DUBAI CHESS + BANGKOK CHESS CUPS

SO, SADORA POSTS BACK TO BACK WINS IN DUBAI CHESS CUP

COUNTRY'S top player GM Wesley So (2540) and IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (2455) hurdled their respective assignment to remain undefeated after posting two successive wins for a share of the lead with 23 others, after two rounds of the the annual $45,000 Dubai Open dubbed as The Sheikh Rashed Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup being held at the Dubai Chess Club in United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday.

The No.16 pick So, whose local and International campaign is supported by NCFP president Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. and Filway Marketing Inc. CEO/President Hector Tagaysay trounced No.81 Ali Al Sulaiti (2161) of Brunei and No.48 FM Wu Xibin (2351) of China, in order, to meet No.3 GM Levan Pantsulaia (2617) of Georgia using the disadvantageous black pieces in the third round, who came a big wins over No. 68 FM Ulvi Bajarani (2234) of Azerbaijan and No.39 IM Mas Hafizulhelmi (2396) of Malaysia, respectively.

While the No.29 seed Sadorra, clobbered No.94 Khosla Shiven (2086) of India and No. 63 Omid Noroozi (2274) of Iran. The Singapore-based Sadorra will square off No.10 GM Tigran Kotanjian (2570) of Armenia in the next round, winner over No.75 Sabri Al Mahayri (2202) of Syria and No.42 IM Lanka Ravi (2382) of India.

Three Filipino oversees worker - Fide Master Antonio Molina (2150), former Philippine kiddie champion NM Robert Arellano (2023) and journalist Jobannie Tabada (2057) are joint 41st placers while Ernesto Yap still has to make a point.

According to chief arbiter Filipino Casto "Toti" Abundo, the annual event in now on its 10th anniversary this year with 131 players from 25 countries in the tournament that attracted 29 GM/WGM, 21 IM/WIM and 22 FM/WFM.


CEBUANO BITOON FINISH 5TH IN BANGKOK CHESS

FILIPINO International Master Richard Bitoon (2420) held to a draw, top seed GM Varuzhan Akobian (2601) of the United States in the ninth and final round to settle for fifth place in the just ended 8th annual Bangkok Chess Club Open 2008 at the Century Park Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand over the weekend.

The Cebuano native Bitoon, a protege of NM Matias "Bombi" Aznar finished with 6.5 points on acocunt of six wins, one draw and two loses after nine games of play, the same output of WIM Qianyun Gong (2226) of China whom he beat in the tie break for 5th spot.

Another Filipino entry FM Roderick Nava (2345), who hails from Carmona, Cavite bowed to eventual champion Deschun Xiu (2371) of China in the final round but took over-all seventh place with 6.0 points along with 10 others.

Nava's Far Eastern University (FEU) team mate Christian Arroyo landed at 32nd place with 5.0 points while unheralded Eladio Parco is far at 62nd place with 4.0 points. Actually, this annual event which lured 99 players was dominated by the Chinese with clear first place Xiu (8.0 points), runner-up Ziyang Zhang (7.5 points) and third placer GM Li Shilong (7.0 points) who beat fourth placer fellow GM Akobian (7.0 points) in the tie breaker.

The Filipinos campaign here in Bangkok was supported by no less than National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr.



WESLEY SO, 14, NOW NO.1 IN RP APRIL 2008 FIDE RATING LIST; WINS DUBAI

WESLEY SO, 14, heads the April 1, 2008 Fide (World Chess Federation) ratings list of 100 Filipino players, with an Elo of 2540, his highest yet.

The world's youngest GM from Bacoor, Cavite also won his opening match yesterday against Al Sulaiti Ali (2161) of Brunei in the annually $45,000 Dubai Open dubbed as The Sheikh Rashed Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup being held at the Dubai Chess Club in United Arab Emirates.

The No.16 seed So will square off FM Wu Xibin (2351) of China in the next round being held celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with 131 players from 25 countries in the tournament with 29 GM/WGM, 21 IM/WIM and 22 FM/WGM according to chief arbiter Filipino Casto "Toti" Abundo.

