By Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–A day after securing the second of three grandmaster norms he needs to become a full-fledged GM, Wesley So lost his match against Indian International Master Abhijeet Gupta in the 10th round Saturday of the World Juniors and Girls Chess Championships at the T. Petrosian Chess House in Yerevan, Armenia.

The 14-year-old from Bacoor, Cavite, resigned after 38 moves of a Sicilian Defense, Ritzer Rauzer Attack, and fell out of contention with just three rounds left in the tournament.

The loss was the third for So, who also has five victories and two draws.

The standings:

7.5 points — GM Wang Hao (China), GM Ivan Popov (Russia), IM Grigoryan Avetik (Armenia); 7.0 — GM Ahmed Adly (Egypt), GM Georg Meier (Germany), GM Dmitry Andreikin (Russia), IM Abhijeet Gupta (India); 6.5 — GM Arman Pashikian (Armenia), GM Daniel Stellwagen (Netherlands), GM Victor Laznicka (Czech Republic), IM Marcus Ragger (Austria), IM Davit Jojua (Georgia),Viacheslav Kulakov (Russia); 6.0 — IM Wesley So (Philippines),GM Maxim Rodshtein (Israel), GM Parimarjan Negi (India), GM David Howell (England), GM Gawain Jones (England), IM Daan Brandenburg (Netherlands), IM Evgeny Romanov (Russia), IM Gogineni Rohit (India), IM Gopal Narayanan (India), IM Fidel Corrales (Cuba), IM Tamas Banusz (Hungrary), IM Hrant Melkumyan (US). Report from Marlon Bernardino, Contributor

By Virginie Montet
Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON–He sleeps on a bench, but he is king of chess during the day at Washington’s Dupont Circle, where he dazzles beginners and masters alike with his winning moves on the park’s stone chessboards.

Tom Murphy, 49, makes what little money he has from teaching his prodigious knowledge of the game to passersby for a few dollars.

“He has the title of expert in chess. This is the second highest American title; above him are master. So it means he is quite good,” said Washington’s Chess Center director David Mehler.

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By Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–Unheralded Filipino FIDE Master Virgilio Vuelban stole the thunder from the grandmasters recently by topping the tough Rome International Chess Festival in the Italian capital.

Vuelban, 35, who has an ELO rating of 2332, beat two GMs in tallying 5.5 points on five wins and a draw in the six-round Swiss tourney.

Among Vuelban’s victims were top seed Russian GM Oleg Korneev and Bulgarian GM Milko Povchev.

Just last Saturday, International Master Rolly Martinez earned his first GM norm when he finished fourth in the 27th Chess Festival in Bratto, Italy. He pooled 6.5 points.

Martinez, the solo overnight leader, dropped his ninth and final match to eventual champion GM Vladimir Burmakin of Russia. Marlon Bernardino, Contributor

Final Standings

5.5 points — FM Virgilio Vuelban (RP); 5.0 — GM Igors Rausis (Czech Republic), IM Milan Mrdja (Croatia); 4.5 — GM Oleg Korneev (Russia), GM Igor Naumkin (Russia), IM Bogomil Andonov (Bulgaria), GM Milko Povchev (Bulgaria)

By Marlon Bernardino
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–Filipino International Master Rolly Martinez yielded to Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Burmakin in the ninth round and settled for fourth place in the 27th International Chess Festival in Bratto, Italy, Saturday.

Martinez lost after 40 moves of the Nimzo Indian Defense and was stuck at 6.5 points, dropping into a tie for 3rd to 8th places with GM Vladimir Epishin of Russia, GM Sergei Tiviakov (Netherlands), Jacob Aagaard (Scotland) and GM Alberto David (Luxembourg).

If any consolation, the Milan-based Martinez got his first GM result and 600 euros.

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