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Final standings after nine rounds:

7 points -– L. Q. Liem (Vietnam)

6.5 –- A. Korobov (Russia)

6 -– A. Motylev (Russia), Z. Jianchao (China), N.N. Truong Son (Vietnam), B. Grachev (Russia).

5.5 -- I. Cheparinov (Bulgaria), M. Vachier-Lagrave (France), I. Nepomnichtchi (Russia), B. Xiangzhi (China), W. So (RP), G. Sargissian (Armenia), B. Savchenko (Russia), E. Bacrot (France), A. Timofeev (Russia), E. Bareev (Russia), E. Najer (Russia), E. Iturrizaga (Venezuela), A. Dreev (Russia)

MOSCOW, Russia -– GM Wesley So of the Philippines made history by bagging the top junior award for the second straight year in the 2010 Aeroflot Open chess championships at the Hotel Gamma-Delta of the Ismailovo Tourist Complex here.

So agreed to a final-round draw with GM Eduardo Iturrizaga of Venezuela with the black pieces after only 10 moves of the Queen’s Gambit.

He accepted to finish in a tie for seventh to 19th places with 5.5 points on three wins, five draws and only one loss in the prestigious, nine-round tournament.

Overall, So finished in 11th place after the tiebreak – a big improvement from his last year’s performance where he finished only in a tie for 19th to 36th places with five points on three wins, four draws and two losses.

But the draw was also more than enough for the 16-year-old Filipino champion to bring home the coveted top junior trophy given to the highest-placed player 18 years old and below for the second year in a row.

For the award, So upstaged GMs Sanan Sjugirov of Russia and Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan, who closed out with 4.5 points, and GM Saleh Salem of the United Arab Emirates, who wound up with three points.

Last year, the Bacoor, Cavite-based So also edged Safarli and Sjugirov for the award.

So, the unanimous choice as the “Chess Player of the Year” for 2009 by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA), pocketed 2,500 euros for his feat.

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (INCFP) president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay and secretary-general and Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino lauded So for his newest achievement in international chess.

“It was another big achievement for Wesley and the Filipino people. His tremendous success provides the inspiration to our chess players to continue to do their best to excel,” said Pichay, who is mainly responsible for the growing popularity of chess in the country again.

Tolentino said So’s triumph as the top junior player in Aeroflot validates his claim as the world’s brightest young new player.

GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam emerged as the solo champion when he toppled former winner GM Ian Nepomniattchi of Russia after 60 moves of English opening.

Le finished with a nine-round total of seven points on five wins and four draws to capture the title and the top prize of 21,000 euros.

But GM Anton Korobov of Russia prevented a 1-2 finish for the Vietnamese when he defeated GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son in 36 moves of Gruenfeld defense to clinch solo second place with 6.5 points. He earned 12,000 euros.

Four players -- GM Alexander Motylev of Russia, GM Zhou Jianchao of China, GM Boris Grachev of Russia and Truong Son -– shared third to sixth places with six points.

So finished with 5.5 points, the same score of last year’s champion GM Etienne Bacrot of France, top seed Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, GM Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria, GM Evgeny Bareev, GM Boris Savchenko, GM Evgeniy Najer, GM Artyom Timofeev and GM Alexey Dreev of Russia, GM Bu Xiangzhi of China, GM Gabriel Sargissian of Armenia, Iturrizaga and Nepomnichtchi.

Among the notable players who finished behind So in this tournament widely considered as the world’s strongest Open Swiss competition included former world championship candidate GM Gata Kamsky of the United States, GM Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan, GM Krishnan Sasikiran of India, GM Alexander Khalifman of Russia, GM Andrei Volokotin of Ukraine, GM Akadij Naiditsch of Germany, GM Luke McShane of England, GM Arman Pashikian of Armenia and GM Giovanni Vescovi of Brazil.

The only other Filipino campaigner in the tournament -– GM Darwin Laylo -– withdrew after one draw and six losses in the tournament. (PNA)

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