Aeroflot chess: GM Wesley So on course for top junior honors
02/25/2009 06:11 PM
MANILA, Philippines -Grandmaster Wesley So agreed to another draw, this time against GM Yuriy Ajrapetjan of Ukraine, to remain in a tie for 17th to 36th places after the eighth round of the Aeroflot Chess Festival 2009 at the Hotel Gamma-Delta in Moscow Tuesday.
So, who is hoping to barge into the Top 20 in this prestigious, 78-player tournament, tried to initiate complications despite playing the disadvantageous black pieces but eventually settled for a draw by repetition of moves in 35 moves.
The 15-year-old Filipino champion has a rook, bishop and five pawns against Ajrapetjan’s rook, bishop and four pawns when the game was agreed drawn.
Although ahead by one pawn, So repeated his rook move three times with a check on the Ukrainian player’s king mainly due to white’s passed pawn on the h-file. The draw left the high school student of St. Francis College (Bacoor) with only 4.5 points with three wins, three draws and two losses.
Overall, So is in 24th place, well within striking distance of a possible Top 20 finish.
He is also in good position to clinch top honor as the best junior player with 4.5 points, the same record of GM Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan.
The top junior player will receive 2,500 Euro.
Here is the full article.
Good boy, Wesley!
Prize money is good!