3 Pinoys still on top after two rds of Pacman chess
MANILA – Filipino Grandmasters Julio Catalino Sadorra, John Paul Gomez and untitled Emmanuel Emperado beat their respective second round foes Sunday night to remain on top in the $100,000 Manny Pacquiao Cup Asian Continental Chess Championship at Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay City.
The second straight victories of Sadorra, Gomez and Emperdao created a seven-way tie for first place along with top seed GMs Le Quang Liem and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam, GM Mohammed Al-Sayed of Qatar and IM Wang Chen of China.
The 26-year-old Sadorra routed IM Husein Aziz Nezad after 26 moves of Slav defense; Gomez trounced Theolifus Taher Yoseph of Indonesia after 46 moves of French defense, while Emperado upset GM G.N. Gopal of India after 35 moves of Sicilian defense.
Le, who boasts of an Elo rating of 2714, crushed GM Tsegmed Batchuluun of Mongolia after 66 moves of Queens Pawn Game; Truong Son beat countryman IM Nguyen Van Huy after 31 moves of Queens Indian Defense; Al-Sayed bested GM Parimarjan Negi of India after 26 moves of Slav defense while Wang outclassed GM Babu Lalith of India after 36 moves of Modern defense as they revved up their bid for the five World Cup slots at stake in the nine-round Open tournament put up by world boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao.
Meanwhile, Filipino GM Darwin Laylo beat compatriot IM Joel Pimentel while IM Chito Garma nipped GM Oliver Barbosa to lead a huge group of 1.5 pointers that includes GM Mark Paragua and FM Haridas Pascua who drew their second round match after 80 moves of Gruenfeld defense. Fide Master Mari Joseph Turqueza who split the point with GM Subramanian Arun Prasad of India after 33 moves of Reti Opening also has 1.5 points.
Also with 1.5 points are GMs Li Shilong, Li Chao and IM Wan Yunguo of China, GM Baskaran Adhiban of India, GM Marat Dzumaev of Uzbekistan, GM Niaz Murshed of Bangladesh, IM Kiril Kuderinov of Kazakhstan, IM Nguyen Doc Hoa of Vietnam and IM Goh Weiming of Singapore.
In women’s action, Woman Grandmasters Huang Qian and Guo Qi of China, IM Pham Le Thao Nguyen of Vietnam, WGM Mary Ann Gomes of India and WGM Nafisa Muminova of Uzbekistan shared the lead with 2.0 points each.
Woman National Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda of the Philippines halved the point with WGM Guliskhan Nakhbayeva of Kazakhstan to share 6th to 14th place with 1.5 points.
The women are disputing the lone slot for the 2014 Women’s World Championship. /Correspondent Marlon Bernardino
