Wesley So wins 1st game at Battle of the GMs

MANILA, Philippines - Wesley So, the world's youngest grandmaster, lived up to his billing by defeating GM-candidate Julio Catalino Sadorra, a fellow Filipino based in Singapore, in their opening match at the 2008 Battle of the GMs chess championship on Friday at City State Hotel in Manila. So was in superb form, beating Sadorra in 36 moves of a Nimzo Indian Defense, according to a tournament statement issued on Friday. And So won the match playing the black pieces. Less than two weeks ago, the 14-year-old high school student bagged the prestigious Dubai Open in United Arab Emirates. And a week ago, he further earned morale-boosting win over GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia in a one-on-one duel. In his match with Sadorra, So said he sacrificed a pawn in the middle game to gain the initiative. And after Sadorra took the bait, So's knight was unstoppable, forcing Sadorra to resign. "Our middle game was complicated," So said, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino. "I decided to give away a pawn rather than attack." In other games, Eugene Torre, Asia's first GM, and brand-new GM Jayson Gonzales agreed to a draw. Organizers said that Gonzales, playing with white, appeared to be on his way to victory with solid center pawns. But Torre managed to force a repetition of moves, leading to a draw after 32 pushes. In the women's division, WNM Shercila Cua upset Asian Games campaigner Jedara Docena in 20 moves of a Queen's Pawn Game and WNM Aices Salvador toppled WNM Cristy Lamiel Bernales after 22 moves of a French Defense. The tournament are holding games at 2 p.m. But on Monday (April 28) and Thursday (May 1), two rounds will be staged on each day, starting 9 a.m. At stake in the 11-round tournament, organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), are cash prizes with the men's champion getting P200,000 and the women's titlist earning P50,000. Other prizes in the men's division are P100,000 for the runner-up, and P70,000 for the third placer. The fourth to sixth placers will get P50,000, P30,000, and P20,000, respectively. In the women's division, it's P40,000 for the runner-up and P30,000 for the third placer. The fourth to sixth placers will get P20,000, P15,000, and P10,000, respectively. The tournament is supported by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and City State Hotel. - GMANews.TV