2009 World Cup: Round #4
Round #4 will feature a healthy dose of 2700 battles. We can expect shorter draws and perhaps longer matches. A few marquee matches are on tap including Svidler-Shirov, but Ruslan Ponomariov may be lurking in the wings hoping the field has forgotten that he has won this tournament back in 2002. The Azeri duo (Mamedyarov and Gashimov) look very strong. Wesley So (right) is riding a wave of success catapulting him into the international spotlight. He faces a super-solid Russian Vladimir Malakhov who crushed the strong Ukrainian Pavel Eljanov.
Photo by Galina Popova courtesy of FIDE. Gallery link, ugra-chess.ru.
Results: https://cup2009.fide.com/results.php
Games (PGN): (all)
Wesley So, the Filipino sensation in FIDE World Cup 2009 is young and shy guy but he has the heart of great fighter. I have no doubt that he will be around after Round 6. Go, Wesley, we are always with you and bring home the beacon.
Wesley So is out. Malakhov made no mistakes in the Rapids. My money is on Svidler or Malakhov winning this thing. So has a bright future ahead of him, in another 2 years he should be up there with the creme de la creme.