So faces leader in vital tiff

WIJK AAN ZEE, Netherlands — Grandmaster Wesley So and GM Anish Giri of the Netherlands meet in a crucial match in the 11th round Friday of the 72nd Corus chess tournament at the De Moriaan Community Centre here.

So, seeking a fitting follow-up to his smashing triumph in Group C last year, will handle the white pieces when he meets the lower-rated but equally talented hometown bet.

Giri is nursing a slim half-point lead over So and two other players with three rounds remaining in the category-16, 14-player event.

A win by the 16-year-old Filipino champion, who rose to prominence by becoming the world’s seventh youngest GM in 2006, will likely make him the solo leader or joint leader depending on the outcome of the matches of GM Ni Hua of China and GM Erwin l’ Ami of the Netherlands.

Ni takes on GM Pentala Harikrisha while l’ Ami battles IM Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia in other crucial matches.

A draw between So and Giri will enable them to maintain their 1-2 positions going into the final two rounds .

of the two-week long competition on Saturday and Sunday.

“Wesley has a very good chance of beating Giri, especially since he is playing white,” said Filipino GM Rogelio Antonio Jr., who helped out S in his strong showing in the recent World Chess Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia last month.

“Wesley has been doing well, including his pacing. Giri is also at a disadvantage coming off that ninth-round upset loss to Muzychuk,” added Antonio, ranked second behind So in the list of top Filipino players.

Antonio said So appears to be on a hot streak after winning three of his previous five matches.

The Filipino champ topped GM Tomi Nyback of Finland in the 10th round Wednesday, raising his record to 6.5 points on three wins and seven draws.

He also scored wins over second seed GM Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu of Romania and GM Dimitri Reinderman of the Netherlands in the sixth and seventh rounds.

So is one of only two players still unbeaten in the tournament with the other being l’Ami.

Giri, who became the youngest player to earn a GM title in chess history of Russia (where he was affiliated when he achieved his GM title) and Netherlands, is fresh from a draw with top seed GM Arkadij Naiditsch of Germany in the 10 the round.

Before the draw with Naidtisch, the St. Petersburg, Russia-born Giri suffered his first and only setback at the hands of lone female participant IM Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia in the ninth round Tuesday.

After Giri, So’s remaining opponents are Howell in the 12th round and Muzychuk in the 13th round.

So drew his first five matches with Naiditsch, l’Ami, GM Varuzhan Akobian of the United States, Negi and GM Pentala Harikrishna of India.

After winning over Nisipeanu and Reindermann, he drew his next two matches against GM Ni Hua of China in the eighth round and GM Emil Sutovsky of Israel in the ninth round.

Last year, So topped Group C with a 13-round total of 9.5 points on seven wins, five draws and only one loss.

He finished a full point ahead of Giri and GM Tiger Hillarp Persson of Sweden.