Wesley So Promotes a Passed Pawn Right Under Black's Rook!

Wesley So, an American chess grandmaster representing the United States on the international stage, faces Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa in a tense battle that comes down to one dangerous passed pawn. Just when Black tries to stop its advance, Wesley finds a way to push forward and turn the pawn into a queen. The game begins with a Ruy Lopez, as both players develop carefully before the position opens up in the middlegame. Wesley So exchanges pieces, targets queenside pawns, and keeps the pressure on while Praggnanandhaa looks for counterplay with his queen. The critical moment comes after the queens are traded and the game enters a rook endgame. Both sides create dangerous pawn threats, and Black launches a counterattack with an advancing f-pawn. Wesley must balance defense and promotion, timing his king and rook moves to keep his passed pawns moving. After a long endgame battle, Wesley's b-pawn reaches the seventh rank and advances to b8, promoting to a queen on move 77. Praggnanandhaa resigns immediately. It's a compelling example of passed-pawn technique, accurate calculation, and the importance of creating a promotion threat that the opponent cannot stop. If you enjoyed this game, don't forget to Like, Subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments!