GMs Paragua, Gomez tie for 3rd in Vietnam

Final Standings:

7.5 pts—GM Le Quang Liem (Vietnam)

7.0 pts—GM Lu Shanglei (China)

6.5 pts—GM Zhou Jianchao (China), GM Mark Paragua (Philippines), GM Ferenc Berkes (Hungrary), GM Li Shilong (China), GM Yu Ruiyuan (China), IM Zeng Chongsheng (China), GM Zhou Weiqi (China), GM John Paul Gomez (Philippines)

6.0 pts—GM Oliver Barbosa (Philippines), GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (Vietnam),  IM Nguyen Huynh Minh Huy (Vietnam), IM    Lou Yiping (China), IM    Oliver Dimakiling (Philippines)

Top seed GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam drew with second seed GM Ferenc Berkes of Hungrary to capture the title even as Filipino GMs Mark Paragua and John Paul Gomez tied for third in the 3rd HD Bank Cup International Open Chess Tournament 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Le, with an ELO of 2709, halved the point with Berkes (ELO of 2702) after 31 moves of Queen’s Pawn Game in the final round to tally 7.5 points on six wins and three draws.

GM Lu Shanglei of China beat GM Oliver Barbosa of the Philippines after 37 moves of Caro-kann defense to finish second with 7.0 points.

Paragua, meantime drew with GM Zhou Weiqi of China after 31 moves of a Queen’s Pawn skirmish while Gomez crushed IM Nguyen Duc Hoa of Vietnam after 44 moves of Queen’s Indian defense to finish in an eight-way tie for third with Weiqi, Berkes, GMs Zhou Jianchao,  Li Shilong, Yu Ruiyuan and IM Zeng Chongsheng of China with 6.5 points each.

Barbosa remained at 6.0 points, the same output of IM Oliver Dimakiling, who upset GM Tu Hoang Thong of Vietnam after 28 moves of Trompovsky Opening.

The nine-round Swiss system event has a total prize fund of $30,000 with GM Liem getting $10,000. /Correspondent Marlon bernardino