Game of the Week: Wojtaszek, Popov

There was a bit of a lull in elite events between the London Classic and Tata Steel, but the holiday season was replete with traditional festivals. Jon Ludvig Hammer, perhaps best known for his association with Magnus Carlsen, won his second straight tournament by taking the Rilton Cup in Sweden. Perhaps more quietly, Polish grandmaster Radoslav Wojtaszek, who previously worked as Anand’s second, won two tournaments in a row, in Zurich and Basel. The first of the Swiss Swiss system events went for only seven rounds, as it was sandwiched between Christmas and New Year’s. Wojtaszek’s tally in Zurich of 6/7 was a half-point clear of his rivals. The two victories will send Wojt’s rating into the middle 2700s. The decisive game came in the finale, as Wojtaszek outplayed young Russian grandmaster Ivan Popov. Let’s see how he did it.