PENCAK SILAT / CHESS - The 30th SEA Games in Subic Bay (In Photos)

Day 2 of the 30th Southeast Asian Games, December 3, 2019, Subic Bay Cluster

[1] Singaporean trio Nuwaid Hasif Bin Zainal Abidin, Muhammad Nazrul Bin Moho Kamal and Hamillan Arash Bin Juffrie perform to win the gold in the men’s Seni Regu finals of pencak silat at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center in the Subic Bay Freeport on Dec. 3.

[2] Malaysian duo Mohd Taqiyuddin Bin Hamid and Sazzlan Bin Yuga demonstrate their routine to win the gold in the men’s Seni Ganda finals of pencak silat at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center in the Subic Bay Freeport on Dec. 3.

[3] Indonesian Puspa Arum Sari shows her best form to win the gold medal in the women’s Seni Tunggal event of pencak silat at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center in the Subic Bay Freeport on Dec. 3.

[4] Eugene Torre, the first Filipino grandmaster, sees action in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games chess competition at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center in the Subic Bay Freeport on Dec. 3

[5] Philippines’ woman grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna meets Vietnamese woman grandmaster Hoang Thi Bao Tram in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games chess competition at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center in the Subic Bay Freeport on Dec. 3.


Photos & captions by the SBMA Media Production Department/ Jun Dumaguing/Robin Tuazon

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Belarussian, Chinese GMs share lead in PH chess tilt

Sixth seed Grand Master Vladislav Kovalev of Belarus downed woman GM Lei Tingjie of China in 60 moves of a Benoni last Friday to snatch a share of the lead after five rounds in the Philippine International Chess Championship at the Peninsular Hotel in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales.

Kovalev is now tied with China's GM Wang Hao.

(left to right) GM Vladislav Kovalev of Belarus; GM Lei Tingjie and GM Wang Hao of China

Wang, owner of a tournament-best 2678 FIDE rating, demolished Armenian GM Tingran Kontajian in just 67 moves of super-sharp Sicilian showdown, has four points in the tournament.

The 13th seed Lei had shocked No. 4 GM Levan Pentsulaia of Georgia in the fourth round to zoom to the top spot. However, with her loss to Kovalev, she is now tied for third place along with Russian GMs Boris Savchenko and Anton Demchenko, Georgian GM Merab Gagunashvili and Pentsulaia with 3.5 points apiece.

Savchenko and Demchenko fought to a 55-move draw of a Ruy Lopez-Steinitz Defense; Gagunashvili agreed to a quick 14-move standoff with Georgian GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili of a Queen's Pawn Game; and Pentsulaia smashed Filipino International Master Oliver Dimakiling 52 moves of a Zukefort Opening.

Grandmaster John Paul Gomez and IMs Haridas Pascua and Paulo Bersamina sustained the Philippine's campaign by drawing their fifth round games to stay just a full point behind the leaders in the nine-round event.

(left to right) GM John Paul Gomez, IM Haridas Pascua and IM Paulo Bersemina of the Philippines

Gomez and Pascua split the point in 30 moves of a Trompovsky Attack while Bersamina halved the point with IM Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi of India 24 moves of a King's Indian duel.

GM Joey Anontio and IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia also drew 31 moves of a Slav to stay in a group with 2.5 points each in the meet.  (ABS-CBN Sports)

http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/11/16/belarussian-chinese-gms-share-lead-in-ph-chess-tilt

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Int'l chess tourney opens in Subic Bay, Torre leads PH team

The Philippine International Chess Championship reels off today at the Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo City, Zambales.

The nine-round Swiss System tournament has drawn the participation of 10 foreign grandmasters led by Wang Hao (2678) of China.

PH Grandmaster Eugene Torre

The other prominent foreigners entered in the event are GM Anton Demchenko (2629) of Russia, GM Boris Savchenko (2613) of Russia, GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2611) of Georgia, GM Levan Pantsulaia (2607) of Georgia, GM Kovalev Vladislav (2603) of Belarus, GM Merab Gagunashvili (2588) of Georgia, GM Kirill Stupak (2562) of Belarus, GM Tigran Kotanjyan (2473) of Armenia, GM Sriram Jha (2416) of India, International Master Tran Tuan Minh (2478) of Vietnam, IM Abhimanyu Puranik (2476) of India, FIDE Master Tran Minh Thang (2399) of Vietnam, Harshit Harnish Raja (2399) of India and FM Lee Qing Aun (2227) of Singapore.

Also seeing action are Woman Grandmaster Lei Tingjie of China, WGM S.Vijayalakshmi of India and WIM Sarvinoz Kurbonboeva of Uzbekistan.

Grandmaster Eugene Torre leads the local contingent which includes GM Mark Paragua, GM John Paul Gomez, GM Joey Antonio, GM Darwin Laylo, IM Paulo Bersamina, IM Oliver Dimakiling, IM Haridas Pascua, IM Jerad Docena, IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia and International Master Ricardo De Guzman and WGM Janelle Mae Frayna.

The opening ceremony will be graced by Rep. Prospero “Butch” A. Pichay, Jr., chairman and president of National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), secretary-general Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, vice-president Ruel V. Canobas and former Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares.

Another international event, also supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), is set Dec. 12-19 at the same venue.

http://tempo.com.ph/2016/12/06/torre-leads-charge-in-ph-intl-tourney/

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Boris Savchenko storms through PSC Puregold Open in Subic

Russian Grandmaster Boris Savchenko demolished the opposition in the PSC Puregold International Open to emerge convincing winner with 9,5/10 points, two and a half points ahead of the nearest followers.

Far behind in the score count GMs Lu Shanglei and Vitaly Sivuk share the second place with 7,0 points each.

The PSC Puregold International Open was organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines from 16-21st November in Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel, Olongapo City.

44 players competed in the main Open Division, with 18 Grandmasters and 15 International Masters in the field.

The Challenger Division had 83 participants. Franz Robert Grafil and Prince Mark Aquino shared the first place with 7,5/9 points each.

Full standings below.

