So seals crown with quiet draw

MANILA, Philippines - Grandmaster Wesley So held top seed English GM Michael Adams to a draw in 21 moves to officially clinch the 17th Unive Tournament crown in Hoogeveen, Netherlands yesterday.

With the title virtually in the bag, So still went for a win, opting for a complicated tactical line of the Nimzo-Indian and emerging from a minor piece exchange with an active pair of bishops.

But Adams, the world No. 13 and boasting of the highest rating here with 2753, neutralized whatever slight advantage the Filipino had with sound knight countermoves, forcing the Filipino to a draw via repetition moves.

Still, the standoff proved enough for So, ranked No. 40 in the world, to secure the title with 4.5 points in the double-round tournament.

Adams finished joint second with Dutch GM Robin Van Kampen with 3.5 points.

It was So’s second victory following his gold medal effort in the Universiade in Kazan, Russia in July.