Wonderful Wesley

Published : Wednesday, June 15, 2011 00:00

Final standings:

3 points --W. So (Philippines), A. Giri (Netherlands), H Tikkanen (Sweden)
2.5 -- A. Shirov (Spain)
2 -- N. Grandelius (Sweden)
1.5 -- J. Hector (Sweden)

MALMO, Sweden -- Wake up the neighborhood and spread the word: GM Wesley So is co-champion in this year’s Sigeman and Co. chess tournament.

So defended with his usual calm precision and came away with a crushing victory over GM Jonny Hector of Sweden in the fifth and final round to finish in a three-way tie for first place with defending champion GM Anish Giri of the Netherlands and GM Hans Tikkanen of Sweden at the Classical Hipp Theater here Monday.

So, Giri and Tikkanen finished with similar scores of three points in the six-player, round-robin tournament held for the 19 th straight year in this popular Swedish city known as the “Riviera of the North.”

No tiebreak was announced, although So had a performance rating of 2685 compared to Giri’s 2680 and Tikkanen’s 2710.

The 17-year-old Filipino champion, who was hardly bothered by the stunning fourth-round setback to GM Nils Grandelius of Sweden, kept his composure under grinding pressure and found the right reply against the relentless attack by Hector during the four-hour long struggle.

Hector, who was making his 15 th appearance in the annual tournament being held in this southernmost Swedish city where was born and raised, threw everything in his arsenal against So, even sacrificing a bishop and later a rook to flush out black’s king out of its safety abode.

The sacrifices did not matter in the end, however.

The pride of Bacoor, Cavite, who is hoping to breach the ELO 2700 barrier this year, countered with his own attack and threatened mate in one when Hector finally called it a night.

Newly-crowned Pichay Cup champion GM Darwin Laylo, said So’s exceptional preparation with the French defense paid off during the surprisingly short but well-fought match.

“Wesley prepared very well with this opening (French),” Laylo told People’s Tonight shortly after following the game live on Internet.

“I think he (Hector) made a premature bishop sacrifice on the 19th move. Akala siguro niya may mate pero madami pang depensa si Wesley at yung queen and knight niya active pareho,” explained Laylo, a close friend of So.

Hector, who finished second in last year’s Swedish Championships, opened with the e4 and So countered with e6, or the French defense. Alekhine-Chattard variation.

The Swede player offered a bishop for a pawn on the seventh move, but So declined and opted for a pawn exchange.

Trying to do a Grandelius, Hector then unhesitantly threw risky moves against So and kept the Filipino on the defensive throughout the match.

The attack, however, fizzled out as quickly as it took place.

Giri, who finished ahead of GM Jon Ludvig Hammer of Norway and Grandelius in winning the tournament last year, settled for a fighting draw with Tikkanen in 45 moves of the Gruenfeld, to match So’s output with three points.

Grandelius, who also finished runner-up to GM Nigel Short of England here two years ago, and top seed GM Alexei Shirov of Spain battled to a draw in only 24 moves of the Anti-Meran variation.

Shirov, the former world championship candidate who lost to So in the second round, finished solo fourth with 2.5 points, followed by Grandelius with two points and Hector with 1.5 points.

Host of the tournament was the Swedish law firm Sigeman and Co.

GM Ferdinand Hellers of the Netherlands holds the distinction as the only three-time winner of the tournament, winning the title in the inaugural edition in 1993 and defending it in 1994. He won for the third time in 1997.

Short won the title twice in 2002 and 2009.

Other past Sigeman champions were GM Tiger Hillarp Person (2008), GM Ivan Cheparinov (2007), GM Jan Timman (2006), GM Krishnan Sasikiran (2005), GM Peter Heine Nielsen (2004), GM Vassily Ivanchuk (2003), GM Boris Gulko (2001), GM Judit Polgar (2000), GM Boris Gelfand (1999), GM Joel Lautier ( 1998), GM Viktor Kochnoi (1996), and GM Ivan Sokolov (1995).