Open Division final standings:
1 GM SAVCHENKO Boris RUS 2567 – 9.5
2 GM LU Shanglei CHN 2615 – 7
3 GM SIVUK Vitaly UKR 2512 – 7
4 GM LAYLO Darwin PHI 2471 – 6.5
5 GM KOTANJIAN Tigran ARM 2479 – 6.5
6 IM LIN Chen CHN 2520 – 6.5
7 GM DEMCHENKO Anton RUS 2592 – 6
8 GM SMIRNOV Pavel RUS 2617 – 6
9 GM NGUYEN Duc Hoa VIE 2500 – 6
10 FM ROHAN Ahuja IND 2411 – 5.5
11 GM GUPTA Abhijeet IND 2633 – 5.5
12 GM DEEPAN Chakkravarthy J. IND 2479 – 5.5
13 GM MOZHAROV Mikhail RUS 2573 – 5.5
14 IM GARCIA Jan Emmanuel PHI 2395 – 5.5
15 IM PURANIK Abhimanyu IND 2443 – 5.5
16 GM ZUBOV Alexander UKR 2630 – 5.5
17 GM SHOMOEV Anton RUS 2565 – 5.5
18 GM BELOUS Vladimir RUS 2573 – 5.5
19 FM LIU Xiangyi SIN 2423 – 5.5
20 GM ANTONIO Rogelio Jr PHI 2478 – 5.5
21 GM BITOON Richard PHI 2417 – 5
22 DOCENA Jerad PHI 2319 – 5
23 IM SUNILDUTH LYNA Narayanan IND 2481 – 5
24 IM SEAN Winshand Cuhendi INA 2450 – 5
25 IM NOLTE Rolando PHI 2417 – 5
26 GM ARAVINDH Chithambaram Vr. IND 2496 – 5
27 IM DIMAKILING Oliver PHI 2372 – 4.5
28 GM TORRE Eugenio PHI 2468 – 4.5
29 FM SEVERINO Sander PHI 2349 – 4.5
30 IM BERSAMINA Paulo PHI 2361 – 4.5
31 IM PASCUA Haridas PHI 2462 – 4.5
32 ABELGAS Roel PHI 2316 – 4.5
33 IM SENADOR Emmanuel PHI 2325 – 4
34 IM PIMENTEL Joel PHI 2264 – 4
35 DELA CRUZ Noel PHI 2260 – 4
36 FM TURQUEZA Mari Joseph PHI 2313 – 4
37 WIM FRAYNA Janelle Mae PHI 2273 – 4
38 WIM SUEDE Mikee Charlene PHI 2085 – 4
39 FM SEGARRA Randy PHI 2342 – 3.5
40 WFM SAN DIEGO Marie Antoinette PHI 2065 – 3.5
41 WFM MENDOZA Shania Mae PHI 2057 – 3.5
42 WIM FRONDA Jan Jodilyn PHI 2129 – 3
43 WIM GALAS Bernadette PHI 2094 – 3
44 FM PACIS Adrian PHI 2254 – 1

Challenger Division final standings:
1 GRAFIL Franz Robert PHI 2199 – 7.5
2 AQUINO Prince Mark PHI 2075 – 7.5
3 BAGAMASBAD Efren PHI 2164 – 7
4 SACAR Mohamad PHI 2120 – 7
5 TIU Sherwin PHI 2206 – 6.5
6 MORADO Jeth Romy PHI 2065 – 6.5
7 FM LITERATUS Austin Jacob PHI 2098 – 6.5
8 SALGADOS Lennon Hart PHI 2104 – 6.5
9 RUAYA Virgen Gil C. PHI 2117 – 6.5
10 MEDINA Vince Angelo PHI 2056 – 6.5
11 MARIMLA Erickson PHI 2013 – 6
12 RILLORAZA Istraelito PHI 1880 – 6
13 SEVILLANO Rhenzi Kyle PHI 2052 – 6
14 FLORENDO Joey Albert PHI 2086 – 6
15 INFIESTO James PHI 1950 – 6
16 BERNARDO Dale PHI 1918 – 6
17 PARONDO Rolly PHI 2119 – 5.5
18 BAUTISTA Joshua PHI 2037 – 5.5
19 LOPEZ Henry WC* PHI 2181 – 5.5
20 CURIOSO Romulo PHI 1921 – 5.5
21 MIRANO Jan Francis PHI 2010 – 5.5
22 QUIZON Daniel PHI 1661 – 5.5
23 MICIANO John Marvin PHI 1882 – 5.5
24 RAPANOT Alfredo PHI 2171 – 5.5
25 GARONG Stevenson PHI 0 – 5.5
26 FORTIN Artrino Paul PHI 2003 – 5.5
27 FLORENDO Patrick Erle PHI 2054 – 5
28 CAJERAS Jerich PHI 2204 – 5
29 SUBASTE Arman PHI 1890 – 5
30 ABUTON Kristian Glen PHI 1840 – 5
31 DIAZ Christopher PHI 0 – 5
32 AMAR Denzel John PHI 1957 – 5
33 RIVERA Jeff Russel PHI 0 – 5
34 MOULIC Ella Grace PHI 1830 – 5
35 EVANGELISTA Paul Robert PHI 1943 – 4.5
36 MANTUPAR Ildefonso Jr. PHI 1837 – 4.5
37 JOTA Jonathan PHI 2176 – 4.5
38 PRADAS Dale PHI 2003 – 4.5
39 MANAOG Stewart PHI 2090 – 4.5
40 REDOR Menandro PHI 1893 – 4.5
41 MORDIDO Justine Diego PHI 1601 – 4.5
42 CERVERO Tristan Jared PHI 1773 – 4.5
43 AVILES Ferdinand PHI 1988 – 4.5
44 DELOS SANTOS Don Tyrone PHI 1988 – 4.5
45 DELA TORRE Marife PHI 1737 – 4.5
46 WCM MIRANO Mira PHI 1793 – 4.5
47 BERNARDO Darry PHI 1890 – 4
48 SALCEDO Edgar PHI 0 – 4
49 PINEDA Judith PHI 1986 – 4
50 ALIDANI Leonardo PHI 1954 – 4
51 VILLA Enrica PHI 1707 – 4
52 BACOJO Mark Jay PHI 1539 – 4
53 LIM Samson Jr. PHI 2160 – 4
54 MORSALIM Salahudin PHI 1750 – 4
55 BATENCILA Rosalino Jr. PHI 1935 – 4
56 CRUZ Orlando PHI 1759 – 4
57 MORSALIM Mohmin PHI 1887 – 4
58 POLAO Ben PHI 2066 – 4
59 TALAN Walt Allen PHI 2040 – 3.5
60 CEREZO Lionel PHI 0 – 3.5
61 SALCEDO Rene PHI 1959 – 3.5
62 SALCEDO John PHI 1875 – 3.5
63 SAN JUAN Ma. Mae Bel Grace PHI 1761 – 3.5
64 ANSAY Lynux Louie PHI 1738 – 3.5
65 NOBLIJAS Aaron PHI 1756 – 3.5
66 SARMIENTO Rodolfo VI* PHI 1649 – 3
67 KOELBL Wolfgang GER 1841 – 3
68 FLORENDO Carlo Mark PHI 1872 – 3
69 ABOGADO Anthony VI* PHI 1765 – 3
70 TATOY Glesit Marie PHI 1418 – 3
71 NOBLIJAS Julieber PHI 0 – 3
72 MIRANO Kevin PHI 2085 – 2.5
73 CHING Francis VI* PHI 1848 – 2.5
74 PELIGRO Israel VI* PHI 1766 – 2.5
75 REYES Hans Jeremy PHI 1634 – 2.5
76 CO Davenson PHI 1735 – 2.5
77 BILOG Cecilio VI* PHI 0 – 2.5
78 DE VERA Andrea Bianca PHI 1714 – 2.5
79 BALING Aerronne PHI 1857 – 2
80 NACITA Jean-lee WC* PHI 0 – 2
81 MANGAYAYAM Fe PHI 0 – 2
82 BURNOS Jamy Gaverielle PHI 1692 – 1
83 CONCIO Michael Jr. PHI 1688 – 0

PHOTO:
Russian Grandmaster Boris Savchenko

http://www.chessdom.com/boris-savchenko-storms-through-psc-puregold-open-in-olongapo-city/

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Savchenko grabs solo lead; Laylo top Pinoy contender in Subic chess challenge

RUSSIAN Grandmaster Boris Savchenko put a brake to Ukraine GM Vitaly Sivuk’s five-game winning run, hacking out a 35-move win using an unusual line of the Queen’s Pawn Game to vault into the solo lead after four rounds in the Philippine Sports Commission-Puregold International Chess Challenge at the Peninsular Hotel in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The No. 8 seed Savchenko earlier defeated reigning national champion GM Richard Bitoon in the third round to set up the clash against the newly-minted Philippine International Chess Championship titlist.