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. is very optimistic that the young So can brake the 2600 ELO barrier and become the first Super Grandmaster under his term.

"No doubt na ma achieve ni Wesley (So) y'ung 2600 Fide ELO rating points. Palagi tayong nasa tabi niya para tumulong sa kanyang mga pangarap sa larangan ng Chess," said Pichay in a recent interview who bankrolled the trip of So in Dubai Open.

This early, it seem So, one of the "Super Pinoy: was cited by Bandera Newspaper two years ago, that So can spearhead the Philippine team that will compete in the 38th Men's Olympiad in Dresden, Germany in November.

Close on his heels is Mark Paragua (2537), who is fresh from winning the Original 4 Rated Games Tonight last April 3 at the Chess Center of New York in Manhattan, New York, USA. The former Super GM whose best ELO is at 2621, the highest for a Filipino, finished undefeated with four wins in New York Chess.

Former No. 1 GM Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr.,an enlisted personnel of the Philippine Army kept his rating of 2529. This would have gone up had the results of the recent Sydney International Open been included in the tally.

RP long-time vanguard GM Eugene Torre was No. 4 with 2519, followed by Europe based IM Joseph Sanchez (2507), GM Darwin Laylo (2496), IM Oliver Dimakiling (2479), GM Jayson Gonzales (2467), IM John Paul Gomez (2464), and IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (2455).

Gonzales' title on the Fide rating list is still IM, but a more recent posting on its official website said Fide's presidential assembly had ratified the Filipino's new GM title.

No.14 Rolando Nolte (2420) and No.20 Oliver Barbosa's (2403) new IM title is expected to be ratified soon.

Meanwhile No. 83 Sherily Cua (2132) having set a Philippine-Australian record of sorts by being the only player out of 105 to win a Fide norm—WIM—in last week's Sydney International Open at the Parramata Town Hall in the capital of New South Wales according to the electronic mail Weekender report.

GM Viswanathan Anand (2803) of India took the No.1 spot in top 100 players in the world while Judit Polgar (2709) of Hungrary is alone of top in the top 50 women's players.


BATTLE OF THE GRANDMASTERS GOES TO MANILA PAVILION ON APRIL 19

ALL roads to the Manila Pavilion on United Nation (UN) Avenue when the much awaited Battle of Grandmasters takes its first move on April 19 to 30 in Ermita, Manila.

This was revealed by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. in a recent interview.

"Tuloy na tuloy na" said Pichay, who produced three grandmaster under his term---Wesley So, Darwin Laylo and Jayson Gonzales.

NCFP director Willy Abalos said in the Weekender report that 12 leading male players, including six of the country's seven grandmasters, have each made a definite commitment to play in the tournament.

On the distaff side, he said 12 of a short list of 14 amazons have made the same commitment.

Here is the lineup for the Men's Division: GMs Wesley So (2540), Mark Paragua (2537), Joey Antonio (2529), Eugene Torre (2519), Jayson Gonzales (2467), and Bong Villamayor (2425); IMs John Paul Gomez (2464) and Julio Catalino Sadorra (2455); FM Fernie Donguines (2362); and NMs Rolando Nolte (2420), Oliver Barbosa (2403) and Hamed Nouri(2392).

Here are the women who have pledged to join the mixed tournament: Catherine Pereña (2234), Sherily (2132) and Shercila Cua (2203), Rulp Ylem Jose (2044), Jenny Rose Paloma, Jedara Docena, Aices Salvador (1998), WIM Beverly Mendoza (2072), Chardine Cheradee Camacho (2106), Kimberly Jane Cunanan, Christy Lamiel Bernales, and Enerose Magno. Abalos said he was also inviting Loreshyl Cuison and WFM Sheerie Joy Lomibao (2185), but he had not heard from them.


contributed by MARLON BERNARDINO, edited by jovie sison.