SO STRIKES AGAIN IN DUBAI CHESS
By Arman Armero

Manila Standard Today, Philippines
April 27 2006

FIDE master Wesley So, a 12-year-old kid among chess giants,
secured his second win in three matches to bring himself closer to
an international master norm after three rounds in the eighth Dubai
Open Chess Championship late Tuesday at the Dubai Chess and Culture
Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

So, the country’s youngest chess whiz from Bacoor, Cavite, demolished
IM Sale Srdjan of Croatia after 42 pushes of a Benko Opening to be
in the company of 10 other players in the event, historically the
strongest open tournament in Asia.

Also in So’s company in a tie from 11th to 21st places are grandmasters
Ashot Anastasian of Armenia, Levan Pantsulaia of Georgiz, Tigran
Petrosian of Armenia, Moussa Taleb of the UAE and IMs Oleg Kulicov
of Russia, Farid Abbasov of Azerbaijan, SA Sarsam of Iraq, Abhijeet
Gupta of India, Fouad El Taher of Egypt and fellow FM Eltaj Safari
of Azerbaijan.

So’s fourth-round opponent is Taher, formerly a Board 1 player for
Egypt in various world team championships.

Standings after three rounds: Izoria, Sadvakasov, Sargissian,
Miroshnichenko, Kacheishvili, Maghami, Fedorchuk, Gelashvili, Kotsur,
Gagunashvili 3.0 points; So, Pantsulaia, Petrosia, Taleb, Kulicov,
Abbasov, Taher, Sarsam, Gupta. Safari.