Filipino GM Darwin Laylo, meanwhile, stayed a half-point behind the solo leader with 3.5 points with a win and a draw in the two previous rounds.

The 18th seed Laylo downed International Master Oliver Dimakiling in the third round and split the point with Torre in the fourth.

The draw dropped Torre to 3.0 points in the company of fellow Pinoys IM Joel Pimentel and Dimakiling, Sivuk, Russian GMs Mikhail Mozharov and Anton Demchenko, GM Shanglei Lu of China and GM Chakkravarthy Deepan of India.

Mozharov, the no. 7 seed, and Pimentel agreed to a draw after 57 moves of a King’s Indian Fianchetto, Demchenko defeated GM Tigran Kotanjian of Armernia in 42 pushes of a King’s Indian Classical, Lu dealt Bitoon his second straight loss, while Deepan trounced Filipino IM Emmanuel Senador in 54 moves of a Sicilian Moria Gambit.

Trailing behind with 2.5 points are Kotanjian, IM Abhimanyu Puranik and GM Narayanan Sunilduth Lyna of India, GM Chen Lin of China and GM Duc Hoa Nguyen of Vietnam.

In the Challenger Division of the tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and supported by the PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, Puregold, Burlington Socks and Marc Ventures and Mining and Development Corp., eight players, led by top seed Franz Robert Grafil, share the lead with three points each after three rounds.

Also in the Challenger Division, nine-year-old Mark Jay Bacojo upset sixth-seed Samson Lim Jr. in huge upset at the first round.

Bacojo, from Pasig, i the youngest competitor is outranked by the veteran Lim by at least 600 Elo rating points. (People's Tonight)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia (sitting left) poses with Russian GM  Anton Demchenko at the opening of the Philippine Sports Commission-Puregold International Chess Challenge in Subic Bay along with other world-class chess masters. (People's Tonight)

http://www.journal.com.ph/sports/other-sports/savchenko-grabs-solo-lead-laylo-top-pinoy-contender

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Ukrainian GM stuns top seed, wins int'l chess fest in Subic

GRANDMASTER Vitaly Sivuk of Ukraine racked up his third straight win – and his biggest in the tournament – to emerge as the undisputed champion in the 2015 Philippine International Chess Championship after the 10th and final round Saturday at the Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel in Subic Bay Freeport.

Sivuk, the no. 11 seed, stunned top seed and erstwhile solo leader GM Abijheet Gupta of India after 42 moves of a Gruenfeld Defense to bring his total to seven points and take home the top prize of $5,000.

In all, the 23-year-old Ukranian tallied seven points on five wins, four draws and a loss, which came against GM Anton Demchenko of Russia in the 6th round.

Four other players – Demchenko, fellow GM Anton Shomoev, Chinese GM and 5th seed Shanglei Lu of China and GM Chakkravarthy Deepan of India had a chance to forge a tie for the overall lead but their games all ended in draw, with Lu splitting the point with Demchenko and Deepan settleing for a draw with Shomoev.

The four dropped into a seven-way tie with Gupta and final-round winners GM Narayanan Sinulduth Lyna of India and Russian GM Boris Savchenko with 6.5 points each.

Sinulduth Lyna, who had 5.5 points going into the final round, turned back Filipino GM Joey Antonio in 31 moves of an Anti-Nimzo Indian, while Savchenko defeated International Master Chen Lin of China after 36 moves of a Mieses Variation of the Scandinavian.

Lin and no. 3 seed GM Pavel Smirnov of Russia, who beat compatriot GM Vladimir Belous in 34 moves of a Benko Gambit Accepted, dropped into a two-way tie with six points each.

International Master Rolando Nolte and 17-year-old NM Jerad Docena, meanwhile, emerged as the top Filipino finishers in the tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Puregold, Asian United Bank and Burlington Socks. Marc Ventures Holdings, Inc. and Marc Ventures Mining and Development Corporation.

Nolte drew his final round against GM Eugene Torre after 21 moves of the Knights Variation of the Indian Game, while Docena outsteadied IM Abhimanyu Puranik of India in 67 moves of a King’s Indian Attack to end up with similar 5.5 points in tie with no. 2 seed GM Alexander Zubov of Ukraine and GM Mikhail Mozharov of Russia.

A half point behind is a large group of five-pointers composed of GM Vladimir Belous of Russia, GM Doc Hoa Nguyen of Vietnam, Torre, GM Joey Antonio, reigning national champion GM Richard Bitoon, IM Paulo Bersamina and GM Tigran Kotanjian of Armenia.

Woman International Master Janelle Mae Frayna duplicated her feat last year after emerging as the best Filipina female player after finishing with four points.

In the Challenger Division, WFM Shania Mae Mendoza and Lennon Hart Salgados ended up tied with seven points after nine rounds, but Mendoza earned the title via the tiebreak.

Mendoza downed Christopher Diaz in 33 moves of a Nimzowitsch Defense, while Salgados halved the point against Paul Robert Evangelista in a Slav Defense, Exchange variation.

The second tournament, PSC/PUREGOLD International Chess Challenge reels off Saturday, at the same venue.

PHOTO:
GRANDMASTER Vitaly Sivuk of Ukraine

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Lin ties Gupta for lead, Nolte stuns GM in Round 5 of Subic chessfest

Top seed GM Abhijeet Gupta of India defeated co-leader GM Anton Demchenko of Russia to grab solo lead after the fifth round of the Philippine International Chess Championships held at the Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Gupta, with a rating of 2633, went on to beat Demchenko (2592) in a seemingly drawish Sicilian game in 105 moves, Demchenko overlooked a saving move in time scramble and lost after a forced exchange of his Rook for a queening Pawn and a Bishop. Gupta has 4.5 points in 5 games of play.

In solo second with 4 points is International Master Lin Chen who upset Russian GM Vladimir Belous in 50 moves of an English Opening, Anglo-Slav variation. Six players followed him with 3.5 points: GM Demchenko, second seed GM Alexander Zubov of Ukraine, GM Vitaly Sivuk (Ukraine), GM Anton Shomoev (Russia), GM Lu Shanglei (China) and GM Chakkravarthy Deepan of India.

