So opens with win over Bong Villamayor

So extends mastery over Villamayor
By Roy Luarca
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:30:00 03/25/2009
Filed Under: Chess

DAPITAN CITY—Top favorite Grandmaster Wesley So downed Bong Villamayor last night to take the head-start in the Phoenix Petroleum-Dapitan City “Battle of Grandmasters” at the Dapitan Resort and Hotel here.

The end came after 25 moves of a London Opening, with So threatening mate with his queen and rook in three moves.

So, winner of the first Battle of GMs in Manila last year, reasserted his supremacy over Villamayor, who now has lost three times in four games to the country’s top player.

Grandmaster Eugene Torre and International Master Rolando Nolte fought to a draw in the first completed match of the 11-round tournament that stakes P900,000 in prizes.

Torre, winner of last year’s GMA Cup, and Nolte agreed to a truce after 36 moves of a Gruenfeld-Slav, with both players having two pawns each and opposite-colored bishops.

Still being played at press time were the games pitting GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. against IM Julio Catalino Sadorra, GM Darwin Laylo against IM Ronald Dableo, GM John Paul Gomez against GM Jayson Gonzales and GM Mark Paragua against IM Richard Bitoon, winner of last year’s Singapore Open.

Here is the full article.