Wesley tries to extend run vs Chinese

MANILA, Philippines - Grandmaster Wesley So resumes his hunt for the Corus Group B chess crown as he takes on GM Li Chao of China in the ninth round in Wijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands Tuesday.

So, who wrested the solo lead with a victory over GM Wouter Spoelman of The Netherlands in the eighth round Sunday, hopes to sustain his win run coming off a one-day break as he battles Li on the top board.

The 17-year-old Filipino champion, who topped Group C in 2009 and finished joint fourth in Group B last year, drew his first four matches but swept his last four games in impressive fashions to seize control of the tough field.

With a six-point output, So is half-a-point clear off erstwhile solo leader GM Luke McShane of England heading into the last five rounds of the 14-player, Category 17 tournament.

After Li, winner of the Pres Arroyo Cup in 2007 and the Philippine Open in 2008, So will face off with GM Vlad Tkachiev of France, GM Friso Nijboer of The Netherlands, McShane and top seed GM Radek Wojtaszek of Poland.