But the day belongs to International Master Rolando Nolte who upset GM Mikhail Mozharov of Russia in 50 moves of a Spanish Game (Ruy Lopez) and National Master Roel Abelgas who also upset International Master Sean Winshand Cuhendi of Indonesia in 47 moves of an Indian Game, Kingside Fianchetto. GM Joey Antonio drew his game with Battle of the Masters Champion GM Richard Bitoon in a Nimzo-Indian Defense Classical Variation. IM Nolte and NM Abelgas have 3 points while GM Antonio and GM Bitoon have 2.5.

In the Challenger division, four players are tied for the lead with 3.5 points after four rounds: Kevin Mirano, Jeth Romy Morado, Lennon Hart Salgados and WFM Shania Mae Mendoza. Mirano drew with WFM Mendoza in 37 moves of a French Defense, Salgados won against John Estrada Salcedo in 48 moves of a Pirc Defense Classical system and Morado demolished Paul Robert Evangelista also in a Classical Pirc in 26 moves. Below them with 3 points are Seniors champion Verth Alora, John Marvin Miciano, Ferdinand Aviles, Jan Francis Mirano and Christopher Diaz.

The tournament is the first of two tournaments being organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and supported financially by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) headed by its Chairman, the Honorable Ricardo R. Garcia in cooperation with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) headed by its President, the Honorable Jose S. Cojuangco, Jr.

PHOTO:
From left: GM Abhijeet Gupta, India; International Master Lin Chen, China; and International Master Rolando Nolte, Philippines

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Russian, Indian GMs in three-way tie at Int'l Chess tilt in Subic

Three players remain unbeaten after the second round of the Philippine International Chess Championships held at the Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Russian grandmasters Anton Demchenko and Anton Shomoev and International Master Sunilduth Lyna Narayanan of India defeated their respective rivals to show the way in the second round of the tournament which has an averaged rating of 2434. Demchenko, one the champions in last year’s version of this twin events, stopped the Sicilian Scheveningen Keres Attack of Grandmaster Chakkravarthy Deepan of India in 60 moves while GM Shomoev beat our very own GM Eugene Torre in 79 moves of an Open Ruy Lopez as International Master Narayanan upset GM Lu Shanglei of China in 37 moves of a QGA.

The tournament is the first of two tournaments being organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and supported financially by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) headed by its Chairman, the Honorable Ricardo R. Garcia in cooperation with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) headed by its President, the Honorable Jose S. Cojuangco, Jr.

The other erstwhile leaders after the first round were held to draws by determined opponents starting with top seed grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta of India, who was held to a draw by International Master Lin Chen of China in 42 moves of a King’s Indian Saemisch, second seed GM Alexander Zuvob of Ukraine drew with fellow GM Vitaly Sivuk also of Ukraine in 33 moves of a Slav Defense Exchange, third seed GM Pavel Smirnov of Russia also drew his game with GM Nguyen Doc Hua of Vietnam in 33 moves of a Gruenfeld Exchange, GM Mikhail Mozharov drew with GM Joey Antonio in a Caro Kann Advance variation, 6th seed GM Vladimir Belous of Russia beat GM Tigran Kotanjian of Armenia in 28 moves of an English Opening. They are bunched in second place with 1.5 points.

PHOTO:
(from left) GRANDMASTERS Anton Demchenko and Anton Shomoev of Russia, and Narayanan Sunilduth Layna of India

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Subic to host 2 big int’l chess tilts

BARELY two weeks after holding its national championship, the National Chess Federation of the Philippines this time goes international, as it hosts two international chess tournaments in the next two weeks at the Subic Bay Freeport.

First up is the Philippine International Chess Championship (Open and Challenger Divisions) which will be held starting Nov. 9 and will end Nov. 14.

This will be immediately followed by the Philippine Sports Commission-Puregold Chess Challenge (Open and Challenger Divisions) to be held Nov. 16 to 21.

Both tournaments will be held at the Subic Peninsular Hotel located inside the Freeport.

NCFP executive director GM Jayson Gonzales said he expects at least 15 full-pledged grandmasters from Europe and Asia to join the tournament who will pit wits against local talents led by newly-minted national champion GM Richard Bitoon.

Based on the tentative list in the NCFP website, the foreign contingent will be bannered by GMs Ivan Popov Ivan of Russia (Elo 2661), Alexander Zubov of Ukraine (2630), Abhijeet Gupta of India (2629), Pavel Smirnov of Russia (2617) Lu Shanglei of China, Anton Demchenko of Russia, Mikhail Mozharov, Boris Savchenko, Vladimir Belous and Antoni Shomoev, all Russia, Chen Lin of China and Tigran Kotanjian of Armenia.

“This tournament will give our young players a chance to improve their game and their ratings as well. This will also give our national and international masters, both men and women, to achieve their goals of making it to the next level,” Gonzales said.

Aside from Bitoon, also expected to see action in the twin tournaments are National Chess Championship runner-up GM Joey Antonio, third placer IM Haridas Pascua, last year's champion and Asia's first GM Eugene Torre and fellow GMs Oliver Barbosa, Mark Paragua and John Paul Gomez and several up-and-coming players led by Fide Master Joseph Mari Turqueza and Jerad Docena, IM Paulo Bersamina, among others.

The women's side will be bannered by WIM Janelle Mae Frayna, newly-crowned women's champion WFM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, WFM Shania Mae Mendoza and WIM Marie Antoinette San Diego. (Peopleś Tonight)

http://www.journal.com.ph/sports/other-sports/subic-to-host-2-big-int-l-chess-tilts

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Chess: Laylo captures Pichay Cup title in Subic

SUBIC, June 9 (PNA) -- Mission accomplished for Filipino Grandmaster Darwin Laylo.

Laylo settled for a quick grandmaster’s draw with GM Wen Yan of China to capture the title in the 2011 Chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay Cup international chess championships at the Subic Bay Travelers Hotel here Wednesday.

The draw with the white-playing but overly-cautious Wen came after only 31 moves of the Slav and less than two hours of play, but it was more than enough to clinch the title for Laylo.

The 31-year-old campaigner from Lipa City actually finished in a three-way tie for first place with Wen and GM Li Shilong of China with similar scores of 7.5 points in this prestigious 10-round competition organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP).

Laylo, however, clinched the title by virtue of a higher tiebreak score over the two Chinese players.

The three pocketed US$ 4,333 each out of the guaranteed cash prize of US$ 30,000 put up by Pichay.

“Thank God. Masayang-masaya ako dahil nanalo na din ako at nakabawi na sa masamang nangyari sa akin nung Asian Zonals sa Tagaytay,” said Laylo, referring to his monumental collapse in the Asian Zone 3.3 championships held in Tagaytay City last May 24 to 31.

Actually, Laylo flirted with disaster anew when he lost to Li in their ninth and penultimate round encounter and yielded the solo lead late Tuesday.

