Vachier-Lagrave Surmounts Tenacious So – Chess.com

So scored the first point with an impeccable win against Vachier-Lagrave’s trademark Najdorf.

In game four, Vachier-Lagrave infiltrated So’s weakened dark squares to win a Maroczy Bind miniature. 

One crucial element to Vachier-Lagrave’s success was a more varied opening repertoire. Commentator Hess noted that the world blitz champion was “as diverse as he’s ever seen,” and Vachier-Lagrave confirmed this after the match: “It was the plan to experiment with openings, especially with Black.”

Nearing the end of the 3-1, So managed to cut Vachier-Lagrave’s lead in half to two points with insightful play in a better bishop vs. knight ending. 

It came down to the bullet portion between these two top-notch grandmasters. Would So’s comeback continue? Or would Vachier-Lagrave carry his lead to victory?

Out of the gates in game two, So brought this thrilling match to a one-point difference with precise play in an advantageous rook ending.

So nearly tied the match the following game, but Vachier-Lagrave’s amazing defensive abilities held despite being under considerable pressure for many moves.

However, in the very next game, So conjured an attack that chased his opponent’s king out of the kingside, through the center, to the queenside, and then―all the way back to the kingside for the final checkmate.

The newly tied score seemed to enliven Vachier-Lagrave, who immediately reclaimed his lead with tactical play in a complicated queenless middlegame. 

This kickstarted a four-game winning streak, convincingly sealing the match victory.

In the post-match interview, Vachier-Lagrave shared his approach on modern opening preparation: “Most of the time in the opening, you’re not really looking for an advantage. So, my thinking is: ‘Which line should I play against which opponent?’ … Choices vary depending on your opponent at this level because we still have definite strengths … big strengths that we’re trying to use.”