Standings after two rounds (RP unless stated):
2.0 points?W. So, R. Antonio, Li C. (China), S. Megaranto (Indonesia), A.D. Nguyen (Vietnam), R. Bancod, R. Olay, J. Gomez, J. Sadorra; 1.5?E. Maghami (Iran), T.H. Dai (Vietnam), Q.L. Le (Vietnam), W. Zhou (China), Zhang X. (China), M., Mahjoob (Iran), Wang X. (China), D. Liu (Indonesia), Jia H. (China), Z.H. Wynn (Myanmar), B. Villamayor, R. Nolte, E. Senador, D. Ballecer, H. Nouri, N. Villanueva
SUBIC?Wesley So sowed fear right away in the second Philippine Open international chess championship here.
Still wielding the form that earned him the Dubai Open and Battle of GMs crowns in succession, the 14-year-old So trounced his first two opponents to share the early lead in the 11-round tournament at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.
The world?s youngest GM from Bacoor, Cavite, downed FIDE Master Roderick Nava in 56 moves of the English Opening Wednesday night and then humbled IM Chandra Purnama of Indonesia in 33 moves of the Sicilian on Thursday to lead the favorites? march for the $6,000 top purse.
GMs Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia, Li Chao of China and Anh Dung Nguyen of Vietnam and five other Filipinos ? GM Rogelio Antonio Jr., International Masters John Paul Gomez, Julio Catalino Sadorra and Ronald Bancod and Reggie Olay ? joined So at the helm with 2.0 points.
?Magandang simula pero mahaba pa po ito (It?s a good start, but this [tournament] has a long way to go),? said So. ?Basta laban lang lagi (I?ll always go for the win).?
So, who also bested Megaranto in a one-on-one showdown in Jakarta last month, will face Olay, who trounced first-round winner David Elorta, in the third round.
Antonio, bidding to reclaim his No. 1 ranking in the Philippines from So, beat Jayson Salubre in the first round and IM Hafizulhelmi Mas of Malaysia in the second round.
The 21-year-old Gomez, a three-time national junior champion, bested IM Irine Sukandar of Indonesia and Kaiqi Yang of China; Sadorra downed Catherine Perena and IM Sebastian Simanjuntak of Indonesia; and Bancod dumped Rolando Andador and Karl Victor Ochoa, who shocked IM Salor Sitanggang of Indonesia in the first round.
Megaranto, spearhead of 11 Indonesian bets in the $40,000-event, beat Deshun Xiu of China and FM Lin Naing Kyaw of Myanmar.
Chao, winner of the second President GMA Cup last November, thwarted compatriots Zhang Ziyang and Li Wang, respectively.
Nguyen, one of three Vietnamese entries, trounced Efren Bagamasbad and Barlo Nadera in succession.
Unheralded Dino Ballecer provided another surprise when he held top seed GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran to a draw in their top board encounter. Maghami humbled IM Chito Garma in the first round.
Other reversals were posted by NM Emmanuel Senador, who downed third seed Win Lay Zaw of Myanmar; and Wan Xiaohui of China, who toppled IM Richard Bitoon.
