Laylo draws Torre, keeps lead

Standings after round 6

5.0 points — GM Darwin Laylo (Philippines)

4.5 points — GM Eugene Torre (PH), GM Mark Paragua (PH), GM Susanto Megaranto (Indonesia), IM Goh Wei Ming (Singapore)

4.0 points — GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. (PH), FM Jan Emmanuel Garcia (PH), GM Zhang Zhong (Singapore), GM Dao Thien Hai (Vietnam)

FILIPINO Grandmaster (GM) Darwin Laylo settled for his second straight draw late Friday this time against compatriot GM Eugene Torre to retain his half-a-point lead after six rounds of the 2011 Asian Zone 3.3 Chess Championships at the Tagaytay International Convention Center.

Laylo, a member of the Philippine Team who bagged the silver medal in last year’s Guangzhou Asian Games, raised his total to 5.0 points on four wins and two draws.

With the draw, the 59-year-old Torre, Asia’s first Grandmaster, padded his tally to 4.5 points, the same output of compatriot GM Mark Paragua, GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia and IM Go Wei Ming of Singapore.

Paragua, who held Laylo to a fighting draw in Friday’s fifth round, defeated GM Cao Sang of Vietnam, Megaranto toppled top seed GM Zhang Zhong of Singapore while Goh edged IM Richard Bitoon of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, 12-time National Open champion GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr., and FM Jan Emmanuel Garcia of the Philippines, defeated their respective rivals to share 6th to 9th place in the company of Zhang and GM Dao Thien Hai, who beat fellow Vietnamese IM Nguyen Van Huy.

Antonio routed Vietnamese FM Nguyen Doc Hoa while Garcia stunned GM Nguyen Anh Dung of Vietnam.

In the seventh round, Laylo battles Goh, Paragua faces Megaranto, Torre plays Zhang while Antonio squares off against Dao.

In women’s play, No. 1 seed IM Li Ruofan of Singapore stopped the winning run of No. 2 Irine Kharisma Sukandar of Indonesia to create a five-way tie for first place along with WGM Nguyen Thi Thanh An and WGM Le Thanh Tu of Vietnam and WGM Tuvshintugs Batchimeg of Mongolia with 4.5 points.