Wesley So pits wits against No. 4 at World Chess Cup

Filipino chess grandmaster (GM) Wesley So has forged a second round duel with tournament top seed and world’s No. 4, Sergey Karjakin at the FIDE World Chess Cup 2011 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. So, seeded 64th in the World Chess Cup and currently ranked 89th in the world, disposed of Chinese GM Ding Liren after four successive Round 1 matches. Their first two games ended in draws. The Filipino wizard then gained a full point advantage in the third game when he forced the Chinese GM to submission at his 46th move with the advantage of a white bishop, rook and three pawns against his foe’s rook and four pawns. Ding Liren, ranked 94th in the world, had a chance to stretch the Round 1 match-up in the fourth game, but he needed a clear win because So was ahead of him in the standings by a full-point. With a draw, So dashed the Chinese GM’s hopes and ended Round 1 with 2.5 points. Going into Round 2, Russia’s Karjakin has had some rest. He has been waiting for So since two games earlier. The top seed easily subdued Tunisian Mejdi Kaabi, 2 – 0. Karjakin is among the group of “mental giants or simply lucky ones who managed to win in the main games and to be qualified into the second Round thus having one extra rest day to rest and to prepare," according to tournament organizers via a summary of Round 1 on the competition’s website. The second round starts late Wednesday with only 64 of the original 128 players remaining. Mark Paragua, the other Filipino in the World Chess Cup, was unable to go past England’s Michael Adams in the first round. However, Paragua did not let Adams go so easily in their second game, which stretched to 111 moves and a draw. Paragua has the option to either leave the tournament or participate in the “consolatory" Governor’s Cup. — Earl Victor Rosero/VS, GMA News