ASEAN MASTER CHESS CIRCUIT

PARAGUA, BERNALES CONTINUES WINNING WAYS

Individual Standings: (Single round-robin format/ three division)
Group A
3.5 points— Z. Zhong (Singapore); 3—N. Situru (Indonesia), M. Hafizulhemi (Malaysia), Tirto (Indonesia); 2.5 points— H. Nouri (RP), C. Purnama (Indonesia), N. Ginting (Indonesia); 2— W. So (RP), S. Megaranto (Indonesia); 1.5—E. Torre (RP); 1—C. Kosashi (Indonesia); 0.5—B. Nadera (RP).
Group B
4 points—M. Paragua (RP); 3— S. Sitanggang (Indonesia), A. Nadanian (Armenia), S. Mahmud (Indonesia), J. Gonzales (RP), R. Nolte (RP); 2.5— C. Barus (Indonesia); 2— H. Ardiansyah (Indonesia), O. Barbosa (RP); 1.5— S. Prayitno (Indonesia); 0.5—I.Sukandar (Indonesia), T.M. Mk (Malaysia)
WIM
5 points—I. Sadikin (Indonesia); 4—E. Handoko (Indonesia), 3.5—C . Bernales (RP), G. Chua (Singapore); 3— E. Lindiawati (Indonesia); 2.5—T.M. Hung (Vietnam); 2— J. Tay (Singapore), T. Handayani (Indonesia); 1.5—B.Mendoza (RP); 1—N. Verdiana (Indonesia), V. Chan (Singapore); 0—D. Citra (Indonesia)

FILIPINO Grandmaster Mark Paragua and Woman National Master Christy Lamiel Bernales hurdled their respective rivals to keep the Filipino hope alive in the first Asean Masters Chess Circuit in Tarakan, Indonesia late Saturday.

The 23-year-old Paragua (Elo 2521), the 2003 Vietnam Southeast Asian Games most bemedalled athlete with three gold, trounced Indonesian Woman International Master Irine Kharisma Sukandar (Elo 2266) to post his four consecutive wins in as many round and remain on top in the GM (Grandmaster) B event. Paragua has yet to play his postponed first-round match against countryman FM Oliver Barbosa (Elo 2410). Barbosa lost his match to GM Cerdas Barus (Elo 2479) of Indonesia to remains at 2.0 points.

Paragua, the 1998 Disneyland, France World Rapid Under-14 Champion also won over Armenian IM Ashot Nadanian (Elo 2431) in the second round then nipped Indonesian Fide Master Sharif Mahmud (Elo 2344) in the third round and nipped countryman International Master Jayson Gonzales (Elo 2455) in the fourth round on Friday.
Gonzales, member of the multi-titlist Philippine Army Chess Team on the other hand, bounce back in contention after crushing Indon GM H. Ardiansyah (Elo 2409). Gonzales improve his record with 3.0 points to share 2nd to 6th placers in the company of IM Salor Sitanggang (Elo 2410), Nadanian and Mahmud of Indonesia and countryman FM Rolando Nolte (Elo 2412) who beat Sugeng Prayitno (Elo 2312) of Indonesia.

Gonzales needed to score 8.5 points to earn his third and final GM norm and complete his GM title status.

Meanwhile, the 14-year-old Bernales (Elo 1933) took the measure of Tri Handayani (2036) of the host country to raise her total 3.5 points after four games of play in the Womens International Master (WIM) section. She has one unplayed game against compatriot WIM Beverly Mendoza (Elo 2099) in the first round. Mendoza, also from Nueva Ecija suffered another setback at the hands of FM Graham Chua (Elo 2075) of Singapore. Mendoza was stuck at 1.5 points.

Bernales, member of the 2004 Crete, Greece World Youth Chess Championships also won over WFM Victoria Chan (Elo 1876) of Singapore in the second round, split the point with Noreasa Verdiana (Elo 1890) in the third round then upset second seed Indonesian GM Edhi Handoko (Elo 2437) of Indonesia in the fourth round.

Tournament top seed IM Sadikin Irwanto (Elo 2456) of Indonesia smashed Verdiana to still on top with perfect 5.0 points.

The Quezon City based Bernales, daughter of a former taxi driver from Nueva Ecija needed 2 points to secure an outright Woman Fide Master (WFM) title according to Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr., president of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) who support the Filipino woodpusher trip in Tarakan, Indonesia in close cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

"We (NCFP) hope that Mark (Paragua) and Christy Lamiel (Bernales) will maintain their momentum in the Asean Master Chess Circuit in Tarakan, Indonesia and Jayson (Gonzales) finally earn his last GM norm," said Pichay, also the chairman of Federation of Schools Sports Association of Philippines (FESSAP) and the newly elected president of Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP).

In the GM-A bracket, GM Wesley So (Elo 2526) upset GM Susanto Megaranto (Elo 2563) of Indonesia; FM Nouri Hamed (Elo 2404) toppled IM Nathaniel Situru (Elo 2375) of Indonesia; GM Eugene Torre (Elo 2519) yielded to IM Nasib Ginting (Elo 2393) of Indonesia while IM Barlo Nadera (Elo 2417 bowed to IM Tirto (Elo 2413) of Indonesia.
Top seed GM Zhang Zhong (Elo 2617) on Singapore defeated FM Tirta Chandra Purnama (Elo 2383) of Indonesia to grab the solo leadership board with 3.5 points, half point ahead with Situru, Tirto and IM Mas Hafizulhelmi (Elo 2382) of Malaysia, winner over FM Cecep Kosashi (2408) of Indonesia.



15-YEAR-OLD BOY BEAT FIVE NMs; WINS NCFP CHESS


Final Standings:
1 MJ Turqueza (10 points)
2 NM Stewart Manaoag (8.5 points)
3-4 NM Efren Bagamasbad and NM Randy Segarra (8.0 points)
5 NM Almario Marlon Bernardino Jr. (7.0 points)
6 NM Wilfredo Neri (6.0 points)
7 Dr. Jenny Mayor (4.5 points)
8 Leodegario Ricaña (4.0 points)
9-10 NM Samuel Estimo and NM Mario Rebano (3.5 points)
11 Dr. Johnny Corales (3.0 points)
12 Emil Cabagay (zero)

FIFTEEN year-old boy Mari Joseph 'MJ' Turqueza of V. Luna, Quezon City defeated National Master Efren Bagamasbad of Manila in the eleventh and final round to emerge over-all champion in the 10th leg of National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Executives and Professionals chess challenge at the Greenhouse Grill in Matalino St., Diliman, Quezon City on Saturday.

Turqueza prevailed after 50 moves of a Nimzo-Indian Defense using the white pieces to enroute the title.

His last victory to Bagamasbad put him an impressive record---beating a total of---five national masters that includes Stewart Manaoag, Randy Segarra, Wilfredo Neri and Mario Rebano. Only National Masters Samuel Estimo and Almario Marlon Bernardino Jr. escaped an axe to Turqueza by settling a draw in the early rounds.

Fondly called MJ in the local circuit, he also beat heavyweight Dr. Jenny Mayor, Dr. Johnny Corales, Leodegario Ricaña and Emil Cabagay.

The undefeated Turqueza, a student of Diliman Preparatory School (DPS), Quezon City under the watchful eye of NM Erwin Carag, finished with nine wins and two draw to compile a total of 10.0 points after eleven games of play in the single round robin format.

Contributed by MARLON BERNARDINO