ASEAN MASTER CHESS CIRCUIT - UPDATE

GM MARK PARAGUA STILL ON TOP

Individual Standings after round 6: (Single round-robin format/ three division)

Group A
5 points— Z. Zhong (Singapore); 3.5— W. So (RP), Tirto (Indonesia), S. Megaranto (Indonesia), E. Torre (RP); 3.0 —H. Nouri (RP), M. Hafizulhemi (Malaysia), N. Situru (Indonesia); 2.5— N. Ginting (Indonesia), C. Purnama (Indonesia); 2—C. Kosashi (Indonesia); 1—B. Nadera (RP).

Group B
5.5 points—M. Paragua (RP); 4.5— J. Gonzales (RP), R. Nolte (RP); 4—A. Nadanian (Armenia); 3—H. Ardiansyah (Indonesia), S. Sitanggang (Indonesia), S. Mahmud (Indonesia); 2.5— O. Barbosa (RP), C. Barus (Indonesia); 1.5—T.M. Mk (Malaysia), S. Prayitno (Indonesia); 0.5—I.Sukandar (Indonesia)
WIM
5.5 points—I. Sadikin (Indonesia); 4.5—E. Handoko (Indonesia), 3.5—C . Bernales (RP),T.M. Hung (Vietnam), G. Chua (Singapore), E. Lindiawati (Indonesia); 3— B.Mendoza (RP); 2.5—T. Handayani (Indonesia), J. Tay (Singapore); 2—V. Chan (Singapore); 1.5—N. Verdiana (Indonesia); 0.5—D. Citra (Indonesia)


FILIPINO GM Mark Paragua trounced Indonesian Sugeng Prayitno to remain on top after the sixth round of first ASEAN Masters Chess Circuit late Monday in Tarakan, Indonesia.

The 23-year-old Paragua prevailed using the disadvantageous black pieces after 32 pushes of a Queens Pawn Game.

The undefeated Paragua whose stint here is being supported by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. and the Philippines Sports Commission (PSC) headed by chairman William "Butch" Ramirez Jr. improved his record with five wins and a draw to raise total 5.5 points after six games of play in the 12 man field Grandmaster (GM) B closed tournament applying the single round-robin format.

IM Jayson Gonzales, the country's top scorer in the 2004 Mallorca World Chess Olympiad, who is bidding his third and final GM norm also won his match against Indon IM Salor Sitanggang after 47 moves of an English Opening using the white pieces to join countryman FM Roland Nolte in 2 nd to 3rd places after tallying identical 4.5 points. Nolte, who also aiming his third and final IM norm crushed compatriot and fellow FM Oliver Barbosa after marathon 54 moves of a Spanish Game using the white pieces.

Armenian IM Ashot Nadanian upset Indon GM Cerdas Barus to climbed at solo 4th place with 4.0 points. Indon GM H. Ardiansyah bested Indon WIM

Irine Kharisma Sukandar to score 3.0 points and create a three-way tie for 5th to 7 th placers along with Sitanggang and Indon FM Syarif Mahmud, who yielded to Malaysian FM Mok Tze Meng.

In GM (grandmaster) A closed tournament, top seed GM Zhang Zhong (2617) of Singapore smashed Malaysian IM Mas Hafizulhelmi after 55 moves of a Closed Sicilian Skirmish using the white pieces to remain on top with four wins and two draw to raise his total 5.0 points.

Employing the white pieces, vintage Eugene Torre, Asia's First Grandmaster, toppled Indon FM Tirta Chandra Purnama after 37 moves of an Irregular Opening to score 3.5 points and was tied at 2nd to 5th placers with GM Wesley So, GM Susanto Megaranto and IM Tirto of Indonesia.

So, 14, currently youngest GM in the world made a quick 11 moves draw with Tirto using the black pieces in their Sicilian encounter while Megaranto successfully handle the white pieces to nipped Indon IM Nasib Ginting after 37 moves of another Sicilian Game.

IM Barlo Nadera split the point with FM Hamed Nouri in just 17 moves of Kings Indian Defense, while Indon FM Cecep Kosasih waylaid Indon IM Nathaniel Situru.

In the Women International Master (WIM) section, Indon IM Irwanto Sadikin halved the point with Indon GM Edhi Handoko after 17 moves of a Queens Pawn Game using the white pieces. Sadikin is still lording with 5.5 points, full point ahead with solo second place Handoko (4.5 points).

Woman NM Christy Lamiel Bernales absored her second straight loss this time to WFM Nguyen Thi May Hung of Vietnam after 41 moves of a Queens Pawn Game. The 14-year-old daughter of former taxi driver from Nueva Ecija was stuck at 3.5 points but still at No.3 position in the company of WFM Hung, FM Graham Chua of Singapore and Evi Lindiawati of Indonesia.

Another Filipino entry WIM Beverly Mendoza ended her match in a 60 move-fighthing draw with the black pieces over WFM Jeslin Tay of Singapore in their Dutch Defense encounter.

In other matches, Chua bowed to Singaporean WFM Victoria Chan, Lindiawati settled for a truce with Indon Tri Handayani while Indon Dewi AA Cirta also drew her match over compatriot Norasa Verdiana.

Contributed by MARLON BERNARDINO