SADORRA IS FOURTH IN SINGAPORE OPEN

FINAL RESULTS OF SINGAPORE CHESS OPEN

Final Standings: (42 player's field/ 9 round Swiss System)

7.0 points--- GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili (GEO), GM Zhang Zhong (SIN)

6.5 points--- GM Sandipan Chanda (IND)

6.0 points--- IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (RP), GM Dao Thien Hai (VIE), IM RR Laxman (IND), GM Susanto Megaranto (INA), IM Girinath PDS (IND), GM Wu Shaobin (SIN)

5.5 points---IM Oliver Dimakiling (RP), GM Nguyen Anh Dung (VIE), GM Mark Paragua (RP), Lin Chen (CHN)

5.0 points---IM Enrique Paciencia (RP), Wan Yunguo (CHN), WGM Gu Xiaobing (CHN), IM Jayson Gonzales (RP), IM Salor Sitanggang (INA), WIM Irine Kharisma Sukandar (INA)

NEWLY Installed Filipino International Master Julio Catalino Sadorra (2414) split the point with GM Wu Shaobin (2469) using the white pieces in the ninth and final round to finish fourth in the Singapore Masters International Open Tournament 2007 in Singapore yesterday.

With this, the former Cavite stand out and now Singapore based Sadorra scored 6.0 points on account of four wins, four draws and a loss in nine games of play, the same output of Wu, GM Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam, GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia, IM RR Laxman and IM Girinath PDS of India. However, Sadorra finish fourth after the tie break points was applied. He also had a 2523 performance rating.

Sadorra had an impressive showing in the last four rounds by facing four tough GMs. He drew with second seed GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili (2606) of Georgia in the sixth, bowed to top seed GM Zhang Zhong (2634) of Singapore in the seventh, and split the point with No.4 GM Susanto Megaranto (2569) of Indonesia in the eight and No.10 GM Wu Shaobin (2449) in the ninth and final round.

Meanwhile, GM Azmaiparashvili took the championships crown by a better 50 tie break points than GM Zhang's 48. The duo finished identical 7.0 points apiece.

Third seed GM Sandipan Chanda (2593) of India occupied solo third with 6.5 points after he held a draw with GM Dao in the last round.

Rounding up to the top 10 to 13th placers with 5.5 points each were GM Mark Paragua and IM Oliver Dimakiling, GM Nguyen Anh Dung of Vietnam and Lin Chen of China.

IM Enrique Paciencia and IM Jayson Gonzales finished in 14th place along with four others with 5.0 points each.

NM Rolando Andador, who earned his first IM norm in the recently concluded Prospero Pichay International Open Chess recently at the Duty Free Mall in Paranaque City had a lackluster performance here in Singapore with 4.0 points.

Report from MARLON BERNARDINO