After drawing with Wen in the final round, Laylo agonized for nearly two hours waiting for the outcome of the match between Li and GM David Arutinian of Georgia on second board.

But Li failed to translate a slim endgame advantage in a must-win game against the higher-rated and more-experienced Arutinian and halved the point to tie for first place with Laylo and Wen.

Laylo’s smashing triumph enabled him to become only the second Filipino player to win a major international chess championship in Subic after GM Jayson Gonzales achieved the feat in 2008.

Gonzales, who now serves as tournament director, made history by ruling the Subic Open chess championship in May 2008.

GM John Paul Gomez battled Lu Shanglei of China to another draw in 34 moves of the Dutch opening to finish in a tie for fourth to 10th places with six other foreign players with seven points.

Gomez, who moved into contention by beating Asian Youth gold medalist Jan Emmanuel Garcia in the ninth round, earned US$ 1,214 for his effort.

Tied with Gomez are Lu, Arutinian, Ma Qun of China, GM XuJun of China, GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia and Xie Deshum of China.

Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre outclassed IM Yves Ranola to join GM Mark Paragua, IM Olilver Barbosa and IM Rolando Nolte in a tie for 11th to 18th places with 6.5 points.

Paragua and Barbosa also fought to a draw, while Nolte split the point with top seed GM Merab Gagunashvili of Georgia.

IM Chito Garma humbled GM Cerdas Barus of Indonesia in 54 moves of the Scotch, IM Oliver Dimakiling outlasted Guo Qi of China and IM Richard Bitoon bested IM Kim Steven Yap in an all-Filipino showdown to lead a big group of players with six points.

WFM Zhansaya Abdumalik of Kazakhstan, one of the youngest participants here at age 11, outlasted NM Efren Bagamasbad in 88 moves of the Philidor’s opening in one of the most keenly-watched games in the tournament.

Garcia, who vaulted into prominence by earning his IM title outright during the Asian Zonals, dropped his second straight game to Yu Ruiyuan of China and plummeted into a tie for 27th to 33rd places with only 5.5 points.

In other notable final-round results, Alex Milagrosa crushed Ben Polao; reigning national junior champion Mari Joseph Turqueza halved the point with FM Haridas Pascua, Paulo Bersamina split the point with Roger Sarip, Emmanuel Emperado drew with Randy Segarra, Leo Alidani downed Felica Trenseco, Kristine Mae Mariano beat Ferdinan Tesman of Indonesia, and Danrev Garcia subdued Daniel John Lemi.

IA Gene Poliarco served as the chief arbiter. (PNA)

Final standings: (Filipinos unless stated)

7.5 points – D. Laylo, Y. Wen (China), S. Li (China)

7 -- S. Lu (China), D. Arutinian (Georgia), Q. Ma (China), J. Xu (China), J. Gomez, S. Megaranto (Indonesia), D. Xiu (China)

6.5 -- Z. Zhang (Singapore), M. Gagunashvili (Georgia), M. Paragua, E. Torre, C. Wang (China), O. Barbosa, R. Nolte, R. Yu (China)

6 – R. Bitoon, O. Dimakiling, C. Zeng (China), A. Datu, A. Novitas (Indonesia), T. Purnama (Indonesia), C. Garma, J. Wang (China).

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Garcia wins Phl's lone gold in Asian youth

Subic, Philippines - FIDE Master Jan Emmanuel Garcia provided the lone bright spot for host Philippines, winning the country’s lone gold medal in what turned out to be an all-Indian show in the 2011 Asian Youth chess championships at the Subic Bay Traveler’s Hotel here Saturday.

Garcia, one of the country’s brightest young stars, outwitted Amiralar Javidfar of Iran in their keenly-watched ninth and final round showdown to finish with seven points on five wins and four draws in the boys 16 years old and under category in this prestigious tournament which attracted 287 players from 20 countries.

An incoming fourth year high school student at Ateneo de Manila, Garcia finished half-a-point ahead of Nima Jabanbakht of Iran and a full point ahead of Ranjan Sahoo of India, compatriot Dominique Lagula and Ali Valizadeh of India.

“I’m very happy to win the gold medal here. It was a tough tournament,” said Garcia, a mainstay of the famed V. Luna Chess Club under Greg Rellorosa.

Overall, the Philippines bagged one gold, two silvers and two bronzes in the week-long competition dominated by Asian heavyweight India.

India capped another dominating year in chess by wining 10 golds, four silvers and four bronzes.

The Indians finished with a 4-3-2 haul in the boys division and 6-1-2 in the girls category.

Aside from the Philippines, the only other country to break India’s dominance was Iran, which won the gold medal in the boys 12 under courtesy of Shahin Lorpanizangeneh.



Dennis Gutierrez III bagged the silver medal in the boys 8 years old and under to join Garcia in the podium.

In the girls division, World Youth campaigner Jan Jodilyn Fronda clinched the silver medal in the girls 18 years old and under.

Fronda, a member of the De La Salle University chess team, defeated Bayar Anu of Mongolia to finish second behind eventual champion Rucha Pujari of India.

Fronda, who nearly did not make it to the tournament proper, finished with seven points on seven wins and two losses.

Actually, Fronda dropped her first two assignments but came back strong by winning the next seven matches.

The only other silver medal came from Samantha Glo Revita, who finished second behind two-time world under-8 championIvana Maria Furtado of India. (Philippine Star)

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Filipina lass grabs lead in Asian Youth chess tilt

PROMISING chess master Marie Antoinette San Diego shocked third seed Sagar Tejaswini of India to stay on top in the girls 12-years-old-and-under category after six rounds in the 2011 Asian Youth chess championships in Subic.

Diego, a gold medalist in the Asean Primary Schools Sports Olympiad, notched her fifth win to improve her score to 5.5 points.

She is half a point ahead of two-time world under-8 champion Maria Ivana Furtado of India with still three rounds left.

Samantha Glo Revita, on the other hand, split the point with Nilufar Yagubbayeva of Uzbekistan to share the third to seventh places with four points.

In the girls 18-under division, Mikee Charlene Suede, Cheradee Chardine Camacho, and Jan Jodilyn Fronda defeated their respective sixth-round foes to remain in hunt for the coveted crown.

Suede surprised top seed Nguyen Thi Mai Hung of Vietnam, Camacho blasted Liu Hongyan of China and Fronda clobbered Vo Thi Kim Pung of Vietnam. The three local bets have four points each.

They are behind frontrunners Rucha Pujari of India with 5.5 points and Hoang Thi Nu of Vietnam with 4.5.

In the boys 16-under, top seed Jan Emmanuel Garcia drew with Nima Javanbakht of India and fell to solo second place with five points, half a point behind leader Antonio Viani D’Cunha of India. (Emil C. Noguera, Manila Times)

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PHL masters ready for chess championship

TWENTY-FOUR young chess masters will represent the country in the prestigious 2011 Asian Youth Chess Championships scheduled from May 14 to 22 in Subic Bay Freeport in Olongapo City.

