By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Wesley So fought fellow American Levon Aronian to a 44-move draw of a Queen’s Gambit Accepted Tuesday to remain on top after five rounds of the Grand Chess Tour’s Sinquefield Cup 2022 in Saint Louis, Missouri.
The Cavite-born American So now has three points on a win, which came at the expense of fellow American Fabiano Caruana, and four draws.
The reigning World Fischer Random king and two-time US champion was half a point ahead of a four-man chase pack composed of Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi, Caruana, and Americans Leinier Dominguez-Perez and Hans Moke Niemann with 2.5 points each.
The tournament takes a break Wednesday before resuming the next day for the sixth round where So clashes with Neimann.
Interestingly, Neimann has drawn much attention after he beat reigning world classical champion Magnus Carlsen in the third round Sunday that led to the latter’s shocking withdrawal.
So’s last two games will be against Iran-born Alireza Firouzja in the eighth and pentultimate round Friday and Dominguez-Perez in the final round Saturday.
He draws a seventh-round bye sincer Carlsen pulled out.
