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Pinoy grandmaster So withdraws from Moscow tilt


MOSCOW, Russia — Filipino grandmaster Wesley So decided to withdraw after the sixth round of the 2011 Aeroflot Open chess championships at the Hotel Gamma-Delta here Sunday. The decision came after So drew for the fifth time in the tournament, this time against FM Roman Nechepurenko of Russia in only 28 moves of the Queen’s Indian. The 17-year-old Filipino champion had 2.5 points on five draws and one loss in the nine-round Swiss system tournament, which attracted 86 players from 31 countries. “I can’t think very well right now. I’m just too tired from the last tournament (Corus)," said So in explaining his decision. “In my last games, ang dami kong blunders sa sobrang sakit ng ulo. So revealed plans to take a long rest when he comes home to Manila. “Long rest, but more time in training. I don’t know where pero kahit saan basta makapag-pahinga. But I have to stay here for a few more days dahil fixed yung ticket namin pauwi," he explained. Playing white against Nechepurenko, So tried to play aggressively in the opening part but lost a pawn on the 13th move and gave up a bad rook for a bishop on the 27th move. But despite being an exchange up, the lower-rated Nechepurenko (ELO 2546) offered to split the point when he realized time was not on his side. Overshadowed by the news of So’s withdrawal was Southeast Asian Games chief rival GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, who wisely drew with GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan in only 13 moves of the Slav to keep his slim half-point lead over five other players with only three rounds left. Le, who is seeking unprecedented back-to-back titles here, has five points on four wins and two draws. Kasimdzhanov and four Russians — GM Denis Khismatulin, GM Mikhail Kobalia, GM Evgeny Tomashevsky and GM Nikita Vitiugov – shared second to sixth places with 4.5 points. GMs Ivan Bukavshin of Russia, Yu Yangyi of China and Sana Sjugirov of Russia lead a big group of players with four points each. The three players are also now vying for the top junior award won by So for two consecutive years, in 2009 and 2010. - KY, RCJ, GMA News
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