According to National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) grassroots development program Director Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales, the players were selected based on their impressive finishes in the recently concluded 2011 Pangasinan National Age Group Chess Championship.

FIDE Master (FM) Emmanuel Garcia and Paul Robert Evangelista will spearhead the team’s campaign in the boys’ division as they participate in the 16-under event along with National Master Alcon John Datu and FM Haridas Pascua who will vie in the 18-under class.

Also seeing action in the boys’ category are Khulene Lord dela Cruz and Dennis Gutierrez III (8-under); Julius Gonzales and Istraelito Rilloraza (10-under); Daryl Unix Samantila and Haince Patrick de Leon (12-under); and Giovanni Mejia and Jerad Docena (14-under).

Leading the girls squad are veteran campaigner Woman FM (WFM) Chardine Cheradee Camacho and Christine Joyce Laz (18-under) along with Jerlyn Mae San Diego and Rheam Arah de Guzman (8-under); Fiona Geeweneth Guirhem and Regyne Palamig (10- under); Marie Antoinette San Diego and Samantha Glo Revita (12-under); Mary Joyce Fuerte and Merlene Membrere (14-under); and WFM Cherry Ann Mejia and Janelle Mae Frayna (16-under).

“The top two players in each division will have the chance to compete in the Asian Youth. These athletes are no pushovers. They will be fighting for medals,” said Gonzales. (Emil C. Noguera, Manila Times)

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Wesley So settles for 2nd, earns World Cup slot

Filipino Grandmaster (GM) Wesley So made a quick draw over Chinese GM Zhou Jianchao in the final round of the 9th Asian Individual Chess Championships on Thursday to secure a seat in the 2011 Chess World Cup in Khanty-Mansiyk, Russia.

So split the point with Zhou in 14 moves of the Berlin Opening or less than 10 minutes of play to finish in a tie for 2nd to 5th places at the Subic Exhibition and Convention Center in Subic, Olongapo City.

“I’m happy to make it to the World Cup again,” said So. “I really wanted to finish the tournament unbeaten, but I committed a slight mistake and he (Ni) was quick to capitalize.”

So finished with 6.5 points on 5 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss in the 9-round tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP). He, thus, earned one of the 5 slots for the World Chess Cup.

GM Ni Hua of China, who dealt So his only defeat during the 7th round on Tuesday, topped the tournament with 7 points. He took home the top prize of $6,000.

Ni also quickly drew with GM Abhijit Gupta of India in the final round.

Joining Ni and So in the Chess World Cup are Gupta, Zhou and GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, who also tallied 6.5 points. So, Gupta, Zhou and Le each received $3,625.

Le clinched the 5th and last berth to the World Chess Cup by defeating GM Liren Ding of China.

Biggest revelation

The biggest revelation in the Asian Chess event was national junior standout Jan Emmanuel Garcia, who beat GM Saleh Salem of the United Arab Emirates to finish as the second best Filipino performer with 5.5 points.

The incoming 3rd year Ateneo de Manila high school student finished 17th overall.

The 14-year-old Garcia, a mainstay of the V. Luna Chess Club, also earned an International Master (IM) norm for his showing in the tough, 95-player tournament which had 32 Filipino participants.

GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr., meantime, settled for a draw with Xiu Deshun of China to finish with 5.5 points just like Garcia.

Antonio finished with 2 wins and 7 draws and wound up 21st after the tiebreak. He and Garcia pocketed $820 each.

IM Oliver Dimakiling trounced GM Eugene Torre, GM Darwin Laylo drew with Chinese Wang Li, GM John Paul Gomez halved the point with Vietnamese GM Dao Thien Hai, and IM Oliver Barbosa downed Chinese Chen Wang to lead a big group of players with 5 points.

Women’s game

In the women’s division, woman Grandmaster (WGM) Atousa Pourkashiyan bagged the title with a nine-round total of 7 points. She earned $3,000.

Pourkashiyan, seeded 12th in the 24-player field, drew with 2nd seed WGM Zyongyi Tan of China.

IM Wang Yu of China and woman FIDE Master (WFM) Ding Yixin of China shared 2nd to 3rd places with 6.5 points.

Top seed Wenjun Ju of China, meanwhile, finished with 5 points.

Dresden Olympiad veteran Christy Lamiel Bernales toppled compatriot woman International Master (WIM) Beverly Mendoza to emerge as the top Filipina scorer with 4.5 points. She received $367.

Aices Salvador bowed to WIM Thi Nhu Hoang of Vietnam to finish with 4 points. She took home $300.

Akiko Charmaine Suede finished with 2 points while Mendoiza made 1.5 points.

FIDE General Secretary Ignatius Leong and NCFP president Prospero “Butch” Pichay, Jr. awarded the trophies and cash prizes to the top finishers. They were assisted by SBMA administrator Armand Arreza, FIDE delegate Toti Abundo, NCFP executive/events director Willie Abalos and chief arbiter Merhdad Pahlevanzadeh.

The 2010 Asian Individual Chess Championships was also supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Department of Tourism, PCSO, PAGCOR and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. (Marlon Bernardino, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Final standings:

7 points – H. Ni (China)

6.5 points – W. So (RP), A, Gupta (India), J. Zhou (China), L.Q. Liem (Vietnam)

6 points – Y. Yu (China), C. Zeng (China), L. Ding (China), C. Li (China), Y. Wan (China), P. Sethuraman (India), W. Zhou (China)

5.5 points – R. Yu (China), A. Golizadeh (Iran), T. Bakre (India), K. Sasikiran (India), J. Garcia (RP), S. Megaranto (Indonesia), E. Ghaemmaghami (Iran), N.N. Truong Son (Vietnam), R. Antonio (RP), D. Harika (India) , P. Harikirshna (India), D, Xiu (China), Z. Zhang (Singapore), D. Khamrakulov (Uzbekistan), Y. Wen (China)

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So regains tie for lead, nears World Cup slot

Filipino Grandmaster Wesley So quickly got back on track Wednesday night, subduing Chinese upstart Yu Ruiyuan in the eighth and penultimate round to gain a share of the lead in the 9th Asian Individual Chess Championship at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

Derailed by a loss to former China national team captain Ni Hua late Tuesday, So played aggressively with black and went on to post his fifth victory after 58 moves of a Sicilian-Rossolimo variation.

The 16-year-old So climbed to 6.0 points in the company of Chinese GM Ding Liren and Indian GM Abhijeet Gupta, who opted for a quick draw in their board two tussle.

So only needs a draw on Thursday to earn one of the five 2011 World Chess Cup slots being dangled in the $50,000 tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

Co-leaders Ni and fellow Chinese GM Li Chao, both with 5.5 points, are still locked in a tight battle at presstime.

Top seed Le Quang Liem of Vietnam continued his surge with a victory over Mongolian Bayatsaikhan Gundavaa.

The 19-year-old Le, the reigning Moscow Open and Aeroflot Open Group B titlist who boasts an ELO rating of 2689, improved to 5.5 points following his third win in the last four rounds.

