GM Wesley So in Thriller

Mark Paragua scored a quick win in round 8 of the 1st Leg ASEAN Chess Circuit over GM Haji Ardiansyah to hold on to his lead in the Grandmaster "B" section. The ex Pinoy numero uno has 7 points followed by IM Gonzales, with six, then FM Nolte and IM Nadanian, both on 5.

The rest:

4.5 Mahmud
4.0 Barbosa, Sitanggang
3.5 Prayitno
3.0 Barus, Ardiansyah
2.5 Mok
0.5 Sukandar

GM Zhang Zong meanwhile is looking good to win the "A" event as he posted yet another win in the 8th round over RP's Hamed Nouri. Wesley So also won and played what was definitely the eighth round's most exiting game.

AMCC 2008 1st Leg - GM Tournament A
So Wesley
Ginting Nasib
B65

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O Nxd4 9. Qxd4 O-O 10. f4 Qa5 11. h4 Rd8 12. Qe3 h6

Position after 12...h6

13. Be2 Bd7 14. Qg3 Kh8 15. e5 dxe5 16. fxe5 Ng8 17. Qf4 Be8 18. Bd3 f6 19. exf6 Bxf6 20. Bxf6 Nxf6 21. g4 e5 22. Qf1 Bc6 23. g5 Ng8 24. Rg1 e4 25. gxh6 Nxh6 26. Qg2 Nf5 27. Bxe4 Rxd1+ 28. Rxd1 Ne3 29. Qg6 Bxe4 30. Nxe4 Rc8 31. c3 Nxd1

Position after 31...Nxd1

32. Ng5 Rxc3+ 33. Kb1 Rc1+ 34. Kxc1 Qc5+ 35. Kb1 Nc3+ 36. bxc3 Qb5+ 37. Ka1 1-0

Standings after round 8:

7.0 Zhang Zong
5.5 So
5.0 Tirto
4.5 Megaranto, Torre
4.0 Hafizulhemi, Hamed
3.5 Purnama
3.0 Ginting, Kosasih, Situru
1.0 Nadera