So, Gomez set pace with decisive wins

TAGAYTAY City, Philippines – Defending champion GM Wesley So made short work of IM Julio Catalino Sadorra in only 35 moves of the French Winnawer variation to take the headstart in the 2010 Phoenix Petroleum-Battle of GMs chess championship at the Character Hotel here Tuesday.

The 16-year-old Filipino champion, who ruled the first two stagings of the tournament held in Manila in 2008 and Dapitan City last year, pounced on Sadorra’s premature pawn sacrifice on the 17th move and seized control in the highly-complicated middle game battle.

“I’m happy to win my first game in this tournament. Ino (Sadorra) is a tough player, but he made some lapses in the middle game,” said So, who also avenged a previous loss to the Singapore-based Sadorra during the 2008 Pichay Cup in Parañaque.

GM John Paul Gomez also made his presence felt by humbling IM Oliver Dimakiling.in 42 moves of the Pirc to join So in the early lead.

Six other players settled for quick, uneventful draws in the 11-round tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) in cooperation with the Tagaytay City government and Phoenix Petroleum.