So far so good

Reykjavik Open 2013 chess: So stuns IM Andersen to share early lead 
By Marlon Bernardino 
PhilBoxing.com Thu, 21 Feb 2013

Filipino Grandmaster Wesley Barbasa So (ELO 2684) stunned IM Mads Andersen of Denmark (ELO 2462) in the third round of the 28th Reykjavik Open chess championships at Harpa, the 28,000 sqm. concert hall in Iceland on Thursday. 

The win enabled So, top player of National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Chairman/President Prospero ‘Butch’ Pichay Jr. and Secretary-General Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino Jr., to share the early lead in the huge group of perfect three (3.0) pointers with GM Anish Giri and GM L’ami Erwin of the Netherlands, GM Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria, GM Grzegorz Gajewski and GM Bartosz Socko of Poland, GM Yury Shulman of the USA, GM Aloyzas Kveinys of Lithuania, GM Yu Yangyi and IM Wei Yi of China, GM Pavel Eljanov and Vladimir Baklan of Ukraine, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, IM Andrew Muir of Scotland and IM Hjorvar Steinn Gretarsson of Iceland, his fourth round opponent. 

“There’s no doubt that Wesley will attain his goal of breaking the ELO 2700 mark this year, especially during the coming Chess World Cup-2013 in Tromso, Norway,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Chairman/President Prospero ‘Butch’ Pichay Jr., who watched the game live through internet.

No. 7 seed So, a freshman at Webster University in St. Louis, will be handling the black pieces when he faces Gretarsson in the fourth round. The Bacoor, Cavite native, earlier beat Fredrik Palmqvist of Sweden and IM Erik Andrew Kislik of USA, respectively.

In other top board third round matches, top seed Giri beat IM Axel Smith of Sweden, No. 2 Vachier-Lagrave defeated GM Williams Simon K of England, No.4 Cheparinov walloped WGM Huang Qian of China, No. 6 Yu routed countryman IM Lou Yiping and No.8 Eljanov toppled WGM Tan Zhongyi of China.

-Marlon Bernardino- 

Source: http://philboxing.com