So settles for second in Zonals, marches to World Cup

Final Standings:

(Open Division)

7.5 points—GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (Vietnam)

7.0 points— GM Wesley So (Philippines)

6.0 points—GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. (Philippines), GM Susanto Megaranto (Indonesia)

5.5 points—GM Mark Paragua (Philippines), Nelson Villanueva (Philippines), GM Eugene Torre (Philippines), IM Bayarsaikhan Gundavaa (Mongolia), FM Gombusruen Munkhgal (Mongolia), GM Cao Sang (Vietnam), GM Darwin Laylo (Philippines)

Tagaytay City—Filipino Grandmaster (GM) Wesley So did what he was supposed to do: simply draw his 9th and final round match to qualify for the World Chess Cup.

But the safe move also cost the tournament top seed the title as he settled for second place overall with 7.0 points behind Vietnamese GM and second seed GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son who tallied 7.5 points in the Asian Zone 3.3 Chess Championship which ended yesterday at the Tagaytay International Convention Center.

The 19-year-old So, the country’s highest-ranked player and the tournament’s top seed with an Elo rating of 2682, drew with Vietnamese GM Cao Sang after 30 moves of Four Knights Game while Son beat GM John Paul Gomez.

Both players qualify to the World Chess Cup joining Filipino GM Oliver Barbosa.

ANTONIO TIES FOR 3RD

Twelve-time national open champion GM Rogelio ‘Joey’ Antonio Jr. halved the point with deposed champion Indon GM Susanto Megaranto after 30 moves of Nimzo-Indian defense and tied for 3rd to 4th spots with the Indon GM with 6.0 points.

Rounding up the top 11 were GM Mark Paragua (Phl), Nelson Villanueva (Phl), GM Eugene Torre (Phl), IM Bayarsaikhan Gundavaa (Mongolia), FM Gombusruen Munkhgal (Mongolia), GM Cao Sang (Vietnam) and GM Darwin Laylo (Phl).

Villanueva defeated Malaysian Yeoh Li Tian and earned his outright Fide Master title.

Paragua beat IM Nguyen Duc Hoa of Vietnam, Torre subdued IM Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam, Gundavaa beat GM Richard Bitoon, while Munkhgal drew Laylo.

Meanwhile, WGM Nguyen Thi Thanh An of Vietnam lost to WIM Catherine Perena of the Philippines but still topped the women’s division and advanced to the Women’s World Chess Championships with 6.5 points.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Bernadette Galas of the Philippines defeated WGM Hoang Thi Bao Tram of Vietnam to gain her outright Woman International Master title. Galas finished with 6.0 points, the same output of WGM Pham Le Thao Nguyen of Vietnam and WIM Medina Warda Aulia of Indonesia.