Wesley So in action

(NOTE: Photo courtesy of WNM Rulp Ylem Jose)

BY: BOBBY ANG

(As published in Chess Piece, BusinessWorld, 14 June 2010)

3rd Phoenix Petroleum
Battle of GMs
Philippine National Championship
Character Hotel, Tagaytay City
May 25-June 2, 2010

Final Standings
1. GM Wesley So 2665, 8.5/10
2. GM John Paul Gomez 2507, 7.5/10
3-4. GM Rogelio Antonio Jr 2572, IM Julio Catalino Sadorra 2450, 7.0/10
5. GM Darwin Laylo 2527, 6.0/10
6. IM Rolando Nolte 2420, 4.5/10
7-8. IM Ronald Dableo 2464, IM Richard Bitoon 2476, 4.0/10
9. FM Haridas Pascua 2358, 3.5/10
10. IM Oliver Dimakiling 2443, 2.0/10
11. FM Jan Emmanuel Garcia 2315, 1.0/10

Well, heh heh, I received a bunch of complaints from BW readers why I didn’t feature any of Wesley’s games in last Friday’s columns. The truth is, I was reserving them for today.

The opening system in the next game is called the "Chinese Dragon." The Belgian theoretician and FIDE Master Luc Henris wrote an interesting article on it in New in Chess Yearbook around 2002 and many people have taken it up since, including the world’s highest rated player Magnus Carlsen.

Wesley So also has it in his repertoire, and in the following game claims his latest victim.

Bitoon, Richard (2476) -- So, Wesley (2665) [B78]
National Championship Tagaytay City (9.1), 01.06.2010
REQUIRES JAVA TO VIEW THE GAME





Ino Sadorra prepared the French Winawer for the Battle of the GMs and used it every chance he got, compiling a score of 1.5/3 -- a win vs Nolte, draw with Bitoon, and this loss.

So, Wesley (2665) -- Sadorra, Julio Catalino (2469) [C18]
National Championship Tagaytay City (1.1), 25.05.2010
REQUIRES JAVA TO VIEW THE GAME





Jan Emmanuel Garcia is the rising star of the Philippines. He got two international norms from the Asian Intercontinental Championship last May in Subic and soon will be climbing up the ranks from the promising to the established star. The operative word there is "soon," because for now Wesley So is still too much for him.

So, Wesley (2665) -- Garcia, Jan Emmanuel (2315) [B09] National Championship Tagaytay City (3.1), 26.05.2010
REQUIRES JAVA TO VIEW THE GAME





GM Wesley So. Our Pearl of the Orient.