GRANDMASTER (GM) Wesley Barbasa So of the Philippines took a giant step towards another major title yesterday when he won his seventh round match and grabbed a share of the lead with two rounds to go in the 2012 Quebec Open Chess Championship at the College Brebeuf in Montreal, Canada.
The 17-year-old Bacoor, Cavite native defeated GM Dejan Bojkov of Bulgaria in the seventh round to join GM Lazaro Bruzon of Cuba at the top of the leaderboard with 5.5 points each. Bruzon only managed a draw against GM Andrey Sumets of Ukraine.
The nine-round Swiss-system event offers $4,000 to the champion.
In the eighth round, So will face IM Leonid Gerzhoy of Canada while Bruzon will battle compatriot FM Kevel Oliva Castaneda. IM Gerzhoy is in solo third place with 5.0 points after beating IM Raja Panjwani of India.
GM So’s local and international campaigns are backed up by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Chairman/President Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr. and Secretary-General and Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino Jr. /Correspondent Marlon Bernardino