So draws anew, keeps solo lead

MANILA, Philippines - Wesley So agreed to a 20-move draw with Spain’s Francisco Vallejo Pons in a rare line of a Ruy Lopez to keep the solo lead after seven rounds of the Capablanca Memorial 2014 at the Habana Riviera in La Havana, Cuba yesterday.

So and Vallejo battled in a series of exchanges involving queens and minor pieces but the former, seeing no clear winning line, offered the draw which the latter subsequently accepted.

The draw kept So in the lead with 4.5 points, half a point ahead of top seed Leinier Dominguez Perez of Cuba.

Dominguez, the highest rated player here with a 2768 rating, split the point with defending champion Zoltan Almasi of Hungary in 38 moves of the Ruy Lopez Berlin in the 11-day tournament held in memory of the late former Cuban world champion Jose Raul Capablanca.

Former world challenger Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine, a six-time winner of this annual event, and Cuban Lazaro Bruzon Batista also had a quick, 17-move draw in a Nimzo-Indian encounter.

The Webster U standout will face Dominguez, whom the former fought to a standoff in their first round meeting, in today’s eighth round.