So far, so good, in Havana

So far, so good
Ed Andaya
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 00:00
Source: http://www.journal.com.ph

Standings after five rounds:

3.5 points — W. So (Philippines)

3 — L. Dominguez (Cuba)

2.5 — Z. Almasi (Hungary), L. Bruzon (Cuba)

2 — F. Vallejo (Spain)

1.5 — V. Ivanchuk (Ukraine)

GM Wesley So of the Philippines threw caution to the wind and came up with a decisive winover defending champion Zoltan Almasi of Hungary to assume the solo lead in the fifth round of the 49th Tournament Capablanca in Memoriam 2014 at the Habana Riviera Hotel in Havana, Cuba.

So, who is making his first appearance in this prestigious, six-player competition being held in honor of former Cuban world champion Jose Raoul Capablanca (1921-1927), made the most in a sharp and difficult middle game battle against the white-playing Hungarian champion and emerged victorious in 48 moves of the French Winawer variation.

The 21-year-old Filipino champion, who vaulted into No. 23 in the world with an ELO of 2731 based on the May 2014 ratings list, threw a brilliant two-knight attack and finished off Almasi with an unstoppable e-pawn in a two rooks versus queen endgame.

The end came with So safely pushing his king to b5 and threatening to promote his e- pawn to a queen, which forced Almasi to resign.

The win enabled So to grab the solo lead with 3.5 points on two wins and three draws in this six-player, double-round tournament.

So also won over 2001 champion GM Francisco Vallejo of Spain in the second round and drew with 2002 winner Lazaro Bruzon of Cuba in the first round, three-time champion GM Lenier Dominguez Perez of Cuba in the third round and six-time winner GM Vassily Ivanchuk ofUkraine in the fourth round.

Dominguez, the highest-rated player in the event with an ELO of 2768, outdueled Vallejo in the fourth round and drew with Bruzon in the fifth round to move into solo second place with three points on one win and four draws.

Bruzon and Almasi shared third to fourth places with 2.5 points.

Vallejo, who shocked Ivanchuk in the fifth round, is fifth with two points.

Ivanchuk, the winningest player in the tournament with six titles ( 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012) is last with only 1.5 points.

Hosted by the Cuban Chess Federation and the Instituto Nacional de Deportes Educacion Fisica y Recreacion, the event started in 1962 with GM Miguel Nadorf of Argentina winning the first title.

Other notable winners in the tournament were Viktor Korchnoi of Switzerland, Vassily Smylov of Russia, Bnet Larsen of Denmark, Ulf Andersson of Sweden, Tony Miles of England, Peter Leko of Hungary, Robert Huebner of Germany, and Julio Granda Zuniga of Peru.

Former American world champion Bobby Fischer competed in the fourth edition in 1965 but finished only second to Smyslov.

So’s coach-manager, Susan Polgar, lauded So’s second win in five matches so far.“Wesley was well prepared for this game (French Winawer),” said Polgar.

The moves:

Round 5

Z. Almasi (Hungary) vs. W. So (Philippines)

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 Qc7 8. Qxg7 Rg8 9. Qxh7 cxd4 10. Ne2 Nbc6 11. f4 dxc3 12. Qd3 d4 13. Ng3 Bd7 14. Be2 O-O-O 15. O-O Nf5 16. Ne4 Nce7 17. Nf6 Rg6 18. Nxd7 Rxd7 19. Bf3 Nd5 20. Rb1 Kb8 21. Be4 Rg8 22. a4 Qc6 23. a5 Qa4 24. a6 b6 25. Rb3 Nde3 26. Ra3 Qb4 27. Rb3 Qa4 28. Ra3 Qb4 29. Rb3 Qe7 30. Bxe3 dxe3 31. Qxc3 e2 32. Re1 Rd1 33. Bxf5 Rc8 34. Qg3 Qc5+ 35. Kh1 exf5 36. Rb1 Qd5 37. h3 Rd8 38. Kh2 Qe4 39. Qh4 R8d7 40. Rb3 Rxe1 41. Qh8+ Kc7 42. Rc3+ Qc6 43. Rxc6+ Kxc6 44. Qc8+ Rc7 45. Qa8+ Kc5 46.Qb8 Rc6 47.Qxa7 Rd1 48.Qe7+ Kb5 0-1.