Wesley So shares lead in Reykjavik Open 2013 Chess Championship

Individual standings after Round 7:

6.0 points---GM Pavel Eljanov (Ukraine), GM Grzegorz Gajewski (Poland), GM Wesley Barbasa So (Philippines)

5.5 points---GM Anish Giri (The Netherlands), GM Yu Yangyi (China), GM Marcin Dziuba (Poland), GM Ivan Cheparinov (Bulgaria), IM Wei Yi (China), GM Gawain Jones (England), GM Ding Liren (China), GMMustafa Yilmaz (Turkey), GM Alexander Ipatov (Turkey), GM Erwin L'ami (The Netherlands), GM Bassem Amin (Egypt), GM Ivan Sokolov (The Netherlands)

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino Grandmaster (GM) Wesley Barbasa So of the Philippines gets another step closer to the title of the 28th Reykjavik Open chess championships at Harpa, the 28.000 sqm. concert hall in Reykjavik, Iceland on Monday.

The 7th-seeded So (ELO 2684) defeated 23th-seeded GM Stelios Halkias (ELO 2566) of Greece after 41 moves of King's Pawn Opening in the seventh round to join overnight solo-leader GM Pavel Eljanov of Ukraine and GM Grzegorz Gajewski of Poland at the top of the leaderboard.

With three rounds to go, the victory boosted So’s chances of seizing the title and currently a Rating performance of 2761.

Eljanov only managed a draw against GM Anish Giri of The Netherlands after 100 moves of Reti Opening while Gajewski subdued GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France after 78 moves of Gruenfeld defense.

So, Eljanov and Gajewski were tied with 6.0 points each.

The Filipino champion will be facing GM Yu Yangyi (ELO 2688) of China in the crucial eight round of the tournament, while Eljanov will meet Gajewski which offers a prize fund of 15,000 euro with the winner taking 5,000 euro and the runner-up getting 2,000 euro.

So’s campaign is backed up by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) headed by it's Chairman/President Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr., and Secretary-General Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino Jr.

The tournament serves as So’s build up for the 2013 World Chess Cup scheduled on August 10 to September 5in Tromso, Norway. Joining So in the World Chess Cup is fellow GM Oliver Barbosa.  -Marlon Bernardino-