Barbosa earns World Cup slot

Filipino Grandmaster (GM) Oliver Barbosa concluded a successful run in Vietnam after finishing fifth overall in the 11th Asian Continental Individual Chess Championships on Sunday at the First Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Barbosa, who earned a slot to the World Chess Cup, won via superior tiebreak over fellow six pointers that include sixth-placer GM Ding Liren, seventh-placer GM Ni Hua of China, eighth-placer GM Wesley So of the Philippines (who won the blitz side event), ninth-placer GM Wen Yang and 10th-placer GM Lu Shanglei of China. Also with 6.0 points is fourth-placer IM Liu Qingnan of China. Each of them received  $2,028.

GM Parimarjan Negi of India defeated fellow 7.0 pointer GM Yu Yangyi of China to bag the coveted title.

The duo split the combined prize of  $11,000. GM Saleh A R Salem of UAE scored 6.5 points for solo third place and received $4,000. The top five players booked slots to next year’s World Chess Cup, which is an integral part of the World Championship Cycle.

“This is another big achievement in chess. GM Oliver (Barbosa) will have the chance of showing off his mettle, a baptism of fire, so to speak in the World Chess Cup, formerly known as the FIDE World Chess Championship,” said GM Jayson Gonzales, Executive Director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. /Correspondent Marlon Bernardino