2 Pinoys grab India chess lead

FILIPINO Grandmasters (GMs) John Paul Gomez and Oliver Barbosa extended their unbeaten run up to the sixth round of the 10th Parsvnath International Open Chess Tournament 2012 after beating their respective rivals yesterday at Ludlow Castle Sports Complex, Civil Lines in New Delhi, India.

The Binan, Laguna native Gomez, who is fresh from a runner-up finish in the SDAT-RMK 4th Chennai Open Grand Master Chess Tournament in Chennai, India over the weekend, nipped IM Lalith Babu M R of India to raise his total 6.0 points, the same output of compatriot Barbosa who subdued GM Marat Dzhumaev of Uzbekistan.

The two Pinoy grandmasters are now tied for the lead with five rounds to go in the 11-round, Swiss system tournament.

Meanwhile, Rathnakaran K of India routed countryman and fellow IM Thejkumar M S to score 5.5 points for solo third place.

Another Filipino, GM Mark Paragua of Bulacan defeated Narayanan S L of India to tally 5.0 points and climbed to a tie for 4th to 11th places in the company of Dzhumaev while GM Richard Bitoon of Medellin, Cebu toppled Srikanth K of India to improve his record to 4.0 points, good for a tie for 40th to 89th spots.

In the seventh round, Gomez will battle Barbosa for the solo lead, Paragua will play Zeng Chongsheng of China while Bitoon will face Prince Bajaj of India.

The India chess campaign is part of the Philippine Team’s preparation for this year’s 38th World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey which is backed by NCFP, PSC and POC.