WORLD no. 2 Wesley So is all set to become the first Filipino woodpusher to conquer the United States Chess Championship’s men’s division.
So closed in on the title after he drew with five-time champion Gata Kamsky in 53 moves last Saturday at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis in St. Louis, Missouri.
The 23-year-old So used the Slav variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined in posting his seventh draw in 10 games.
But two others, Varuzhan Akobian and Alexander Onischuk, are also in contention for the crown.The two have 6.5 points after Akobian drew with Ray Robson in 50 moves of a Queen’s Gambit Declined and Onischuk stopped Jeffrey Xiong in 52 moves of a Gruenfeld Opening.
Two former champions, Fabiano Caruana (2016) and Hikaru Nakamura are behind with 5.5 points.
The 2822 ELO-rated So, who posted his first win over Kamsky last year in round 1, took note of his foe’s decision to make an e6 pawn push in the 6th move. The black-playing Kamsky’s move immobilized his light-squared bishop at c8.
From there, So gained control of his queenside and equalized by pushing his queen and rook to the left side of the board, giving him a chance to simplify the game in his favor.
When Kamsky offered a draw, So was wielding a two-pawn advantage at endgame.