Laylo keeps lead in Zonal 3.3 chess

Standings
after round 5
4.5 points —GM Darwin Laylo (Philippines)
4.0 points —GM Eugene Torre (PHL), GM Zhang Zhong (Singapore)
3.5 points —GM Mark Paragua (PHL), IM Richard Bitoon (PHL), GM Cao Sang (Vietnam), GM Susanto Megaranto (Indonesia), IM Go Wei Ming (Singapore)

Filipino Grandmaster (GM) Darwin Laylo settled for a draw with compatriot GM Mark Paragua yesterday to remain on top after five rounds of the 2011 Asian Zone 3.3 chess championships at the Tagaytay International Convention Center.

Laylo, who beat Vietnamese GM Cao Sang in Thursday’s fourth round, raised his total to 4.5 points, half-a-point ahead of countryman GM Eugene Torre and top seed GM Zhang Zhong of Singapore.

Torre, 59, posted his fourth straight win by beating FM Nguyen Doc Hoa of Vietnam while Zhang outplayed GM Nguyen Anh Dung also of Vietnam. Cao, on the other hand, rebounded by crushing Gunbayar Myagmarsuren of Mongolia in the fifth round.

Paragua and Cao tallied 4.0 points, the same output of GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia, IM Go Wei Ming of Singapore and IM Richard Bitoon of the Philippines. Megaranto and Bitoon agreed to a draw while Go split the point with Filipino IM Oliver Barbosa.

In the sixth round, Laylo will play black against Torre on Board 1, Megaranto will meet Zhang on Board 2, Paragua will play Cao on Board 3 while Bitoon will face Go on Board 4.

The 48-player, nine-round tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines offers two World Cup slots in the open division.