WESLEY SO UPSETS GEORGIAN GM

GAINS A SHARE OF LEAD IN DUBAI CHESS CUP

Individual Standings after round 3:

3.0 points---GM Wesley So (PHILIPPINES), GM Abhijeet Gupta (India), GM Yuri Drozdovskij (Ukraine), GM Ahmed Adly (Egypt), GM Pavel Kotsur (Kazakhstan), GM Merab Gagunashvili (Georgia), FM Saleh Salem (UAE), Zhou Weiqi (China)

2.5 points---IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (PHILIPPINES)…

RP Whiz Kid No.16 pick GM Wesley So (2540) continued his hot streak as the country's top player by defeating No.3 GM Levan Pantsulaia (2617) of Georgia using the disadvantageous black pieces and gain a share of lead along seven others after three rounds of the annual $45,000 Dubai Open dubbed as The Sheikh Rashed Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup being held at the Dubai Chess Club in United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday.

Also with perfect 3.0 points aside from So are GM Abhijeet Gupta of India, GM Yuri Drozdovskij of Ukraine, GM Ahmed Adly of Egypt, GM Pavel Kotsur of Kazakhstan, GM Merab Gagunashvili of Georgia, FM Saleh Salem of United Arab Emirates and Zhou Weiqi of China.

So, whose local and International campaign is supported by NCFP president Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. and Filway Marketing Inc. CEO/President Hector Tagaysay will square off with No.9 GM Adly (2578), the reigning world junior champion, who beat No.28 GM RB Ramesh (2472) of India.

Meanwhile, No.29 IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (2455) held into a draw with No.10 GM Tigran Kotanjian (2570) of Armenia to raise his total to 2.5 points and share ninth to 19th placers together with fourth round opponent No.8 GM Li Chao (2581) of China, who also drew with No.25 IM RR Laxman (2488) of India.

Two oversees Filipino workers former RP kiddie champion NM Robert Arellano and journalist Jobannie Tabada also won their third round matches for 2.0 points each after three games of play and joints 20th to 61st placers. Arellano beat C Natarajan of India while Tabada shocked FM Abdo Somoff of Libya.

FM Antonio Molina bowed to Amin Nasri of Iran to remains at 1.0 point along with fellow OFW Ernesto Yap, who beat Ali Abdulaziz of the host country.

According to chief arbiter Filipino Casto "Toti" Abundo, the annual event being held celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with 131 players from 25 countries in the tournament which attracted 29 GM/WGM, 21 IM/WIM and 22 FM/WFM.

contributed by MARLON BERNARDINO, edited by jovie sison