Win gives So full-point edge in Italy chess

MANILA, Philippines - Grandmaster Wesley So outplayed GM Baadur Jobava of Georgia in 37 moves of a French duel transposed into a King’s Indian Attack Friday night to move a draw closer to topping the ACP Golden Chess Classic in Bergamo, Italy.

So punished Jobava’s opening deviation as the 20-year-old Filipino forced the latter into a bad position, gained two queenside passed pawns and was about to win the exchange when the Georgian resigned.

After five games and a bye the day before, the Webster U standout had a tournament best four points, a full point ahead of Israeli GM and organizing ACP president Emil Sutovsky, going into the final round.

A draw against untitled Italian Sabino Brunello in the last round would clinch So his second victory of the year after he also topped a month back the Capablanca Memorial, which catapulted him to 15th in the FIDE world rankings.

So also moved from No. 13 two days ago to No. 12 in the rankings as he now has a live rating of 2757.3.

In five games, So is undefeated with three wins, the other two against Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi and italian Daniele Vocaturo, and two draws with Sutovsky and Hungarian GM Zoltan Almasi.

After this tournament, So is reported to be training with his coach Susan Polgar’s sister, Judit, in Hungary for a week before going straight to Tromso, Norway where he will coach the United States chess team in the 41st Olympiad from Aug. 1-15.

So has announced he will switch federations, which forced the Phl, composed of GMs Oliver Barbosa, Julio Catalino Sadorra, John Paul Gomez and Eugene Torre, to replace him with newly minted International Master Paulo Bersamina.