Grandmaster Wesley So beat fellow grandmaster Mark Paragua in the final round Monday to win the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) training active chess tournament held at the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) compound in Quezon City.
So, the country’s top-rated woodpusher, went home with the winner-take-all prize of P5,000 in the four-man, single round robin tournament hosted and sponsored by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) chairman/president Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr.
GM So, who is set to compete in Sweden next month, drew his first match against IM Oliver Barbosa then routed GM Darwin Laylo in his second match before beating Paragua.
So, who holds an ELO rating of 2667, finished undefeated with two wins and a draw in three outings for 2.5 points.
Paragua, who won three gold medals in the 2003 Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, settled for solo second place with 2.0 points. Actually, he needs only a draw against So in the final round to capture the title after beating Laylo and Barbosa in his previous games.
Laylo finished third with 1.0 point followed by 4th placer Barbosa with .5 point.
The NCFP training active chess tournament will resume today at the same venue. /correspondent Marlon Bernardino