So draws Viet GM in first game of 3rd round match

MANILA, Philippines - Grandmaster Wesley So drew with former Webster University teammate Le Quan Liem of Vietnam in 49 moves of a Queen’s Gambit Declined in the first of their two-game third round duel in the Chess World Cup 2015 in Baku, Azerbaijan Thursday.

So went for an early exchange of queens in an attempt to create play on the c-file but Le countered with accurate moves, forcing the former to shift his attack on black’s pawns on the kingside.

But the Vietnamese forced a draw via perpetual check after So was left with a rook trapped in a corner.

It was So’s first draw after a pair of two-game sweeps over Iranian Parham Maghsoodloo and Hungarian Csaba Balogh in the first two rounds.

The standoff thus kept Le on top, 5-3, in the head-to-head duel with So.