Source: Ed Andaya (http://www.journal.com.ph)

Sigeman 2011 – Final Round Analysis and Recap

By Chess Coach William Stewart (FIDE 2234, USCF 2256)

Sigeman 2011 ended yesterday night with a 3-way tie for first: Wesley So, Anish Giri, and Hans Tikkanen. Giri and Tikkanen faced off today, with Giri attempting to win the tournament outright by playing an aggressive variation of the Grunfeld as black. Giri sacrificed a pawn with 11. ...b6!? to gain counterplay on the open c-file, however Tikkanen was able

Tikkanen Accepts Giri's Pawn Sac With 14.cxb6

to neutralize black’s initiative through multiple exchanges to achieve a R+N endgame with an extra pawn. Giri’s active pieces compensated his material deficit and he was able to regain the pawn and hold the draw. Alexei Shirov was pressing in his game against Nils Grandelius, however Nils was able to reduce the tension by forcing multiple exchanges with 19. Bf4.

Grandelius Equalizes With 19.Bf4

The only decisive game of Round 5 was Jonny Hector’s desperate attack against Wesley So, starting with an aggressive line against the French Defense with 6. h4!?. Hector sacrificed a piece with 19. Bg6?!, followed by another unsound sacrifice with 24. Rxg7+?. Black took a walk with his king, forcing white to resign in the face of unstoppable mate after 31. Kf2! This game was very exciting and propelled So into the tie for first. Ice cold defense and calm calculation enabled So to coach himself through the complicated mess that Hector created and end the game with a solid win.

Wesley So Wins With 31.Kf2!

Please check our William's original article on Sigeman 2011 Chess Tournament for more information

So ties with Giri and Tikkanen

Final standings Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament 2011.

1. GM Wesley So, GM Anish Giri, GM Hans Tikkanen 3
4. GM Alexei Shirov 2½
5. GM Nils Grandelius 2
6. GM Jonny Hector 1½

WESLEY SO SHARES TOP HONORS IN SWEDEN CHESS MEET

By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 14 Jun 2011

WORLD CUP bound GM Wesley Barbasa So made the country proud anew when he finished in a tie for first to third places in the just concluded 19th annual Sigeman chess championship Monday night at the Classic Hipp Theather, Central Malmo in Malmo, Sweden.

The 17-year-old Bacoor, Cavite whiz kid defeated GM Jonny Hector of Sweden using the disadvantageous black pieces after 31 moves of French defense according to International Master Rolando Nolte who watch the game thru live internet to finish with 3 points on two wins, two draws and one loss in the prestigious six-player, round-robin tournament. Also with 3 points are GM Anish Giri of the Netherlands and GM Hans Tikkanen of Sweden who agreed a draw after 45 moves of Gruenfeld defense.

According to International Arbiter/ National Master Erwin Carag, the Filipino champion, however, finished only second in the Buchholz tiebreak which topped by Giri who successfully defended his title. GM Alexei Shirov of Spain, meantime drew with GM Nils Grandelius of Sweden after 24 moves of Slav defense to finish with 2.5 points for solo third place.

Grandelius, who inflicted the only loss of Wesley in Sunday's fourth round, settled over-all fifth with 2 points, half-a-point ahead over countryman Hector who remains at 1.5 points.

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) chairman/president Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. congratulated Wesley for his respectable showing in the Sweden chess meet.

According to Pichay, Wesley's next tournament is another round-robin tournament in India.

Source: http://philboxing.com

So back on the winning track

After losing with white yesterday, So is back on track today with a win with Black against Jonny Hector. He is now tied for the lead again.

Round 5 results

Tikkanen, Hans	- Giri, Anish	½-½
Hector, Jonny	- So, Wesley	0-1
Grandelius, Nils	- Shirov, Alexei	½-½

Official website: http://www.sigeman-chess.com

Chess analysis: Wesley So - Grandelius

Wesley So - Grandelius

Grandelius upsets So in round 4

Round 4 results

Giri, Anish	- Hector, Jonny	½-½
So, Wesley	- Grandelius, Nils	0-1
Shirov, Alexei	- Tikkanen, Hans	½-½

