Pinoy Barbosa emerges co-champion in Malaysia chess tilt

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—Grandmaster Oliver Barbosa emerged as co-champion in the DYTM Raja Nazrin Shah International Open Chess Championship 2012 following his masterful conquest of compatriot GM Mark Paragua in the final round yesterday at the Olympic Sports Hotel here.

The country’s top scorer in this year’s World Chess Olympiad subdued Paragua in their Caro Kann Defense encounter, forcing the latter to resign after 29 moves.

His slow start, however, prevented him from retaining the title.

Top-seed GM Sergei Tiviakov of the Netherlands halved a point with International Master Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam after 36 moves of Sicilian to match Barbosa’s total of 7.0 points and take the title with superior tiebreak points.

Tiviakov and Barbosa drew in the eighth and penultimate round on Saturday night.

GM Cao Sang and IM Nguyen Duc Hoa of Vietnam settled for a draw after 71 moves of Queen’s Indian Defense to finish half point back with 6.5 points, the same output with Nguyen Van Huy and International Master Jahongir Vakhidov of Uzbekistan, who stunned GM Darwin Laylo in their Czech Benoni encounter.

International Masters Ronald Dableo and Oliver Dimakiling downed separate Malaysian rivals to earn a share of seventh place with 6.0 points.

Dableo toppled Lim Zhuo Ren while Dimakiling took the measure of FIDE Master Ronnie Lim.

Also with 6.0 points were Paragua, FIDE Master Julius de Ramos, Woman Grandmaster Rout Padmin of India, IM Duong The Anh of Vietnam and Rahman Masruri of Indonesia.

The other Filipinos in the field were IM Rolando Nolte, National Master Almario Marlon Bernardino, Jr., Eden Diano, Franz Barretto, Stewart Manaog, father and daughter Edmundo and Kaye Ann Legaspi, Jimson Bitoon and Rhobel Legaspi. /Correspondent Marlon Bernardino-