So downs Robson

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Grandmaster Wesley So of the Philippines fashioned out a resounding victory over GM Ray Robson of the United States for the second time in as many weeks to vault into contention in the 2010 SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) Group A chess championship at the Texas Tech University here Saturday.

So, who kept his position as the world’s second highest-ranked 18 years old and under player with an Elo of 2669, completely outplayed Robson to score an all-important victory in only 32 moves of the Sicilian. Najdorf.

The 17-year-old Filipino champion from Bacoor, Cavite had an overwhelming material advantage with rook, bishop and three pawns against Robson’s knight and five pawns when the American GM decided to call it a day.

Robson, who played white, took the fight to So right in the opening moves and launched a relentless attack on black’s kingside by giving up a bishop for two pawns on the 11th move. So, however, wisely defused the threat by forcing an exchange of the major pieces that included the queens on the 32nd move.

The win enabled So to move into solo third place with 12 points on three wins, three draws and two losses based on a unique scoring system which gives three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero for a loss.

So is also only three points behind GMs George Meier of Germany and Alexander Onischuk of the United States with still two rounds left.

Meier drew with top seed GM Zoltan Almasi of Hungary, while Onischuk halved the point with GM Eugene Perelshteyn of the United States in the other featured matches.

So will now play black against Meier in a crucial ninth-round showdown that could decide the winner of this six-player, category 16 tournament being organized by former women’s world champion Susan Polgar in the vast Texas university and home of the ‘Knight Raiders.’

Meier inflicted one of So’s two setbacks during their fourth-round encounter. 

The Filipino champion, who is set to lead the Filipinos’ campaign in the Asian games in Guangzhou, China, will conclude his campaign against Almasi.

The two fought to a marathon, 105-move draw in their first meeting in the tournament.

A combination of a win by So over Meier and a victory by Almasi over Onischuk will create a three-way tie for the lead among So, Meier and Onischuk going into the 10th and final round.

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero “Butch” Pichay said So is expected to go all-out for victories against Meier and Almasi in his bid to snatch the title in only his second appearance in the tournament.

 “Wesley can still make it with back-to-back victories,” said Pichay, who is fully supporting So’s international campaign.

“And I’m sure Wesley now also relish this chance to prove that Meier’s victory in their first meeting was a fluke,” he added.

   NCFP executive/events director Willie Abalos said So’s performance in SPICE augurs well for the country’s campaign in the Asian Games chess competition, which starts next week.

So will lead the Filipinos’ campaign in the Asiad, along with GMs Rogelio Antonio Jr., Darwin Laylo, John Paul Gomez and Eugene Torre.