Standings after 4 rounds

1-2.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2690	2½
1-2.	Tikkanen, Hans	g	SWE	2541	2½
3-4.	So, Wesley	g	PHI	2667	2
3-4.	Shirov, Alexei	g	ESP	2701	2
5-6.	Hector, Jonny	g	SWE	2588	1½
5-6.	Grandelius, Nils	g	SWE	2547	1½

Official website: http://www.sigeman-chess.com

Chess Analysis: So vs Shirov

Wesley So - Shirov

So beats Shirov, tie for the 3-way lead at Sigeman

Round 2 results

So, Wesley	- Shirov, Alexei	1-0
Giri, Anish	- Grandelius, Nils	1-0
Hector, Jonny	- Tikkanen, Hans	½-½

Leaders after 2 rounds

1-3.	So, Wesley	g	PHI	2667	1½
1-3.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2690	1½
1-3.	Tikkanen, Hans	g	SWE	2541	1½
4.	Shirov, Alexei	g	ESP	2701	1
5.	Hector, Jonny	g	SWE	2588	½
6.	Grandelius, Nils	g	SWE	2547	0

So vs. Giri LIVE!

Live chess broadcast powered by ChessBomb and Chessdom

Sigeman chess tournament LIVE!
Computer analysis and commentary by GM Ipatov

Sigeman and Co chess tournament with Shirov, Wesley So, Anish Giri, Hans Tikkanen, Nils Grandelius, and Jonny Hector will be live with computer analysis by Stockfish (ELO 3121).

GM Ipatov has just received his Grandmaster title, and to celebrate it he will be joining for live commentary.

Round 1 starts at 14:00 CET. Expect daily live coverage and also updates at the Chess videos section of Chessdom.

Hou Yifan to participate in India

Artwork by the talented Mike Magnan

Hou Yifan ready for AAI Grandmasters chess
Double round robin from 21st June to 2nd July 2011 in New Delhi

New Delhi, June 6: The reigning women's world champion Hou Yifan of China is all geared up for the upcoming inaugural AAI Grandmasters Chess Tournament in New Delhi beginning on June 21. The 17-year-old, who last year became the youngest-ever world champion in either men or women's section, will become the first women's reigning champion to play in India since Maya Chiburdanidze played in India the early 1980s.

With less than two weeks to go, preparations for the inaugural AAI Grandmasters Chess Tournament are in full swing. Even as the venue at the AAI Officers' Institute near Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi is being renovated into a world-class venue, the six players are busy preparing for the event in their respective home countries.

Apart from Hou Yifan, the other participants will be World Junior No.1 GM Fabiano Caruana of Italy, Philippines' No. 1 GM Wesley So, Czech Republic No. 2 GM Viktor Laznicka, India No. 2 GM Krishnan Sasikiran and the reigning Indian National Champion GM Parimarjan Negi.

Apart from all facilities, the tournament will offer total prize money worth US $ 24,500. The winner takes $ 8,000, while the runner-up will receive $ 6,000. The purse for the next four finishers will be $ 4,000, $ 3,000, $ 2,000 and $ 1,500.

"The game was given to the world by India and we also have the world champion from India in Viswanathan Anand. So it is only logical that the AAI supports an endeavour which showcases India's ancient game and young talent from around the world," said Mr. V P Agrawal, Chairman Airports Authority of India.

Hou, who interestingly will be challenged by India's Koneru Humpy for the world title later this year, is using the AAI Grandmasters tournament as part of her preparations. She has already played in numerous events this year with mixed results.

Hou Yifan was recognized as the Best Sportswoman in China a sport that is not included in the normal Olympic programme.

An early qualifier for the World Cup 2011 to be held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia in August, Hou recently won the first-ever Chinese Female Professional chess tournament held in Wuxi, Jiangsu in China in April with a highly impressive score of 9/11.

Hou Yifan, however, had a somewhat disappointing result in Asian Individual, where playing in the Open section, she ended 33rd in Mashhad, Iran. The event was won by India's Pentala Harikrisha.

Three of the players in the tournament included Krishnan Sasikiran (sixth), Parimarjan Negi (ninth) and Wesley So (12th). This trio will be up against Hou Yifan once again in the AAI Grandmasters tournament.

Earlier this month, playing in a very strong Open tournament in Danzhou, Hainan in China, Hou Yifan was out of form and finished last among 10 participants.

