With 4.5 points after five games, GM Wesley So of the Philippines grabbed solo lead in the ongoing 2010 Asian Continental Individual championship held at the Subic Exhibition and Convention Center. So (ELO 2665) plays the black pieces today against Indian GM Geetha Narayanan Gopal (ELO 2604) who is only half a point behind So. The 21 year old Gopal usually plays e4 as white.
Yesterday, So played a thrilling Ruy Lopez against GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia. The game which ended in 38 moves resembled a boxing slugfest as Megaranto threw caution to the winds and attacked the 16 year old Pinoy prodigy?s kingside with his queen and two bishops. So cooly employed his defensive resources and launched a counter attack of his own leaving the Indonesian a bishop behind with So poised to advance his passed d-pawn.
So previously won against Vietnamese IM Nguyen Thanh Son, GM Saleh Salem of the United Arab Emirates and Filipino IM Oliver Barbosa. He then drew with China?s GM Yangi Yu.
No Filipino chess player has dominated the Asian region since the days when GM Eugene Torre was at the peak of his powers. Can So hang on to win this tournament ?
