Wesley keeps share of lead after draw

DUBAI — GM Wesley So drew with Iranian GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami in just 10 moves of an English Opening skirmish and stayed tied with two others at the helm after the eighth and penultimate round of the $45,000 Dubai Open at the Dubai Chess Club in the United Arab Emirates.

The 14-year-old Filipino whiz kid has a shot at the championship as he battles Chinese GM Li Chao in the final round.

So, Chao and Georgian GM Merab Gagunashvili have 6.5 points each going into the final day of competition. Chao and Gagunashvili also drew their match in the penultimate round.

Eight players in Maghami, GM David Arutinian of Georgia, GM Nurlan Ibrayeb of Kazakhstan, GM Saleh Salem of United Arab Emirates, GM Valeriy Neverov and GM Yuri Drozdovskij of Ukraine and GM RR Laxman and GM Abhijeet Gupta of India were half-point off the pace.

Drozdovskij and Arutinian halved the point on board 3 while Laxman, Gupta, Ibrayeb, Salem and Neverov struck a full point in the round.

In other matches featuring Filipino players, FM Antonio Molina triumphed, Ernesto Yap settled for a draw while IM Julio Catalino Sadorra, NM Robert Arellano and Jobannie Tabada bowed against separate rivals.