So stays hot, tops Quebec Open tilt

MANILA, Philippines - GM Wesley So continued to stamp his class in Canada in his buildup for next month’s Chess Olympiad, ruling Quebec Open Chess Championship in Montreal Sunday.

So trounced IM Leonid Gerzhoy and GM Bator Sambuev of Canada in the last two rounds to finish unbeaten with 7.5 points in the nine-round event. He beat GM Lazaro Bruzon of Cuba by half-a-point for the crown.

It was So’s second straight victory in as many weeks as he likewise dominated the Toronto International to pocket another $4,000 purse.

So will spearheaded the country’s campaign in the Olympiad slated Aug. 27-Sept. 10 along with fellow GMs Mark Paragua, Oliver Dimakiling, Oliver Barbosa and Eugene Torre.

Meanwhile, Barbosa sets out for his defense of the DYTM Raja Nazrin Shah International Open Chess Championship in Malaysia on Sept. 17-23.

Out to foil the Filipino bet’s back-to-back title bid are GM Sergei Tiviakov of the Netherlands, GM Thomas Luther of Germany, GM Wong Meng Kong of Singapore, GM  Tahir Vakhidov of Uzbekistan and GM Nguyen Ang Dung of Vietnam.