So downs Aussie in Pichay Cup opener

GM Wesley So dominated IM Aleksander Wohl of Australia and fashioned out a 42-move victory of a Sicilian Dragon at the start of the fourth Prospero Pichay Cup international chess championship yesterday.

So, out to atone for a so-so showing in last week’s President Arroyo Cup where he placed 25th, cashed in on Wohl’s weak knight push on the 16th move to gain a slight initiative then pressed his attack to score the victory before a big crowd at Duty Free Phils. in Parañaque City.

“He (Wohl) made a weak knight move and I took advantage of it. It was a good start,” said the 14-year-old So, playing in his fifth straight international tournaments in less than two months. 

So had three pawns up for promotion in a bishop versus knight endgame.

GMs Mark Paragua and Darwin Laylo also hurdled their opening round assignments in the annual tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP).

Paragua demolished NM Hamed Nouri in 40 moves of the Philidor, while Laylo, gearing up for the Olympiad in Dresden, Germany in November, crushed Jayson Salubre in a pair of all-Filipino matches.

Newly crowned PGMA Cup champion GM Eugene Torre, meanwhile, begged off from participation at the last minute, citing exhaustion after topping the grueling, nine-round tournament last Friday.

Torre, however, was on hand during the opening rites along with Pichay, NCFP vice president for Mindanao Val Rosabal, NCFP membership committee chairman Edmundo Legaspi, NCFP executive/events director Willie Abalos and Peter Long of Malaysia.

Top seed GM Murtas Kazhgaleyev of Kazkhstan whipped NM Ernesto Fernandez on the top board to join So and company in the lead in the early going of the nine-round tournament sponsored by Duty Free Philippines, Department of Tourism, Pilipinas Shell, Globe and Pagcor.

Fourth seed GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran settled for a draw with Wang Li of China, while fifth seed GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son of Veitnam halved the point with compatriot Nguyen Van Huy.

In other results, GM-candidate Julio Catalino Sadorra outplayed Karl Victor Ochoa; GM-candidate John Paul Gomez downed NM Mirabeau Maga; Neil Causo trounced Ali Branzuela; Haridas Pascua bested David Elorta; and IM Chito Garma drew with IM Rolando Nolte.

Meanwhile, Pichay said the Philippines will hold five to six GM tournaments next year as part of the APAC Pro Tour.

For updates and results, log on to www.chessasia.net and www.ncfphilippine.org.