So draws first blood vs Frenchman in Chess World Cup

MANILA, Philippines — Grandmaster Wesley So fought French Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in 41 moves of a Ruy Lopez in the first game of their two-game fourth round showdown in the Chess World Cup 2015 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Monday here.

Playing black and employing his pet Berlin defense against the popular Spanish opening, So fought his way out of a slightly positial disadvantage after he was left with a bishop and knight against Vachier-Lagrave's dangerous pair of bishops in an open game.

So's trick of simplifying with pawn exchanges paid off as the two couldn't get anything out of their passed pawns to agree to split the point.

So, as white, goes for a victory as of posting downstime Monday that will eclipse his fourth round performance in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia six years ago.

A draw would force a two-game tiebreak tonight using rapid chess time controls of 25 minutes plus increment per player.

So made it to this far by downing former Webster U teammate Le Quang Liem, 2.5-1.5, and sweeping Iranian Parham Maghsoodloo and Hungarian Csaba Balogh in a pair of one-sided two-game triumphs.

Out of the four foes he faced in Baku, Vachier-Lagrave is the toughest as the Frenchman is currently ranked No. 11 in the world with a rating of 2766, just one rung behind So, who is at No. 10 with 2767.1.