World Juniors 2007

Here's NM Bernardino's piece about the currently running World Junior Chess. I was told the sole winner or Top 1 placer of this event automatically gets the GM title. With Wesley on top right now and let's hope he finishes on top, we'll have our 8th and youngest Filipino GM. What you say?

SO, NEBOLSINA GRABS LEAD IN WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

Individual Standings after round 5:

(Boys)

4.5 points---IM Wesley So (Philippines)

4.0 points---GM Maxim Rodshtein (Israel), GM Ivan Popov (Russia), GM Georg Meier (Germany), GM Daniel Stellwagen (Netherlands), GM Ahmed Adley (Egypt), IM Hrant Melkumyan (USA)

3.5 points--- GM Wang Hao (China), GM Dmitry Andreikin (Russia), GM Victor Laznicka (Czech Republic), GM Deepan Chakkravarthy (India), GM Bassem Amin (Egypt), GM David Howell (England), IM Evgeny Romanov (Russia), IM Gopal Narayanan (India), IM Avetik Grigoryan (Armenia), Jayaram Ashwin (Armenia), Pablo Garcia (Spain)

(Girls)

5.0 points---WIM Vera Nebolsina (Russia)

4.0 points---WGM Sabrina Vega (Spain), WGM Sanjay Karavade (India), WGM Bela Khotenashvili (Georgia), IM Harika Dronavalli (India), WIM Swaminathan Soumya (India), WFM Tatev Abrahamyan (USA), WFM Sarah Hoolt (Germany)

INTERNATIONAL MASTER Wesley So of the Philippines and Woman International Master Vera Nebolsina of Russia grabs the solo leadership board in their respective brackets after fifth round of the 2007 World Juniors and Girls Chess Championships at the T. Petrosian Chess House in Yerevan , Armenia, on Sunday.

The No.13 seed So, who celebrated his 14th birthday today toppled No.15 GM David Howell of England to raise his total 4.5 points in the Boy's 20 and under class of this FIDE 13 round Swiss-system tournament.

So employing the white pieces showed his mastery in the four knights game via Scotch Game transposition and gained a pawn up enroute a positional advantage after GM Howell committed a Nh7 blunder moves in the 14 th moves after the former (So) sacrfice his Bishop to h6. GM Howell resigned after 37 pushes,

According to NM Mario Rebano who is watching the online games in internet, normal moves is Be6 of GM Howell instead Nh7 to solidify his position.

So next assignment is No.9 GM Georg Meier of Germany who held into a draw with No. 3 GM Maxim Rodshtein of Israel after 27 moves of a Caro Kann Defense.

GMs Rodshtein and Meier now has 4.0 points, the same output of GM Ivan Popov of Russia, GM Daniel Stellwagen of the Netherlands, GM Ahmed Adley of Egypt, and IM Hrant Melkumyan of USA.

In other matches saw GM Stellwagen trounced GM Arman Pashikian of Armenia, GM Popov nipped Dzurabek Khamrakulov of Armenia, and GM Adley crushed GM Jones Gawain of England.

In the Girl's 20 and under class, WIM Vera Nebolsina of Russia beat over-night co-leader WFM Sarah Hoolt of Germany to post her fifth straight wins in as many rounds.

Filipina Woman National Master Aices Salvador scored her second wins against WFM Ruth Lovece of Argentina. (MARLON BERNARDINO).