So whips Armenian rival, boosts bid

MANILA, Philippines - Grandmaster Wesley So continued his surge in the ninth Aeroflot Open chess championship, beating Armenia GM Hrant Melkumyan in the fifth round at the Hotel Gamma-Delta of the Ismailova Tourist Complex in Moscow Saturday to move to fourth place.

So, 16, defeated Melkumyan in 39 moves with the black pieces to up his total to 3.5 points, half a point behind GM Boris Grachev of Russia.

The Filipino champion gave up a rook for a bishop and two pawns on the 22nd to pave the way for his attack on the Armenian’s uncastled king. He sustained the charge with a queen-rook-bishop assault.

With a mate threat in one, Melkumyan resigned on the 39th, leaving So with a queen, rook, bishop and seven pawns against his queen, rook, knight and four pawns.

It was So’s third win against a draw and a loss as he shared fourth place halfway through the event which drew 80 players from around the world.

Grachev outclassed compatriot GM Sanan Sjugirov in 53 moves to hike his total to four points, the same output put in by GMs Le Quang Liem and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam, who drew their match after only 14 moves.

So takes on GM Arman Pashikian of Armenia in the sixth round late Sunday.

Pashikian, the highest ranked among four Armenians in the field with a 2647 rating, pulled the rug from under top seed GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France in the fifth round.

GM Darwin Laylo, meanwhile, took his fourth defeat as he lost to GM Josep Manu Martinez of Spain.