INQUIRER Sports

FILIPINO GM Wesley So, 15, won with the black pieces against former world title challenger Gata Kamsky of the US in game 1 of their World Chess Cup matchup.

So employed the French defense once again and entered time control with two pawns ahead.

So exhibited nerves of steel in the pressure packed moments of the endgame until Kamsky resigned on the 53rd move. So now has advantage in their next game as Kamsky is in a must win situation with the black pieces to force a tiebreaker.

In the first round So beat GM Gadir Guseinov of Azerbaijan and then scored an earth shaking upset of highly ranked GM Vasily Ivanchuk of the Ukraine. It was So?s French defense that proved decisive in his second round match-up victory against the world number 12.

In 2007 So became the youngest grandmaster in Philippine history at 14 years and one month old. He earned his ticket to the World Cup by placing 2nd during the Zone 3.3 Chess Championship which was held last July in Vietnam.

He is the country?s highest ranked player today.

Kamsky was inactive for 8 years but won the Chess World Cup in 2007. This year he lost his match against Veselin Topalov for the right to challenge for the World Chess Championship 2010. Topalov won 4.5 - 2.5.