So seizes solo lead; Ivanchuk settles for draw

MANILA, Philippines - Grandmaster Wesley So outlasted Canadian GM Anton Kovalyov in a grueling endgame and watched Ukrainian GM Vassily Ivanchuk blow a pawn advantage to settle for a draw with American GM Irina Krush to seize the solo lead in the ninth Edmonton Chess Festival in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada yesterday.

The top-seeded So, 20, went a pawn up in the middle game and then took another one at endgame to fashion out a 59-move victory in their Catalan game. But Ivanchuk failed to match the Filipino ace’s win as he squandered a pawn advantage and ended up splitting the point with Krush in 80 moves of a Queen’s Gambit Declined.

So, who topped the Capablanca Memorial in Cuba weeks ago to move to world No. 15, thus seized the solo lead with 5.5 points with Ivanchuk, a former World Challenger, dropping to second with five points going to the last three rounds of the tournament.

The win also catapulted the Webster U standout from No. 14 the day before to No. 12 in the current FIDE world rankings with a career-best rating of 2754. However, if he sustains his form and hurdle his last three matches against FIDE Masters Vladimir Penchenkin and Dale Haessel of Canada and Krush, he might barge into the Top 10 by next week.