PHILIPPINES SWEEPS 1-2-3 IN MALAYSIAN CHESS TILT

APOCALYPSE MANILA, PHILIPPINES WOODPUSHERS TOPS MERDEKA RAPID CHESS TITLE

APOCALYPSE MANILA, PHILIPPINES composed of IM Ronald Bancod, NM Rolando Nolte, NM Emmanuel Seandor, Christopher Castellano and Albert Rivera combined a total of 28 points and 16 match points to emerge over-all champion in the just concluded 27th Astro Merdeka Rapid Team Chess Championships late Sunday at the Cititel Midvalley Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"Maganda ang performance natin dito sa Merdeka Team Championships, na sweep ng Team Philippines ang 1-2-3 spots," said Apocalypse Manila, Philippines team skipper IM Ronald Bancod in a text message late Sunday. Ronald who is fresh from winning the 2007 Asian Indoor Games selection tournament held in Tagaytay recently, a younger brother of Tempo sports editor Rey Bancod notched a 4-3-2-win-loss-draw record in nine outings.

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president former rep. Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. lauded the performance of Team Philippines who garnered a 1-2-3 finish in the 27th Astro Merdeka Rapid Team Chess Championships late Sunday.
"It show's na malaki talaga ang pag-asa natin sa larong chess. Sana makakuha ng norms/ results (FM/IM/GM) y'ung mga player natin na kalahok sa Open section." he added.

Laguna-Evertel, Philippines headed by IM candidate Nouri Hamed, IM Richard Bitoon, NM Rhobel Legaspi, NM Jerry Nodado and head coach Dr. Alfredo Paez tallied a total of 26.5 points and 15 match points to land runner-up in this 50 team competition. According to Dr. Paez, his team is supported by Laguna Governor Teresita "Ningning" Lazaro and Evertel Enterprises manager Belen Urbina.

Quezon City, Philippines, meanwhile spearheaded by IM Julio Catalino Sadorra, IM Barlo Nadera, Allan Cantonjos and Roel Abelgas notched a total of 26.5 points and 14 match points to complete the Filipino 1-2-3 finish after settling third place.

Rounding the top five finishers were No.4 BHAYANGKARA B – Indonesia (24 points/ 12 match points), and No.5 United Nations (23.5 points/ 12 match points).
In the Open class yesterday, IM Ronald Bancod played the black pieces against Eugene Schon, IM Julio Catalino Sadorra also played the black pieces against Chor Yuen Chong, IM Richard Bitoon played the white pieces against WFM Helen Milligan, IM Oliver Dimakiling, black pieces against Hilton Bennett and IM candidate Nouri Hamed played white against Ramnath Bhuvanesh.

The Open event drew 87 player's field and the top five seeded were GM Zhang Zhong of China, GM Utut Adianto of Indonesia, GM Murray Chandler of England, GM Dao Thien Hai and GM Nguyen Anh Dung of Vietnam. Chinese Li Chao is No.6 while Bangladesh top player GM Ziaur Rahman is No.7 pick.



CEBUANO IM BARLO NADERA WINS P100,000 IN PICHAY SR. MEMORIAL OPEN CHESS

INTERNATIONAL MASTER Barlo Nadera of Mandaue, Cebu stunned last year's champion National Master Ernesto Fernandez of Pagadian City using the advantageous white pieces in the ninth and final round to bag the championships' trophy plus the top prize of Php100,000 in the 4 th annual Prospero Pichay Sr. Memorial Open Chess Tournament was held recently at the Surigao del Sur Institue of Technology in Cantilan Surigao delu Sur.

Nadera, the top player of the Philippine Airforce finished unbeaten, with 8.5 points in nine outings. His only draw was inflicted by fellow IM Oliver Dimakiling in the seventh round.

Tournament director and former Olympian National Master Cesar Caturla yesterday said that the event is was held in honor of the late father of National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president and former representative Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr.

National arbiter Lorenzo Cuizon of Cagayan de Oro City is the chief arbiter in the said chessfest which attracted 76 woodpushers in the country.

Tied for second to 4th placers are IM Richard Bitoon of Medellin, Cebu, NM Mirabeau Maga of Quezon City and NM Emmanuel Senador of Iloilo who notch identical 7.0 points apiece. Each of them received Php23,333 for their effort.

Fernandez who got his IM norm/results in the Subic International Open was stuck at 6.5 points in the company of Dimakiling, and Jimmy Dano of Dipolog City. The triumvirate (Fernandez, Dimakiling and Dano) took home Php3,750 each.

(Reports by MARLON BERNARDINO)