So, Jose keep lead in chess

Wesley So

PALEMBANG, Indonesia—Grandmaster Wesley So and two-time national women’s champion WFM Rulp Ylem Jose notched their second straight wins Friday to keep the lead in their respective division of the standard chess competition of the 26th Southeast Asian Games here.

So, the country’s top player at 18, downed International Master Jimmy Liew of Indonesia while Jose stunned Indonesian WGM Irine Kharisma Sukandar.

Sharing the lead with So at 2.0 points was Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto, who downed Vietnamese GM Cao Sang at the Swarna Dwipa Hotel.

Saturday night’s third round pits So, ranked No. 3 in the world for players 20 and below, against Megaranto, winner of the Asian 3.3 Zone Championship held in Tagaytay City last May, with So handling black.

Fide Master Kyaw Lin Naing trounced FM Teerapabpaisit Wisuwat of Thailand to bounce back from his first round loss to So.

Former Far Eastern University stalwart Jose also has 2 points, half a point up on Vietnamese WIM Nguyen Thi Mai Hung, who triumphed over Malaysian Camilia Bt Johari.

In men’s rapid play, GM Oliver Barbosa subdued Malaysian IM Mas Hafizulhelmi only to lose to Vietnam’s GM Le Quang Liem.

Oliver got stuck at 3.5 points, the same output of Indonesian FM Rudin Hamdani. Le, who drew with Vietnamese GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son in the fourth, grabbed the solo lead with 4.0 points.

Veteran GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio drew with Hamdani in the fourth then toppled Nyi Nyi Lwin of Malaysia in the fifth to stay in contention with 3.0 points, the same total posted by Truong Son, IM Nyo Naing of Myanmar and Malaysian IM Mas Hafizulhelmi.

In women’s rapid play, WIM Catherine Perena yielded to Thai Taweesupmun Chanida in the fourth round but rebounded with a win over Indonesian WFM Dewi Aa Citra.

WFM Cherry Ann Mejia bested Malaysian WCM Nur Nabila Azman Hisham only to bow to Vietnamese WGM Pham Le Thao Nguyen.

Pham stayed in front with 4.5 points, towing Perena and Vietnamese WGM Hoang Thi Bao Tram with 3.5 points each.