So Wins 7th Blitz "Death Match"!
Grandmaster Wesley So jumped out to a commanding 6-0 lead against Grandmaster Ray Robson in Chess.com's 7th Blitz Death Match, and he never looked back! In arguably the most lopsided Death Match yet, the Filipino #1 dominated the entire match, finishing with a plus score in all three time control "sets", ultimately winning by a final tally of 23 to 9.
Robson admitted heading into the match that he knew So would be considered the favorite by most, and Ray worried he was not heading into the Death Match in "his best form". So proved him right, continuing his current hot streak (So has won the last two international tournaments he's competed in, and nears his all time highest FIDE Rating of almost 2680) by running away with the match.
Though IM's Rensch and Pruess (who covered the match live on Chess.com/TV) agreed that the match was played at a high level by both players as far as chess moves are concerned, the obvious difference in the match was So's ability to consistently gain and maintain large time advantages. Robson could not avoid time pressure in what seemed like every game, consistently misplaying still "roughly equal positions" with much less time than his opponent.
Both players were "class acts" following the final game in their respective "post match interviews", thanking Chess.com for the opportunity. Robson requested another opportunity to compete in a Death Match for a chance at redemption, while So said he is looking forward to a "winners elimination event" of some kind.
Here are some of the more interesting games from yesterday's Death Match:
You can watch a replay of the match at http://www.livestream.com/chesscomlive