CHESS PIECE by Bobby Ang 07 May 2010
ASIAN INTERCONTINENTAL
The 9th Asian Continental took place from April 20-30, 2010, in the Subic Bay Free Port, Olongapo City. Ni Hua won with 7/9 half a point ahead of Wesley So, Abhijeet Gupta, Jianchao Zhou and Le Quang Liem.
Final Top Standings
1 GM Ni Hua CHN 2667, 7.0/9
2-5 GM Wesley So PHI 2665, GM Abhijeet Gupta IND 2560, GM Zhou Jianchao CHN 2650, GM Le Quang Liem VIE 2689, 6.5/9
6-12 GM Yu Yangyi CHN 2574, Zeng Chongsheng CHN 2350, GM Ding Liren CHN 2565, GM Li Chao CHN 2613, Wan Yunguo CHN 2424, IM SP Sethuraman IND 2493, GM Zhou Weiqi CHN 2584, 6.0/9
13-27 Yu Ruiyuan CHN 2309, FM Asghar Golizadeh IRI 2454, GM Tejas Bakre IND 2465, GM Krishnan Sasikiran IND 2686, FM Jan Emmanuel Garcia PHI 2315, GM Susanto Megaranto INA 2527, GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami IRI 2575, GM Nguyen Ngoc Truongson VIE 2642, GM Rogelio Antonio Jr PHI 2572, IM Dronavali Harika IND 2473, GM Penteala Harikrishna IND 2660, Xiu Deshun CHN 2493, GM Zhang Zhong SIN 2603, IM Dzhurabek Khamrakulov UZB 2509, GM Wen Yang CHN 2520, 5.5/9
Total of 90 players
Time Control: 90 minutes first 40 moves then 30 minutes for the rest of the game with a 30 second increment added after every move starting move 1.
The first five (5) placers gain slots to the 2011 World Cup, the next step towards determining the challenger to the world champion (whoever wins the ongoing Anand vs Topalov match).
We know that the BW reader is already impatient to see Wesley So’s games, so I will give you two of his wins. Wesley’s opponent in the next game is the strongest player ever from the UAE and a legend in Arabian youth chess. He has won virtually all the age group titles and, in 2008, won both the Arab Under-16 Championship and the Arab adult crown against the best chessers in Arabia, including powerhouse Egypt.
After losing to Ni Hua in round 7 Wesley’s qualification spot was put into jeopardy, so he had to win in the next round, which he accomplished as follows.
Reader comments/suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com
