Laylo claims solo lead in 3.3 zonals

Round 3 standings:

3.0 points — GM Darwin Laylo (Philippines)
2.5 points — GM Mark Paragua (Philippines), IM Oliver Barbosa (Philippines), GM Cao Sang (Vietnam), GM Nguyen Anh Dung (Vietnam)

FILIPINO Grandmaster (GM) Darwin Laylo outlasted Vietnamese International Master (IM) Nguyen Van Huy late Wednesday to assume solo leadership after three rounds of the 2011 Asian Zone 3.3 Chess Championships at the Tagaytay International Convention Center.
The Marikina City native Laylo, ranked seventh here with an ELO rating of 2516, played superbly with the white pieces to clinch the win over his foreign counterpart in the tough 48-player field.

The nine-round tournament is organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) headed by president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr. and secretary-general Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino Jr.

The crucial victory enabled Laylo to grab the solo lead with 3.0 points, half-a-point ahead of GM Mark Paragua and IM Oliver Barbosa of the Philippines, GM Cao Sang and GM Nguyen Anh Dung of Vietnam who tallied 2.5 points each.

Paragua and Barbosa agreed to an uneventful draw, Cao toppled GM Cerdas Barus of Indonesia while Anh Dung routed IM Oliver Dimakiling of the Philippines.
In the fourth round, Laylo will test the mettle of Cao, while Paragua will take on Anh Dung and Barbosa will battle GM Zhang Zhong of Singapore.

Zhang, meantime, raised his total to 2.0 points and was tied for sixth to 21st spots with GMs Eugene Torre, Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr., and John Paul Gomez, IMs Rolando Nolte and Richard Bitoon and NMs Alcon John Datu and Mari Joseph Turqueza, the reigning Philippine juniors boys chess champion.

In the distaff side, WIM Irine Kharisma Sukandar of Indonesia defeated WIM Le Kieu Thien Kim of Vietnam to grab the solo lead with 3.0 points.