GM Li catches Paragua on top of leaderboard
Standings after Round 6:
(Open division)
5.0 pts—GM Mark Paragua (Phl), GM Li Chao (Chn)
4.5 pts—GM Julio Catalino Sadorra (Phl), GM John Paul Gomez (Phl), GM Le Quang Liem (Viet), GM Baskaran Adhiban (Ind), GM Subramanian Arun Prasad (Ind), GM Marat Dzhumaev (Uzb)
Manila—Grandmaster Li Chao of China outlasted Cebuano GM Richard Bitoon in 46 moves of Catalan Opening on Thursday to share the 6th round lead with overnight leader GM Mark Paragua in the $100,000 Manny Pacquiao Cup Asian Continental Chess Championship at the Midas Hotel and Casino.
Li has a rook and six pawns against Bitoon’s rook and four pawns when the game ended.
“Medyo naipit y’ung posisyon ko sa middle game saka active y’ung two bishops nya. Sa rook and pawn endgame hindi ko na mapipigilan mag promote ng Queen ang pawn nya sa a-file. Bawi na lamang sa susunod na round,” said Bitoon of Medellin, Cebu.
Paragua, meantime managed only a draw opposite top seed GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam after 29 moves of Sicilian defense to share the lead with Li with 5.0 points.
They are half a point ahead of Le, GMs Julio Catalino Sadorra and John Paul Gomez, GMs Baskaran Adhiban and Subramanian Arun Prasad of India and GM Marat Dzhumaev of Uzbekistan.
Sadorra split the point with Gomez after 29 moves of Gruenfeld defense, Adhiban outclassed GM Mohammed Al-Sayed of Qatar after 39 moves of King’s Indian defense, Prasad nipped countryman GM Lalith Babu after 47 moves of Nimzo-Indian defense and Dzhumaev beat GM Tsegmed Batchuluun of Mongolia after 42 moves of French defense.
The $100,000, nine-round Swiss System event is organized by the GM Eugene Torre Chess Foundation and sponsored by eight-division world boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, Cafe Puro, Alaxan, Oriental and Motolite Corp.
Sharing the limelight are 15-year-old Jerad Docena who drew with GM Parimarjan Negi of India and FM Hamed Nouri who upset IM Nguyen Duc Hoa of Vietnam. Docena and Nouri have 4.5 points each.
In the women’s play, WIM Catherine Perena defeated WGM Bhakti Pradip Kulkarni of India to raise her total to 4.0 points, good for 7th to 10th places in the company of WGM Huang Qian of China, WIM Ni Shiqun of China and WIM Chelsie Monica Sihite of Indonesia.
IM Pham Le Thao Nguyen of Vietnam beat WFM Marie Antoinette Sandiego to create a six-way tie for first along with IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul of Mongolia, WGM Mary Ann Gomes of India WGMs Guo Qi, Tan Zhongyi and Wang Jue of China who totes 4.5 points each.
