So repulses Chinese GM but RP falls

DRESDEN, Germany – GM Wesley So stunned super GM Ni Hua in 42 moves of the Ruy Lopez but the Philippines dropped a 1.5-2.5 decision to Asian champion China at the start of the 38th World Chess Olympiad at the International Congress Center here Thursday (Friday in Manila).

So, the country’s highest-rated player with a 2610 rating, pounced on Ni’s uncharacteristic weak opening strategy and hammered out a morale-boosting victory on board 2.

Ni, the second highest-rated Chinese player here at 2710, tried to baffle the 15-year-old So by deviating from the original line of this ancient opening named after a Spanish monk.

But So wisely countered with sound moves and steered the match to a winning endgame to the delight of the small Filipino delegation.

National champion IM John Paul Gomez held his own and forced GM Li Chao to a draw in his Olympiad debut, halving the point after 56 moves of the Sicilian Rossolimo on board four.

But losses by GMs Bong Villamayor and Jayson Gonzales on boards one and three left the Filipinos scoreless under the match point scoring system adopted for the first time in the Olympiad.

Based on the new scoring system, a win gives a team two points, a draw one point and a loss zero.