Chess: So draws with French GM, keeps lead in Biel Young GM C'ship

Standings after two rounds:

1.5 points -- W. So (RP), E. Tomashevsky (Russia), M. Rodshtein (Israel) 1 -- M. Vachier-Lagrave (France), F. Caruana (Italy), A. Giri (Netherlands), D. Andrreikin (Russia), N.N. Truong Son (Vietnam) .5 -- D. Howell (England) 0 – P. Negi (India)

BIEL, Switzerland, July 22 (PNA)-– GM Wesley So of the Philippines tried long and hard to extricate a win before settling for a draw with 2009 world junior champion GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France in the second round of the 2010 Biel Young Grandmasters chess championship at the Center of Biel here Tuesday.

So, who authored one of only two opening-day victories Monday, and Vachier-Lagrave agreed to split the point after 64 moves of the King's Indian defense.

When the game was agreed drawn after four hours on intense play, So had a rook and one pawn against Vachier-Lagrave's bishop and three pawns.

The position was brought about by a series of exchanges that included the queens and rooks and culminated with So winning a rook for a bishop and two pawns.

The two players played for 17 more moves but seeing the position having little promise for counter play, they finally agreed to a draw.

Experts said So may actually have a slight edge after the 35th move but could not exploit it due to the superb play of his top-seeded French opponent.

The draw enabled So to keep a share of the lead with second seed GM Evgeny Tomashevsky of Russia and No. 10 seed GM Maxim Rodshtein of Israel with 1.5 points in this 10-player, category-17 tournament being held as part of the 43rd Biel International Chess Festival.

Tomashevsky outplayed ninth seed GM Parimarjan Negi of India; while Rodshtein halved the point with third seed GM Fabiano Caruana of Italy to join So in the early lead in the nine-round closed tournament.

Vachier-Lagrave and four other players share fourth to eighth places with one point.

On Wednesday, So will handle black against Rodshtein in the battle of early leaders. Tomashevsky will take on fellow Russian GM Dmitry Andeikin.

Other third-round matches pit Vachier-Lagrave against GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam, GM David Howell of England against GM Anish Giri of the Netherlands and Negi against Caruana.

So opened with the d4 and Vachier-Lagrave chose to meet it with the King's Indian, a popular and hyper-modern opening used extensively by former world champions Garry Kasparov, Bobby Fischer and Mikhail Tal in major tournaments.

Experts said the opening allows white to control the center with his pawns while black will challenge with his c-pawn or d-pawn several moves later.

The Filipino champion tried to complicate things when he gave up a pawn on the 11th move, which he recovered three moves later.

The materials were still the same until the 35th move when So gave up another pawn to gain attacking chances on black's kingside with his queen on the seventh rank.

But Vachier-Lagrave, who is best remembered for winning the title ahead of Alexander Morozevich and Vassily Ivanchuk in his first participation in Biel last year, defused the attack by forcing an exchange of the major pieces.

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president/chairman Prospero "Butch" Pichay expressed satisfaction with So's performance in the first two rounds, adding the Filipino played against players three years older than him.

"Wesley is doing very well right now. Let's just hope he will continue his good showing in the succeeding rounds," said Pichay, who is bankrolling So's campaign in Biel and the Young Masters vs Experience tournament in Wijk ann Zee, Netherlands next month. (PNA)