Grandmaster Wesley So waylaid Vietnam’s Le Quang Liem, 2.5-0.5, in the first of their two-set finale to move on the verge of topping the $1.6 million Chessable Masters of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Saturday.
The Cavite-born, 27-year-old So smashed Le in a Ruy Lopez setup twice – the first after 43 moves and the other after 29 moves in the third game that sealed the set.
The second game ended in a 38-move standoff.
So, the world Fischer-Random king and two-time United States champion, will only need a 2-2 draw to claim his third title in the tour after reigning supreme in the inaugural Skilling Open in November last year and Opera Euro Rapid in February.
Despite the morale-boosting win, he said he wouldn’t be complacent.
“Even though I won, I can’t relax or put a back pedal on it because Liem is very capable of coming back,” So said in an interview with the tournament website.
A victory here would give So 50 tour points that would push him closer to overall leader and reigning world classical champion Magnus Carlsen.
In the battle for third, Russian Vladislav Artemiev and Armenian Levon Aronian fought to a 2-2 deadlock.