MANILA - Filipino chess whiz Wesley So has drawn his first game with Russian Grandmaster (GM) Vladimir Malakhov in the World Chess Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

So is battling Malakhov in the Round of 16 after he beat defending champion super GM Gata Kamsky in the third round of the chess tourney. the Filipino GM played the white pieces in the first game.

Kamsky admitted that he was outsmarted by the 16-year-old Filipino GM,

“My opponent was better prepared and I was always choosing the wrong openings. In the first game I was playing recklessly and got the problematic position,” Kamsky said in an interview on the World Chess Cup website.

Before denying Kamsky a chance to defend his title, So defeated Super GM Vassily Ivanchuk in Round 2.

Malakhov of Russia meanwhile advanced after he defeated Ukrainian GM Pavel Eljanov.

So has stunned the chess world with his recent victories over Kamsky and Ivanchuk. He has been making progress in his career even without a personal coach.