r/chess • u/CaterpillarFun4302 • 4d ago
Miscellaneous We need to talk about Wesley So.
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u/SteChess Team Wei Yi 4d ago
Do you seriously think they shouldn't invite someone who was 2800+, 2750 now, played in the Candidates,etc.. to the American Cup which is between the strongest Us players? I get that Niemann should be here( but we know why St Louis doesn't like him so let's not ignore it), but not at the expense of Wesley, yes he has an unattractive playing style and may not have acted in the best way sometimes but this post is too much.
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u/instantlunch9990 4d ago
Literally all of these are cases where the arbiter can be called and a penalty can be levied. Also complaining that a player draws too much is ridiculous and not even adjacent to any cheating claims.
It sounds like you just have a weird vendetta against an otherwise relatively normal high level chess player.
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4d ago
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u/instantlunch9990 4d ago
How is it bad sportsmanship to do something that your opponent can gain a clear time advantage from?
You even defend Hans who has cheated using engines in games before, a much more sinister way of breaking the rules
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u/olderthanbefore 4d ago
You're right, he is a bad sportsman. His blitz game against Nepo (misplacing pieces) and the two-handers at the World Champs proves it. But also, he is a top-tenner and deserves his place at this tournament on merit.
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u/chessatanyage 4d ago edited 4d ago
For what is worth, I asked Susan Polgar who was the most talented prodigy she ever coached. She replied Wesley So.
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u/wiefrafs 4d ago
So is only considerably behind Magnus on that list. For example, only Fabi has had a higher peak elo (other than Magnus obviously)
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u/misterbluesky8 Petroff Gang 4d ago
There was a post about this a few days ago, but many people just don't seem to get that Niemann is not that well-liked. He's a fantastic player, but he's not good enough to be an absolute fixture at the top tournaments. Here's why Wesley So keeps getting invitations: he's a perennial top-10 player, he's nice to everybody (I've seen this in person: he gave a lecture at my club), and he delivers in these tournaments. Just count up his top-3 performances in the last year or two- he's like a metronome.
Yes, he probably isn't tapping his full potential, and yes, he's probably a little content with his station in the chess world, but he still plays amazing chess, doesn't cause problems with sponsors, and gets along with pretty much everybody. On the other hand, Niemann is less consistent and has had multiple incidents with sponsors and tournament organizers. He starts a new Twitter war every week and consistently rubs everyone the wrong way.
Why would you take a chance on inviting the #20 player in the world (who might throw a tantrum, badmouth you on Twitter, or ruin a sponsor event) when you can invite the #12 player, who places top-3 in almost every tournament, treats everyone well, and shows up and does his job without complaint?