FILIPINO International Master Oliver Barbosa crushed IM Arghyadip Das of India to share the lead after two rounds of the DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters at the Swiss Garden Hotel and Residences in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
However, countryman and fellow IM Richard Bitoon fell to IM Jahongir Vakhidov of Uzbekistan in the round-robin event organized by Fide Master Peter Long.
Barbosa and Jahongir share the lead with 2.0 points.
Barbosa will next face GM Tahir Vakhidov of Uzbekistan while the Medellin, Cebu bet Bitoon will play GM Nguyen Anh Dung of Vietnam.
In other results, GM Vakhidov nipped IM Mas Hafizulhelmi of Malaysia, GM Anh Dung lost to IM Goh Wei Ming of Singapore and IM Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam beat GM Wong Meng Kong of Singapore.
Meanwhile, in the Swiss competition, IM Oliver Dimakiling, Cebuano IM Kim Steven Yap, IM Yves Ranola and NM Edgar Reggie Olay of the Philippines defeated their respective rivals to score 2.0 points in an 11-way tie for first.
Dimakiling crushed Benjamin Foo of Singapore, Yap downed American Hammer Dale M, Ranola subdued WFM Warda Aulia Medina of Indonesia while Olay upset GM Cerdas Barus of Indonesia.
The other 2.0 pointers were IM Brian Kelly of Ireland, IM Roy Chowdhury Saptarshi of India, IM Nguyen Doc Hoa and IM Duong Anh of Vietnam, IM Liu Qingnan and Zhou Guije of China and IM Tirta Chandra Purnama of Indonesia.
Top seed GM Joseph Sanchez of the Philippines drew with WIM Nafisa Muminova of Uzbekistan while IM Rolando Nolte split the point with WIM Nguyen Thi Mai Hung of Vietnam to tally 1.5 points. /Correspondent MARLON BERNARDINO