CORUS B: GM WESLESY SO SETTLED FOR HIS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE DRAW

Games today, Thursday, Round 5 pairings, Group B:

Tomi Nyback - Erwin l’Ami

Anish Giri - Emil Sutovsky

David Howell - Ni Hua

Anna Muzychuk - Dimitri Reinderman

Arkadij Naiditsch - Liviu Nisipeanu

Wesley So - Pentala Harikrishna

Varuzhan Akobian - Parimarjan Negi

Individual Standings after round 4, Group B:

3 points— GM Anish Giri (Netherlands), GM Ni Hua (China)

2.5 points— GM Erwin L’Ami (Netherlands), GM David Howell (England),GM Pentala Harikrishna (India),

2 points— GM Wesley So (Philippines), GM Arkadij Naiditsch (Germany), GM Liviu- Dieter Nisipeanu (Romania), GM Tomi Nyback (Finland), GM Parimarjan Negi (India),

1.5 points— GM Emil Sutovsky (Israel), WGM Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine)

1 point— GM Varuzhan Akobian (USA),

0.5 point—GM Dimitri Reinderman (Netherlands)

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Filipino Grandmaster Wesley Barbasa So settled for his fourth consecutive draw in the fourth round of 72nd Corus international chess championship at the De Moriaan Community Centre in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands on Tuesday.

The 16-year-old Bacoor Cavite whiz kid So, whose stint here is being supported by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president/ chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr. and Filway Marketing Inc. CEO/ President Hector “Chito” Tagaysay defending the black pieces ended his game into a draw against Indian GM Parimarjan Negi after 37 moves of Sicilian Paulsen.

“Malaking tulong rest day mamya (Wednesday) para makapag pahinga si Wesley (So).” Said 1996 RP junior champion NM Roberto Suelo Jr., the first trainer/ coach of So.

Yesterday, Wednesday is free/ rest day.

In the Thursday’s fifth round of the Corus B group, So will employing the advantageous white pieces against another Indian ace GM Pentala Harikrishna.

Over-all, So, the 2009 Corus C group champion tallied total 2 points, and joints sixth placers in the company of Negi, top seed German GM Arkadij Naiditsch, former World Champinships finalist Romanian GM Liviu- Dieter Nisipeanu and Finnish GM Tomi Nyback.

Over-night co-leader Chinese GM Ni Hua and Dutch GM Anish Giri agreed a 44 moves draw in their Petroff’s defense encounter to remain on top with 3 points each, half points ahead with Harikrishna, Dutch GM Erwin L’Ami and England GM David Howell with 2.5 points each.

Harikrishna toppled Corus B top seed German GM Arkadij Naiditsch after 42 moves of Barcza System; Ami nipped American GM Varuzhan Akobian after 52 moves of Tarrash defense, and Howell trounced Dutch GM Dimitri Reinderman after 83 moves of English Opening.

In other results, Nisipeanu split the point with Ukrainian WGM Anna Muzychuk after 38 moves of Sicilian Sveshnikov while Nyback beat Israeli GM Emil Sutovsky, after 45 moves of Spanish Opening. MARLON BERNARDINO