Hou Yifan hails from Xinghua, a small prestigious town, which is famous for holding top level Chinese individual chess tournaments for the past three years. The town has two women grandmasters, eight national champions and over 10,000 playing youngsters live here. Besides, many talented chess players are trained for Chinese Chess National Team. Local authorities have made efforts to organize chess activity and training classes in primary schools to promote chess in the town and region.

According to Susan Polgar, one of the strongest-ever women's players, but now retired, Hou Yifan is preparing for her match against Humpy and all these Open events are part of her larger plan.

Big time chess returns to India for the first time since the mid-1980s when Delhi hosted a string of Grandmaster tournaments. Indians, including Viswanathan Anand benefited from those a lot.

The AAI International Grandmasters Chess Tournament organized by the Airports Authority of India is the highest-ever rated tournament for more than three decades in India.

The AAI, which is a leading Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, as part of its Centenary Celebration of Civil Aviation in India, is organizing the "AAI International Grandmasters Chess Tournament 2011".

"We have been supporting various games and young sportspersons, including chess. Parimarjan Negi, the current National champion, and who has broken many records and Dronavalli Harika among women are supported by AAI. Negi, incidentally will also feature in AAI International Grandmasters Chess Tournament," added Mr. Agrawal.

"It will be a treat for chess lovers in Delhi and all over the country. We will have all modern facilities and use the event to promote the game in India by inviting youngsters to watch and learn," said Mr. Bharat Singh Chauhan, President, Delhi Chess Association, which is also supporting the event.

"To have a Category 17 event in India has always been Delhi Chess Association's dream. And now that Delhi also has its first-ever national champion in Parimarjan Negi, it is only logical that we have the tournament in Delhi. The Airports Authority of India, who have been generous supporters of the game, as also other sports, need to be congratulated for making a tournament like this come to life."

This will be India's first ever Category 17 chess tournament with a unique group of six grandmasters playing in a double round robin event from June 21 to July 2, 2011.

For more details visit: www.aaichess.com

2011 Sigeman with Shirov, Giri, and So

Sigeman Chess Tournament
6-player round robin on 9-13th June in Malmö, Sweden

The 19th Sigeman Chess Tournament is set to take place in Malmö, Sweden, on 9-13th June 2011. The format is 6-player round robin and the tournament is also featuring a nice mix of world's top juniors and Sweden's best players.

The starting lineup is led by the fearless GM Alexei Shirov, who is traveling north immediately after the rapid match with World Champion Vishy Anand.

Last year's winner, 16-year-old Anish Giri, will be defending his title, and the 17-year-old Philippine player Wesley So, one of the new rising stars in chess, is also participating.

The local fans will cheer for Jonny Hector from the hosting club Limhamns SK, who participates in the Sigeman Chess Tournament for the fifteenth time, and two newly promoted Grandmasters, Nils Grandelius (bronze medalist from the World Youth 2010) and Hans Tikkanen, both from neighboring city Lund.

Participants:

GM Alexei Shirov ESP 2709
GM Anish Giri NED 2687
GM Wesley So PHI 2667
GM Jonny Hector SWE 2585
GM Hans Tikkanen SWE 2560
GM Nils Grandelius SWE 2541

Official website

So at the top of the rating chart

Paragua biggest gainer in PH-FIDE ranking
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 03/10/2011 5:40 PM Updated as of 03/10/2011 9:13 PM

So, Antonio remain on top

MANILA, Philippines -- Grandmaster (GM) Mark Paragua is the biggest gainer in the latest Philippine-World Chess Federation (PH-FIDE) rankings for the month of March.

Paragua, the 1998 Disneyland France World Rapid Under-14 champ, collected 26 points to hike his 2521 ELO rating to 2547.

The ELO rating of the New York-based Bulakeño went up because of his performances in several tournaments in the US chess circuit.

Paragua now occupies the No. 3 spot in the PH-FIDE rankings, behind GM's Wesley So and Rogelio "Joey" Antonio, who remained at No.1 and 2 spots, respectively.

So now has an ELO rating of 2667 while the 12-time RP Open champ Antonio has 2589, the highest rating he got in his career.

