Wesley claims hard-fought 45-mover over Barcenilla

MANILA, Philippines - Top seed Wesley So missed some lines in his razor-sharp King’s Indian duel with US-based GM Banjo Barcenilla but still found a way to eke out a 45-move win and remain on top of the heap with four points in the National Chess Championships at the National Press Club Auditorium yesterday.

The 17-year-old So, who beat GMs Joseph Sanchez, Joey Antonio and Roland Salvador in the first three rounds, missed gaining a pawn and a passed d-pawn in a middle game skirmish as Barcenilla sacrificed a knight for two pawns to stop So’s impending attack and create a counter-play.

But So, priming up for this year’s World Cup, found the right moves in time as he translated his material and positional edge into a victory, his fourth in row in the event also known as the Battle of GMs.

He remained one point ahead of GM Darwin Laylo, who beat Sanchez in 49 moves of a Slav for his third point in the event backed by Pilipinas Shell, Waterfront Hotel and Casino, Philippine Sports Commission, Remate and Hataw.

So, however, was unimpressed with the game.

“I made some inaccuracies in the opening,” said So. “But I kept on finding a weakness and I found one and attacked that isolated (c7) pawn.

“Banjo tried to get some counter-play with a knight sacrifice for two pawns but I knew I’m already winning,” So added.

Laylo, for his part, battered Sanchez’ Slav Defense with a solid attack that gave him a material edge following a rook-for-a-knight exchange to post his second straight win against two draws.

“I’m just happy to win some games, I hope I would continue to play well,” said Laylo.

GM candidates Oliver Barbosa, Richard Bitoon and Rolando Nolte stayed in the hunt for GM norms as they drew their respective matches in the Category 11 event.

Barbosa battled fellow IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia to a 50-move draw of a King’s Indian, Nolte halved the point with GM Eugene Torre in 18 moves of a Slav, and Bitoon split the point with Antonio in 33 moves of a Caro-Kann defense to hike their output to 2.5 points.

GM John Paul Gomez scored the only other win in the round, beating Yves Rañola in 36 moves of an English game for his second point, the same output by Garcia, Torre and GM Mark Paragua.

Paragua fought Salvador to a 31-move standoff in another Slav encounter.