Reykjavik Open 2013 chess: So in fighting draw vs French GM

Individual standings after Round 6:

5.5 points---GM Pavel Eljanov (Ukraine)

5.0 points---GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France), GM Anish Giri (The Netherlands), GM Yu Yangyi (China), GM Wesley Barbasa So (Philippines), GM Grzegorz Gajewski (Poland), GM Gawain Jones (England), GM Stelios Halkias (Greece), 

FILIPINO GM Wesley Barbasa So battled French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave to a draw in the sixth  round of the  28th Reykjavik Open chess championships at Harpa, the 28.000 sqm. concert hall in Iceland on Sunday.

Playing black against the second-seed Vachier-Lagrave (ELO 2715), the seventh-seeded Filipino champion  (ELO 2684)  chose a rare line and played aggressively throughout before settling for a draw in 27 moves of Sicilian defense, kan variation.

"Wesley looked very much relaxed ( during the game against Vachier-Lagrave). He now plays almost like a  young  (Viswananthan) Anand." said National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Chairman/President Prospero 'Butch' Pichay Jr., who watched the game live through internet. 

So actually chose a rare line 5...Qc7 which  Vachier-Lagrave countered with an interesting 6.Be3.

In the 19 moves of So...Nxe5, Vachier-Lagrave opted for  more complications and  played aggressively 20. Ba8, sacrificing his Queen for a two Rooks, Knight, White bishop, and five Pawns against So's Queen, Rook and six Pawns.

The 19-year-old Bacoor, Cavite whiz kid, who is now studying at the Webster University in the United States,will gun for his important win  when he plays  white against 23th-seeded GM Stelios Halkias (ELO 2566) of Greece in the seventh round.

The draw enabled So, top player of National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Chairman/President Prospero 'Butch' Pichay Jr. and Secretary-General Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino Jr.,  to share 2nd to 8th place of the group of 5.0 pointers in the company of GM Anish Giri of the Netherlands, GM Yu Yangyi of China, GM Grzegorz Gajewski of Poland, GM Gawain Jones of England and Halkias.

In other matches saw, Yu halved the point with Giri while Gajewski split the point with countryman GM Bartosz Socko while Jones nipped GM Hannes Stefansson of Sweden

GM Pavel Eljanov of Ukraine trounced GM Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria to grabs the solo lead with 5.5 points. After Round 6, So' Rating performance is 2706, equavallent so called "Hydra GM", higher than a Super Grandmaster (2600 mark) according to Pichay.  -Marlon Bernardino-