So is expected to break the 2700 ELO mark before the end of the year. Antonio himself is aiming to break the 2600 ELO barrier.

Paragua's best ELO rating is 2621 in April 2008. So, meanwhile, reached the 2674 rating in July 2010.

Other Pinoy chessers with top rankings include GM John Paul Gomez (2538), GM Roland Salvador (2532), GM Darwin Laylo (2516), GM Joseph Sanchez (2513), IM Oliver Barbosa (2506), GM Eugene Torre (2495) and IM Richard Bitoon (2480).

According to NCFP President Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr., the Philippines climbed at No. 29 in the World Federation rankings.

"Aim natin na mag-Top 10 sa buong mundo 5 years from now," said Pichay.

Russia remains the top country in the world of chess.

GM Viswanathan Anand of India and GM Magnus Carlsen of Norway occupied the No.1 and 2 spots in terms of world player rankings.

Anand has an ELO rating of 2817 while Calrsen has 2815.

GM Judit Polgar of Hungrary is the top female player with 2686.

So is ranked at No. 4 in the Top 20 Junior Boys. – By Marlon Bernardino

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com

Gomez edged So

GM Gomez secures crown over GM So
By Dale Rosal
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 09:07:00 03/01/2011

The country’s fourth-ranked woodpusher Grandmaster (GM) John Paul Gomez staged a huge upset after nosing out RP no.1 and tournament top-seed GM Wesley So for the title in the Cebu City Charter Day Open Chess Championships yesterday at the Elizabeth Mall activity center.

The second-seeded Gomez, a native from Laguna, beat So for the title after finishing with a bigger tie-break score in the nine-round Swiss format tournament. Both multi-titled woodpushers finished the tournament with 8.0 points.

Gomez secured the P100,000 purse while So brought home P50,000.

The 24-year-old Gomez grabbed the lead in the fifth round after nipping 12th seed National Master (NM) Reggie Olay while So settled for a draw against fifth-seed International Master (IM) Richard Bitoon.

So and Gomez faced each other in the sixth round, with their match ending in a draw after 18 moves of a Sicilian Defense opening.

After his match against So, Gomez got back on track in the seventh round after beating seventh-seed IM Oliver Dimakiling. So, on the other hand, won against 37th-seed Ferdinand Leysa in the same round.

Gomez maintained his lead against So in the eighth round but finished off his campaign with a draw against sixth seed IM Ronald Dableo. So, meanwhile, defeated NM Olay, creating a tie at the top spot after nine rounds.

It was the second time Gomez has beaten So for the crown. The first time was in the 2008 Olympian qualifying with Gomez escaping with a one-point lead.

Gomez, a five-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), said he may play in an international tournament in Dubai this April. He also has his sights on tournaments in UAE and Iran on May and another international tournament in Tagaytay later this year.

Finishing in third place was 11th-seed IM Chito Garma, who had a total of 7.5 points.

Fourth-seed GM Darwin Laylo of Lipa City, Batangas, placed fourth also with 7.5 points followed by IM Dableo in fifth place.

The tournament was organized by the Cebu City government and was sponsored by Rose Pharmacy.

Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net

So remains undefeated

GM So remains undefeated in Charter Day Chess C’ship
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 09:43:00 02/28/2011

TOP-seeded grandmaster (GM) Wesley So remained unbeaten after four rounds in the Cebu City Charter Day Open Chess Championships at the Elizabeth Mall activity center.

So defeated National Master (NM) Rodrigo Atotubo in the fourth round yesterday to secure his fourth straight win in the scheduled nine-round Swiss format.

So’s first the victims were Jeremy Bajo, Joel Pacuribot and NM Fernandito Pialan, respectively.

Meanwhile, second-seed GM Rogelio Antonio suffered a shocker after bowing to 89th-seed Jimson Bitoon in the fourth round. Antonio was also defeated by 47th-seed NM Roger Sarip in the third round.

Third-seed GM John Paul Gomez, on the other hand, also logged his fourth straight win after beating 20th seed NM Jayson salubre in the fourth round.

The fifth round was still being played as of press time yesterday night. The tournament resumes today starting at 9:30 am.

