GM So draws with topseeded rival in World Chess Cup

FILIPINO Grandmaster Wesley So failed to shake off tournament favorite GM Sergey Karjakin of Russia late Wednesday and settled for a draw in the first of their two-game standard play in the second round of the 2011 World Chess Cup at the Ugra Cultural Center in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

The black-playing So (ELO 2658) gave the topseeded Karjakin (2788) some uneasy moments in a positional battle and challenged his Ukrainian rival’s tenacity before settling for the draw after 31 moves of French defense, Steinitz variation.

When the contentious game was over, the 17-year-old So has five pawns, two knights and one rook against Karjakin’s five pawns, bishop, knight and a rook.

So and Karjakin, who became the youngest grandmaster in the world at age 12, switch colors in Game Two with the Filipino bet hoping to nail a victory with white.

In the first round, So edged reigning two-time Chinese National Open champion GM Ding Liren, 2.5-1.5 late Tuesday.

Karjakin, a former member of the Ukraine national team before playing for Russia, ousted IM Mejdi Kaabi of Tunisia (ELO 2344) during their standard competition matchup.

In the 2009 World Chess Cup edition, So reached the quarterfinals beating former world championship candidates GM Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine, 1.5-.5 in the second round and GM Gata Kamsky, 1.5-.5 of the United States. But So’s Cinderella run was ended by GM Vladimir Malakhov of Russia, 4-1.

Meanwhile, the second Filipino entry in the tournament, GM Mark Paragua (ELO 2545) was ousted in the first round last Monday of the 128-player competition organized by the World Chess Federation.

Paragua bowed to GM Michael Adams (ELO 2715) of England, 0.5-1.5 in their two-game standard play game in the event which offers $1.6 million.

So and Paragua’s World Cup stint is backed by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.  Correspondent MARLON BERNARDINO