Chinese GM knocks Wesley off chess lead

MANILA, Philippines - GM Ni Hua of China outwitted GM Wesley So in a grueling rook-and-pawn endgame, pulling off a 74-move victory to topple the Filipino champion from the lead in the seventh round of the Asian Individual Chess Championships at the Subic Exhibition and Convention Center in Subic last night.

Ni, the highest-rated player in the 19-man Chinese delegation with a 2667 rating, had two unstoppable queening pawns when So, who played white, resigned on the 74th of their Slav game.

It was So’s first loss after scoring four wins and two draws as he tumbled down to joint fifth with 5 points heading into the final two rounds of the event.

The win tied Ni with GMs Li Chao and Ling Direng of China and GM Abhijeet Gupta of India with 5.5 points.

Li crushed compatriot GM Yu Yangyi, Gupta humbled countryman GM Gopal Narayanan Geetha and Direng outclassed Bayarsaikhan Gundavaa of Mongolia.

GM Eugene Torre and other experts, who analyzed the So-Ni game, said the Filipino blew his chance to salvage at least a draw in the tense rook and pawn endgame.

So even held a slight initiative against Ni earlier but made several passive moves against the Chinese bet’s two connected rooks, enabling his rival to seize a slight initiative.

GM Rogelio Antonio Jr., meanwhile, beat Pouria Darini of Iran to improve to 4.5 points and stayed in the hunt for one of the five berths in next year’s World Cup.

Antonio defeated the Iranian campaigner in 33 moves of his pet Sicilian Alapin.

In other results, GM John Paul Gomez bowed to GM Zhou Jianchao of China; IM Ronald Dableo drew with GM Zhou Weiqi of China; IM Dronavalli Harika of India downed IM Barlo Nadera; GM Wen Yang bested Allan Macala and IM Oliver Dimakiling beat Paulo James Florendo.