The tournament is sponsored by the Cebu City government and Rose Pharmacy. /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL

Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net

Who will be the next chess superstar?

In 3 years, which one of these phenoms will be ranked in the top 3-5 in the world?
	Fabiano Caruana
	Anish Giri
	Wesley So
	Le Quang Liem
	Another young phenom

Chess poll

In 3 years, which one of these phenoms will be ranked in the top 3-5 in the world?
	Fabiano Caruana
	Anish Giri
	Wesley So
	Le Quang Liem
	Another young phenom

So placed 5th in super strong Aeroflot Blitz

So returns, places 5th in Aeroflot blitz chess
02/18/2011 05:11 PM

A few days' rest was enough for Wesley So to regain his swagger as he finished a fighting fifth in the Aeroflot Open blitz chess championship at the Hotel Gamma-Delta in Moscow, Russia on Thursday.

The 17-year-old Filipino champion, who withdrew from the tournament proper due to exhaustion, scored six wins to finish in a two-way tie for fifth to sixth places with GM Nikita Vitiugov of Russia with 13 points.

The 23rd-seeded So finished 1.5 points behind eventual champion GM Shakhiyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan, who had 14.5 points, and one point behind runner-up GM Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine, who had 14 points.

He defeated Russians Piort Korobkov, and GMs Vitaly Kunin and Ian Nepomniachtchi, Argentine GM Ruben Felgaer, Spanish GM Francisco Vallejo Pons and Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem.

He drew his matches against IM Aleksei Pridorozhni of Russia, GM Alexander Grischuk of Russia and Ponomariov.

GM Darwin Laylo, who shared the Group B title with Armenian GM Tigran Kotanjian and Russian GM Nikolai Kabanov last Wednesday, struggled and finished tied for 134th to 150th with three wins (7.5 points).

Two other Filipino campaigners finished in the upper half of the standings in the tournament that attracted 194 players, including 111 GMs and 32 International Maters from 34 countries.

Moscow Open runner-up IM Oliver Barbosa and IM Richard Bitoon finished tied for 55th to 66th places (10 points), while IM Oliver Dimakiling wound up tied for 87th to 98th places (9.0 points).

GM John Paul Gomez and National Master Paulo Bersamina did not compete.

The Filipinos are scheduled to return to Manila on February 20. – JVP, KY, GMA News

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv

So withdraws from Aeroflot

Pinoy grandmaster So withdraws from Moscow tilt
02/14/2011 07:54 PM

MOSCOW, Russia — Filipino grandmaster Wesley So decided to withdraw after the sixth round of the 2011 Aeroflot Open chess championships at the Hotel Gamma-Delta here Sunday.

The decision came after So drew for the fifth time in the tournament, this time against FM Roman Nechepurenko of Russia in only 28 moves of the Queen’s Indian.The 17-year-old Filipino champion had 2.5 points on five draws and one loss in the nine-round Swiss system tournament, which attracted 86 players from 31 countries.

“I can’t think very well right now. I’m just too tired from the last tournament (Corus)," said So in explaining his decision. “In my last games, ang dami kong blunders sa sobrang sakit ng ulo.

So revealed plans to take a long rest when he comes home to Manila. “Long rest, but more time in training. I don’t know where pero kahit saan basta makapag-pahinga. But I have to stay here for a few more days dahil fixed yung ticket namin pauwi," he explained.

Playing white against Nechepurenko, So tried to play aggressively in the opening part but lost a pawn on the 13th move and gave up a bad rook for a bishop on the 27th move.

But despite being an exchange up, the lower-rated Nechepurenko (ELO 2546) offered to split the point when he realized time was not on his side.

Full story here.

So's compatriots save the day

Aeroflot Chess: So falters, but compatriots save the day
02/10/2011 07:16 PM

MOSCOW, Russia — Filipino grandmaster Wesley So went on an attacking mode early in the game but faltered and lost to GM Anton Shomoev of Russia in the second round of the Aeroflot Open chess championship at the Hotel Gamma-Delte here Wednesday.

