So checkmates Dubai chess title

Wesley So

Wesley So, the Filipino whiz kid topped the $45,000 Dubai Open chess championships at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

So, currently the youngest grandmaster in the world at 14, held his ground against Chinese GM Li Chao on Board 1, agreeing to a draw after 18 moves of a Sicilian Defense Accelerated Dragon skirmish to clinch the crown in the highly competitive event attracting 29 GMs and a total field of 131.

The Bacoor, Cavite resident actually finished tied with Li and two others on top with seven points each at the end of the nine-round Swiss system tourney. But So took the coveted Sheikh Rashed Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup with a better tiebreak score.

Georgian GM Merab Gagunashvili also halved the point with Ukrainian GM Valeriy Neverov on Board 2 to take the first runner-up honors. Iranian GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami whipped Kazakh GM Nurlan Ibrayev to finish third followed by Li.

So, Gagunashvili, Maghami and Li evenly split the prizes for the top four totaling $18,000, earning $4,500 each.

Seeded No. 16 in the tourney, So with a 2540 Elo rating, finished with seven points with six wins, two draws and one loss.

So is next competing in another tough competition in Indonesia before returning home for the Battle of Philippine Grandmasters.