Wesley shares Vegas top honors

MANILA, Philippines - World Cup-bound GM Wesley So scored four wins and drew twice to finish joint first with fellow Filipino GM Enrico Sevillano and four others in the Las Vegas International Chess Festival at the Riviera Casino & Hotel in Nevada Sunday.

So, priming up for the top-level World Cup tilt in August along with Filipino GMs Mark Paragua and Oliver Barbosa, defeated GM Tamaz Gelashvili of Georgia in the fifth round but settled for a draw against GM Alejandro Ramirez of Costa Rica in the final round and missed clinching the overall crown.

The US-based Sevillano, on the other hand, swept his last two matches against GM Conrad Holt of the US and GM Fidel Jimenez to gain a share of first.

Others who scored five points were GM Jaan Ehlvest of Estonia, GM Varuzhan Akobian of Armenia, GM Manuel Leon Hoyos of Mexico and Ramirez.

So, who won the recent Canada Open crown, is upbeat of his chances in the upcoming World Cup, slated Aug. 10-Sept. 5 in Tromso, Norway.