So, Ukranian keep share of lead with draw

MANILA, Philippines – Wesley So and Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk battled to a marathon 60-move draw in a slam-bang Sicilian duel to continue to share lead after four rounds of the ninth Edmonton Chess Festival in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Wednesday.

In a critical showdown between the tournament's top two players, So, 20, had to sacrifice a pawn and a piece hoping for some kingside and central counterplay but Ivanchuk, a former World Challenger, returned his material advantage several moves later to force a draw.

The standoff though kept So, ranked 15th in the world after topping the Capablanca Memorial in Cuba a few weeks back, and Ivanchuk, the World No. 20, at the helm with 3.5 points apiece after four rounds in this nine-round event.

So's other wins came at the expense of Canadian International Master Raja Panjwani and Richard Wang and American Grandmaster Samuel Shankland.

Meanwhile, GM John Paul Gomez downed IM Joel Pimentel to seize the solo lead in the Battle of GMs back home in Manila.

The win catapulted Gomez from joint third after the fifth round to the top with 15 points, or a full point ahead of veteran Olympiad veteran GM Eugene Torre, who settled for a draw with United States-based Banjo Barcenilla.

Tournament sensation Janelle Mae Frayna, who is making history by becoming the lone female participant to make it this far, slew pervious leader IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia to jump to a share of third with her recent victim with 13.5 points each.

This 11-round tournament, bankrolled by the Phl Sports Commission and sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Phl, is staking two berths in the Phl team bound for the World Chess Olympiad set from Aug. 1-15 in Tromso, Norway.

Despite his intention of switching federations, So remained listed in the Phl squad along with GMs Julio Catalino Sadorra and Oliver Barbosa.