So’s success in Dubai

Wesley impressive
12 April 2008

DUBAI — Grandmasters rallied back to the reckoning as school boy Wesley So of Philippines opened up a crucial half a point lead in the Dubai open chess Championship. Wesley has emerged as the front runner for the championship title, a Press release said.

Wesley enhanced his reputation as the world’s youngest grandmaster by reaching the top of the leader board at the Dubai Open Chess Championship at Dubai Chess Club on Thursday.

Wesley won the battle of wits to defeat Salem and top the group as sole leader with five points.

The UAE top junior talent Salem was involved in a tremendous complicated struggle against Wesley, which kept the spectators at the edge of the seats. Salem lost the crucial match in 34 moves from a Sicilian Defense. Both players deployed their pieces actively and Wesley struck a novelty to expose the castled position. In a tactical melee, Salem was an exchange ahead but was unable to defend against a coordinate attack against his king. Wesley activated his queen to conduct a decisive mating attack.

Grandmaster Gagunashvili Merab of Georgia won against GM Kotanjian Tigran of Armenia and is half a point behind the leader. FM Salem A.R. Saleh of the UAE, GM Kotsur Pavel of Kazakhstan, GM Gelashvili Tamaz and GM Arutinian David of Georgia, GM Drozdovskij Yuri and GM Neverov Valeriy of Ukraine, GM Abhijeet Gupta of India, Ghaem Maghami Ehsan and Sadatnajafi M of Iran, GM Adly Ahmed and IM Frhat Ali of Egypt, GM Li Chao B of China, and GM Gleizerov Evgeny of Russia are at the third spot with four points.

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