Filipino GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio was forced to halve the point with Chinese Wan Yanguo and virtually dropped his bid for a second straight World Cup stint.

Antonio, an 11-time Olympian, was at 5.0 points and even if he wins on Thursday the best probable outcome for him will be a playoff for the fifth and last World Cup seat. (Roy Luarca, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Standings after 8 rounds:

6 – W. So (RP), J. Zhou (Chuna), L. Ding (China), A., Gupta (India) 5.5 – L.Q. Liem (Vietnam), S. Sethuraman (India), L. Chao (Chin)*, N. Hua (China)* 5 – R. Antonio (RP), K. Sasikiran (India), E. Ghaemmaghami (Iran), X. Deshun (China), S. Megaranto (Indonesia), A. Golizadeh (Iran), T. Bakre (India), B. Adhiban (India), Y. Yu (China), Y. Wan (China), N.T. Son (Vietnam), Z. Weiqi (China), R. Yu (China)

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Wesley So falls, Antonio gains in Subic Chess

While Grandmaster (GM) Wesley So suffered his first defeat on Tuesday, GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. kept the Philippine pride alive in the 7th round of 2010 Asian Individual Chess Championships in Subic, Olongapo City.

Antonio defeated Iranian Pouria Darini after 33 moves of the Sicilian Alapin at the Subic Exhibition and Convention Center. He improved his score to 4.5 points.

“I still have a good chance of making it with two more rounds left,” said Antonio, who is aiming to get another crack at the World Chess Cup.

Slots to the 2011 World Chess Cup await the top 5 finishers of the 9-round tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP).

However, leading RP bet So was defeated by GM Ni Hua of China.

So dropped his solo leadership and settled for a tie for 5th to 8th places with 5 points going into the final 2 rounds.

The 16-year-old chess whiz kid tried hard to squeeze out a win before yielding to Ni in marathon 74 moves of the Slav.

Several moves earlier, So even held a slight initiative against Ni but made several passive moves against Ni’s 2 connected rooks that turned the tide in the Chinese’s favor.

Other results

In other matches, GM Li Chao of China crushed compatriot GM Yu Yangyi, GM Abhijeet Gupta of India humbled countryman GM Gopal Narayanan Geetha and GM Ling Direng of China outclassed Bayarsaikhan Gundavaa of Mongolia to vault into a 4-way tie for the lead with Ni with 5.5 points.

GM John Paul Gomez, however, also suffered a loss on Tuesday to GM Zhou Jianchao of China. Gomez now has 4 points.

Filipino International Master (IM) Rolando Nolte, meantime, toppled GM Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh in 43 moves of the Sicilian to improve to 4 points.

IM Ronald Dableo drew with GM Zhou Weiqi of China, IM Dronavalli Harika of India downed IM Barlo Nadera, GM Wen Yang bested Allan Macala, and IM Oliver Dimakiling beat Paulo James Florendo.

Rapid chess tilt

Meanwhile, Christian Arroyo emerged as the solo winner in the National Amateur Rapid chess championship, a side event of the Asian Championships, which was held over the weekend.

A mainstay of Far Eastern University under GM Jayson Gonzales, Arroyo finished with 5 wins and 2 draws to pocket the top prize of P10,000.

Sharing 2nd to 3rd places were Allan Cantonjos and Ryan Dungca, who finished with 5.5 points. They took home P7,000 each.

Merben Roque and Jerry Areque finished 4th and 5th, respectively. Completing the top 10 were Marlon Ricafort (6th), Sheider Nebato (7th), Ritchie Evangelista (8th), Joey Albert Florendo (9th) and Jerad Docena (10th).

The other awardees were Lourecel Hernandez (top unrated), Vince Angelo Medina (top kiddie) and Judith Pineda (top female). (Marlon Bernardino, ABSCBNnews.com)

Standings after 7 rounds:

5.5 points – H. Ni (China), C. Li (China), A. Gupta (India), L. Ding (China)

5 points – W. So (RP), K. Sasikiran (India), J. Zhou (China), R. Yu (China)

4.5 points – R. Antonio (RP), L.Q. Liem (Vietnam), E. Ghaemmaghami ( Iran), P. Harikrishna (India), T. Bakre (India), Y. Yu (China), G. Geetha (India), B. Gundavaa (Mongolia), Y. Wan (China), C. Zheng (China), D. Xiu (China), P. Sethuranan (India), D. Harika (India)

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Asian Chess Championships: So settles for draw, stays on top

Filipino Grandmaster Wesley So settled for a draw with GM Narayanan Gopal Geetha of India in the top board Monday but remained the solo leader in the 9th Asian Individual Chess Championship at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

Unable to find a winning line with black, the 16-year-old So agreed to split the point with Geetha after 32 moves of a Sicilian-Nadjorf variation.

After six rounds, So stayed at the helm of the 89-strong Open division with 5.0 points, boosting his chances for one of the five slots at stake for the 2011 World Chess Cup.

Tied for second with 4.5 points were Geetha, Mongolian Bayarsaikhan Gundavaa and Chinese GMs Ni Hua and Yu Yangyi, who also drew their board 2 encounter. The untitled Gundavaa stunned Chinese GM Zhou Weiqi.

So, the country’s top player with an ELO rating of 2665, needs only to draw his last three games to earn his second straight World Cup stint. He needs at least two victories to secure the title and the $6,000 that goes with it.

“I’ll play my game and see what happens,” said So, who is skipping college this school year to concentrate on chess so he can break into the elite 2700 club.

With the position unclear, So first offered the draw in the 30th move, which Gopal, ninth placer in the 2007 edition held in Mandaue City, declined.

Two moves, later, it was Gopal’s turn to seek a truce and So relented.

Still battling at presstime were Chinese GMs Ding Liren and Ni Hua, who both tote 4.0 points.

Top seed GM Le Quang Liem beat compatriot GM Tu Hoang Thong and vaulted to 4.0 in the company of GM John Paul Gomez and Indian GM Krishnan Sasikiran, who drew their match, as well as Vietnamese IM Nguyen Than Son, who bested GM Darwin Laylo.

Also with 4.0 are Indian GM Bakre Tejas, who bested GM Ziaur Rahman, and Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto and Iranian Fide Master Ashgar Golizadeh, who figured in another draw.

Filipino GM Rogelio Antonio Jr., a 12-time national champion, could only draw with untitled Chinese Wang Li and, with 3.5 points, needs to sweep his last three games to earn a berth to the World Cup slated in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

In the women’s division, Iranian WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan downed Chinese WFM Ding Yixin to rise to 5.0 points and share the lead with Chinese IM Wang Yu, who was held to a draw by Vietnamese WGM Hoang Thi Bao Tram.

The nine-round tournament is organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines headed by Prospero “Butch” Pichay with support from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Department of Tourism, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and the Philippine Sports Commission. (Roy Luarca, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Photo: Filipino Grandmaster Wesley So (right) needs only three straight draws to secure a World Cup stint.

