Paragua, Indon GM get World Cup slots

Grandmaster Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia and GM Mark Paragua of the Philippines toppled their respective final-round opponents yesterday to claim their respective seats in this year’s World Chess Cup set later this year in Khantiy, Mansiyk, Russia.

Megaranto toppled 12-time National Open champion GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. of the Philippines in the ninth and final round to finish with 7.0 points and emerge over-all champion at the conclusion of 2011 Asian Zone 3.3 Chess Championships at the Tagaytay International Convention Center.

Paragua, on the other hand, outlasted International Master Goh Weiming of Singapore to score 6.5 points and finish in a tie for 2nd to 4th spots with top-seed GM Zhang Zhong of Singapore and countryman IM Richard Bitoon of the Philippines, whom he beat in the tie break to claim the second berth for the World Chess Cup.

Meanwhile, Zhang routed GM Darwin Laylo of the Philippines while Bitoon outlasted GM Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam.

At fifth to 6th places were FM Jan Emmanuel Garcia and IM Rolando Nolte of the Philippines who tallied 6.0 points apiece. Garcia, a mainstay of Ateneo de Manila University also gained an outright IM title. He drew his final-round match against IM Nguyen Huynh Minh Huy of Vietnam while Nolte beat GM Cerdas Barus of Indonesia

In women’s play, No. 1 seed IM Li Ruofan of Singapore and No. 5 WGM Hoang Thi Bao Tram of Vietnam drew their final-round match to finish with 6.5 points each.

Li however, captured the women’s crown with a superior quotient against Tram to advance to this year’s World Women’s Chess Championships.