Chess: How does Black win?

THE young Filipino Grandmaster Wesley So took another step towards his desire to be an elite player by sharing the honours at the 19th Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament held at the Classical Hipp Theater in Malmo, Sweden.

So, 18, finished in a three-way tie for the top spot on 3/5, alongside 2010 champion GM Anish Giri of the Netherlands and GM Hans Tikkanen of Sweden. There was no tiebreak to decide the title, which was shared, but So took the bragging rights with the better performance rating of the trio.

For over 40 years, chess in the Philippines has been dominated by the veteran Eugene Torre, dubbed the "Ageless Warrior". But So has emerged from his shadow, and much is expected in the future from the teenager, who many believe could be a future top-ten player and a possible outsider among a newer generation of players to challenge for the world championship.

So has had many near misses in the past with disasters in the final rounds, and he battled back bravely from a heartbreaking penultimate-round loss in Malmo, to score an impressive – not to mention unusual – comeback win in the fifth and final round, by beating Sweden's veteran GM Jonny Hector.

The method and manner of the win was highly unusual, as Hector did what he does best of all by launching a ferocious attack that led to his opponent's king being marched up the board. But this was one king hunt with a difference, as Hector's king was the one to be mated!

J Hector - W So

19th Sigeman & Co., (5)

French Defence, Classical

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bg5 Be7 5 e5 Nfd7 6 h4 0–0 7 Qg4 f6 8 Nf3 Rf7 9 exf6 Nxf6 10 Qg3 Nc6 11 0–0–0 Qf8 12 h5 Bb4 13 Bxf6 Rxf6 14 Bd3 Bd6 15 Ne5 Rxf2 16 Rdf1 Bxe5 17 dxe5 Rxf1+ 18 Rxf1 Qe7 19 Bg6 hxg6 20 hxg6 Nd4 21 Rf7 Qd8 22 Qf4 Nf5 23 g4 Nh4 24 Rxg7+ Kxg7 25 Qf7+ Kh6 26 Qh7+ Kg5 27 Qh5+ Kf4 28 Ne2+ Ke3 29 g5 Nf3 30 Kd1 Qxg5 31 Qh7 Kf2! 0–1