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So scores again, grabs solo lead

Subic Bay Freeport - No opening gambit surprises Wesley So anymore.

Grandmaster Susanto Megaranto tried to waylay the Filipino GM with the Ruy Lopez-Marshall variation Sunday, but the ploy backfired as So exploited his familiarity with the opening to down the Indonesian star in the fifth round of the 9th Asian Individual Chess Championship here.

The 16-year-old So notched his fourth win against a lone draw after 38 moves and grabbed the solo lead with 4.5 points midway through the $50,000 tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines at the Subic Exhibition and Convention Center.

“He has never used it against me, so he experimented,” said So, noting that he played the same line against Indian GM Anhijeet Gupta in a game that ended in a draw last year.

So said Megaranto committed an error on his 17th move, when he sacrificed a knight for two pawns instead of just developing his rook.

“I just want to make the top five,” said So, referring to the five slots to the 2011 World Chess Cup at stake in the championship.

“If possible I don’t want to drop a match,” added So, who’s skipping college this year to concentrate on chess.

Chinese GMs Li Chao and Ni Hua and Indian GM Narayanan Gopal stayed close behind So with 4.0 points.

Li stopped Allan Macala’s surprising run, Ni beat compatriot IM Yang Kaiqi while Gopal outplayed Filipino GM Darwin Laylo.

Fourth round co-leader GM Yu Yangyi of China was still trying to extract the full point against Gupta at presstime.

Also locked in a tight battle were Filipino GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. and Vietnamese IM Nguyen Thanh Son.

Two-time Olympian GM John Paul Gomez bounced back at 3.5 points with a victory over International Master Kirili Kuderinov of Kazakhstan.

Gomez, a mechanical engineering graduate from De La Salle University, landed in the company of Chinese GM Zhou Weiqi and untitled Yu Ruiyuan, who drew their match, Megaranto and Chinese GM Zhou Jianchao, who bested Filipino IM Oliver Barbosa.

Other Filipino bets who suffered setbacks were IM Rolando Nolte (2.0 points), IM Oliver Dimakiling, Emmanuel Senador (2), Rhobel Legaspi (1.5) and FM Julius de Ramos (1.5).

FM Haridas Pascua beat Mari Joseph Turqueza to improve to 2.5 points.

Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre finally ended his slump with a victory over countryman Deniel Causo. Torre, who was beaten by Mongolian FM Namkhai Battulga, however, was still way down in the standings with 2.0 points.

The unheralded Macala shared the limelight in the fourth round when he stunned GM Tu Hoang Thong of Vietnam and improved to 3.0 points with 11 others in the event supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Pagcor, Department of Tourism, PCSO and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Macala, a mainstay of multi-titled Tagaytay City chess team of Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino rebounded from a third round loss to Chinese GM Ni Hua. Ranked 80th in the field, Macala has also beaten Indian WIM Dronavai Harika in the first round and Qatari GM Mohammed Al-Sayed by default in the second round.

Asian Zone 3.3 champion GM Darwin Laylo downed compatriot and fellow Olympian IM Oliver Dimakiling.

In other late results, Filipino GM John Paul Gomez drew with Indian FM Asghar Glizadeh of India, Filipino IM Oliver Barbosa halved the point with Iranian GM Ehsan Ghaemmaghami and national junior standout Jan Emmanuel Garcia agreed to a truce with Mongolian Bayarsaikhan Gundavaa.

The games in the top two boards are being shown live by way of ncfphilippines.org and the FIDE website. (Roy Luarca, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Provisional fifth round leaders:
4.5—W. So; 4.0—C. Li (China), N. Geetha (India), H. Ni (China); 3.5 points— S. Megaranto (Indonesia), Y. Yu (China), J. Gomez, R. Yu (China), W. Zhou (China)

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Asian Chess Championships: So stays at helm with third win

Grandmaster Wesley So added IM Oliver Barbosa to his growing list of victims as he fashioned out a 56-move victory for his third win in row and a share of the lead with GM Yu Yangyi of China in the Asian Individual Chess Championships at the Subic Exhibition and Convention Center in Subic yesterday.

So wisely steered the game out of a drawish endgame of a Slav by forcing an exchange of queens before the first time control to produce more active two rooks and two bishops plus a pawn against Barbosa’s two rooks and two knights.

“He (Barbosa) made a slight mistake in the opening that’s why I was able to force an exchange of queens. Before the exchange, the position is unclear,” said So, who plans to skip college this school year to pursue his chess career.

Yu outsteadied IM S.P. Sethuraman of India to hike his total to three points for joint lead in the nine-round tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) in cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission, Department of Tourism, PCSO, Pagcor and the Subic Bay Metrpolitan Authority.

Half a point with 2.5 points is GM Ni Hua, who beat Allan Macala.

The two other local bets in the last World Cup – GMs Rogelio Antonio Jr. and Darwin Laylo –drew their respective matches.

Antonio, who finished tied for third in the same qualifying tournament here last year, split the point with fellow GM Nguyen Anh Dung of Vietnam in 26 moves of the Reti.

Laylo, the reigning Asian Zone 3.3 champion, also halved the point with untitled Shanglei Lu of China.

GM John Paul Gomez was also held to a draw by GM Das Neelotpal of India .

In women’s play, Akiko Suede toppled WFM Khouloud Essa Al-Zarouni of UAE to post her first win after back-to-back losses.

Cristy Lamiel Bernales and Aices Salvador agreed to a draw in an all-Filipina showdown, while WIM Beverly Mendoza lost to WIM Kiran Moharty of India. (The Philippine Star)

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Wesley So gets off to hot Asian chess start

Wesley So started hot in the 9th Asian Continental Chess Championships Wednesday, posting the first victory of the 9-round tournament at the Subic Exhibition Convention Center here.

The 16-year-old So, the country’s highest-ranked player with an ELO of 2665, took just 16 moves and less than an hour to trounce Vietnamese International Master Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (ELO 2440) and grab the early lead in the 90-strong Open field.

So, who graduated from high school at the St. Francis of Assisi-Bacoor, recently, exploited a blunder by his rival, who had to resign under threat of losing two pawns.

According to So, who’ll skip college next year to concentrate on chess, he spent one month expanding his opening repertoire for this tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines as qualifier for the 2011 World Cup set in Russia.

Other early winners included third seed HM Ni Hua of China, who beat Australian IM Aleksandar; Chinese GM Li Chao, who subdued compatriot Wan Yunguo; Chinese GM Zhou Weiqi, who whipped Filipino National Master Emmanuel Senador; and Indian GM Abhijeet Gupta, who defeated China’s Wang Li.

Meanwhile, Philippine Sports Commission chair Harry Angping gave the go-signal for NCFP president Prospero “Butch” Pichay to look for a foreign coach to guide So in his preparations for the Guangzhou Asian Games in November.

Angping said the PSC is willing to spend up to $3,000 a month for So’s preparation.(Philippine Daily Inquirer)

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