from trouble if you can.
Now it won’t mean you’re weak
If you turn the other cheek.
I hope you’re old enough to understand:
Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man.”
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him
When he walked into the bar room.
One of them got up
And met him half way ‘cross the floor.
When Tommy turned around they said,
“Hey, look, old Yellow’s leaving.”
But you could’ve heard a pin drop
When Tommy stopped and locked the door.
Twenty years of crawling
Was bottled up inside him.
He wasn’t holding nothing back,
He let ’em have it all.
When Tommy left the bar room
Not a Gatlin boy was standing.
He said, “This one’s for Becky,”
As he watched the last one fall.
N’ I heard him say,
“I promised you, Dad,
Not to do the things you’ve done.
I walk away from trouble when I can.
Now please don’t think I’m weak.
I didn’t turn the other cheek.
And, Papa, I sure hope you understand:
“Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man.”
Everyone considered him
The coward of the county.
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kennyrogers/cowardofthecounty.html
Armchair Warrior 