So-Laylo clash starts in Aeroflot

FILIPINO Chess grandmasters Wesley So and Darwin Laylo will start their respective bids at the Aeroflot Open 2010 A1 Division tournament in Moscow, Russia.

So, who has an ELO ratings of 2656, is hoping to improve from a joint 17th-36th finish last year.

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The 16-year-old wizard, who is ranked No.17 in the competition that draws 80 grandmasters from all over the world, played against Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (2589) of Iran as of press time.

So played Black pieces and was expected to open his game either with the Sicilian, the Slav, Queen’s Indian or the Nimzo Indian opening.

Other opening moves that So is known with when playing with the Black pieces are the English Opening, and the French Defense.

Maghami, meanwhile, was expected to use the Sicilian, English, King’s Indian or the Caro-Kann to open his game using the White pieces.

Laylo (2556), who is also ranked No.69, was scheduled to play against Rauf Mamedov (2640) of Azerbaijan, who is rated no.29 in the competition.

Laylo will make the first move and his favorite repertoire of openings includes the English, Queen’s Pawn Game, Semi-Slav, the Nimzo Indian and the Grunfeld opening while Mamedov has the Sicilian, King’s Indian, Queen’s Pawn Game, Sicilian Dragon, Reti System or the Modern Defense as opening moves.