So goes for first win vs Indian GM

MANILA, Philippines - GM Wesley So hopes to come out strong after a day-long rest and nail his first win in the 72nd Corus chess tournament which resumes today with the fifth round at the De Moriaan Community Centre in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands Thursday.

The 16-year-old So drew his first four matches but is expected to go all out for a victory in the fifth round against GM Pentala Harikrishna of India to remain in the hunt for the crown in the Group B, Category 16, 14-player field.

But the sixth-seeded Filipino champion will have his hands full against the third ranked Harikrishna, who shares third place with two others with 2.5 points.

In his previous four matches, So handled the black three times and drew with top seed GM Arkadij Naiditsch of Germany, GM Erwin l’ Ami of the Netherlands and GM Parimarjan Negi of India.

He also halved the point with GM Varuzhan Akobian of the United States with the white in the third round.

With two points, So is tied with four others in sixth, a full point behind GMs Ni Hua of China and Anish Giri of the Netherlands.

Harikrishna, on the other hand, is tied with GM David Howell of England and E. l Ami of the Netherlands.