Known for his aggressive and risky moves, So sacrificed a rook for a knight to gain attacking chances on Shomoev’s cramped kingside. The move proved to be costly for the youthful chesser as he over-extended himself and lost in 45 moves of the hyper-modern King’s Indian defense.

The 17-year-old Filipino champion, who played white, resigned in an endgame where he had a bishop, knight and six pawns against Shomoev’s rook, knight and five pawns.

Analysts, including ardent followers of So that are part of what's called Barangay Wesley, said the Filipino phenom could have chosen to easily draw the match, but instead tried to complicate matters with a premature rook sacrifice on the 27th move and a dubious queen push to a4 two moves later.

Sensing the opportunity, Shomoev (ELO 2557) wisely turned the tables by forcing an exchange of queens on the 32nd move and bringing about an endgame where he had material advantage.

So will try to recover lost ground when he meets International Master Vasily Papin of Russia in the third round Thursday.

Papin, seeded only No. 61 with an ELO rating of 2568, halved the point with GM Boris Savchenko of Russia.

So’s setback was in stark contrast with the results of games featuring Pinoys competing in Group B.

GMs John Paul Gomez trounced Fide Master Azat Sharafiev of Russia, GM Darwin Laylo outclassed IM Nikolai Shukh, and IM Oliver Dimakiling crushed GM Vasif Durabeyli of Azerbaijan to gain a share of the lead with eight others with perfect scores of two points.

Moscow Open runner-up IM Oliver Barbosa outplayed Alexander Demianjuk of Russia while GM-candidate Richard Bitoon drew with IM Kirill Stupak of Belarus to improve to 1.5 points. - KY, RCJ, GMA News

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv

To Wesley, a thank you note

To Wesley, a thank you note
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 20:26
By Ed Andaya

NOBODY sent a thank you note to GM Wesley So just before he left for Wjk Aan Zee, Netherlands to compete in the 73rd Tata Steel-Corus Group B championship, so…

Thank you, Wesley, for making all of us proud with your exceptional showing in the world chess stage for a long time now. Win or lose, you made the whole world believe again that truly the Filipinos can.

Thanks for keeping local chess alive and kicking at a time when no one else could. Or even when no one else is willing to step forward and take the challenge of playing against the heavyweights of the 64-square board.

Thanks for always giving your best even when pitted against strong foreign players from top chess-playing countries. Even as some of your equally-talented and more-experienced teammates may blink and run away from the spectre of going to war against the best of them all, you get tremendous thrill playing against the Goliaths of the game..

Thanks for winning all those major international tournaments despite limited support from the government and even private sector.

Thanks for placing second, third, fourth or fifth in international competitions and still winning the hearts of the chess community with your big fighting heart.

Thanks for always trying to do your best and bring out your best even under the most difficult circumstances.

Thanks for staying here -- and still playing here -- even after your family migrated to Canada to seek greener pastures. Your decision to stay and continue to play for the flag speaks well of your deep sense of patriotism.

Thanks for always wanting to get better. Although you’re already No. 1 in the country, No. 3 among the world’s top junior players and No. 64 in the entire chess-playing universe, you still work hard everyday to improve your game.

Thanks for being the kind of super hero that provide inspiration to young and aspiring chess players. Playing simul games with these kids, like the ones you had at the Metropolitan Chess Club and the Meralco Chess Club, give them enough encouragement that they, too, can be another Wesley So.

Thanks for being generous with your tips and advises especially to young kids Sharing even your wisdom in chess is surely one of the many assets that you have right now. The late great Filipino chess leader Florencio Campomanes said this is surely one trait of a great champion.

Thanks for being nice in posing for photographs and signing autographs with your young fans. My son, Brian Paul, still keeps several photos of you and him in Subic and Tagaytay and treat them like prized possessions as he would with his Xbox 360 games. Why, he even put your photo together as the profile picture in his Facebook account.

Thanks for being extra-friendly to your fans and supporters and making them feel appreciated for their support to you and the game. Kibitzing with them even during major international tournaments like the one now in Wijk Aan Zee makes them feel special.

And yes, many, many thanks for giving us sports editors and sportswriters enough good stories and better headlines to write for tomorrow’s papers.

Source: http://www.journal.com.ph