Barbosa draws to enter Top 10

Filipino Grandmaster (GM) Oliver Barbosa was held to back-to-back draws in the 2013 Indonesian Chess Open Championship at the Puri Ratna Ballroom, Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia.

His latest draw was against Vietnamese GM Cao Sang in the seventh round on Tuesday. Both players agreed to a truce after 33 moves of Caro-Kann defense, advance variation.

Barbosa improved his total to 4.5 points on 3 wins, 3 draws and a loss. He is currently tied for 10th to 30th places along with compatriots GM Darwin Laylo, who lost to GM Alexander Moiseenko of Ukraine after 39 moves of Gruenfeld defense. Laylo crushed GM Jaan Ehlvest of the US in the sixth round.

Barbosa drew with compatriot and International Master Rolando Nolte in the sixth round on Monday.

Nolte, on the other hand yielded to GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran after 77 moves of Sicilian defense in the seventh round.

GM John Paul Gomez also lost to GM Nigel Short of England after 22 moves of French defense after drawing with GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam in the sixth round.

Meanwhile, GM Aleksey Dreev of Russia still leads the field with 6.0 points after halving the point with GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly of India in 30 moves of Slav defense.

At 2nd is GM Sandro Mareco with 5.5 points after the Argentine beat GM Ivan Ivanisevic of Serbia in 33 moves of Trompovsky Opening.

Other Filipino matches saw, IM Oliver Dimakiling split the point with Ehlvest, IM Emmanuel Senador lost to GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia, GM Mark Paragua settled for a truce with Pradeep Kumar R A of India, GM Richard Bitoon beat FM Paulo Bersamina, National Master Emmanuel Emperado yielded to WGM Batchimeg Tuvshintugs of Mongolia, IM Kim Steven Yap crushed IM Tirto of Indonesia, GM Eugene Torre drew with Surya Wahyudi of Indonesia and IM Ronald Bancod beat FM Firdaus Maksum of Indonesia.