Facing A Legend

GM Bartosz Soćko is a chess grandmaster longer than I'm literally alive. He has won the Polish Chess Championship thrice, represented Poland at European Team Chess Chanpionships and Chess Olympiads with countless more achievements. Right now ranked 2581 FIDE, outranking me by over 600 points.

Last weekend I had the honour to face him in a classical game. The event wasn't FIDE-rated, it was a 7-round swiss, with a 30+30 time control. It gets weirder, as there were 40 players, only 20 FIDE-rated with 5 titled players (2 GMs — Batrosz Soćko and his wife Monika)

The Game

In the first round both Bartosz and Monika Soćko played the French Defence, which I wasn't happy to see, as I stil haven't found something both practicall and challenging against it. Luckily for me, in round 3, when we got paired, Bartosz changed his mind and answered my 1.e4 with 1...c6, which is my best opening with White (also 1...e5).

Similarly to my game vs an IM, I didn't get anything special out of the opening. I have no idea where my pieces should go, what trades are good and whats my general plan if Black does nothing. All I know is I'm slightly better according to the engine.

It's difficult to ask for a better position period. So getting this against such an accomplished player is just insane. I correctly identified my opponent's strategical mistake and found a solid continuation to punish it. I'm literally winning in 20 moves. All I have to do is not make a stupid move on low time.

The game went on, but it doesn't matter. I lost the game on the board on 59th move, but it was over far before. When I played 29.Ke2 my mindset switched. I stopped looking for the best move, focusing on how not to lose instead.

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The next game I lost very badly against the Jobava London, purely because I was very tilted. A week before this event I lost the last game, where a draw would guarantee me first place, because I blundered a piece in an endgame after positionally (I used to suck at this, so it hurt even more) outplaying my opponent from a worse position the whole game. Last weekend (week after the game with GM Soćko) I also blundered a piece in a great position up a pawn. Luckily at least this event went my way.

On one hand it seems like I should be happy after getting a chance of playing GM Soćko and proud of getting a winning position and playing a very good game. On the other hand would GM Soćko be happy after this game? No, he would be disappointed he made a stupid error with 22.f3? He would be annoyed he didn't convert this amazing position with godly knight, weak Black king, doubled pawns, and a guaranteed passer on the h-file. He would be mad after losing that queen endgame no matter the clock situation. He would be angry he underevaluated g4 in the queen and knight endgame. I don't want to settle "I was winning against a GM once" I want to play them like equals I want them to be scared of my openings I want them to fight for a draw, not the other way I want to beat them and one day I will. But sadly that was not the day.

Fun fuct Bartosz Soćko is playing in Polish Chess Championship at the moment of releasing this blog.