WESLEY BOUNCES BACK

Standings after six rounds:

5.5 points – W. Zhou (China)
5 – C. Li (China), Q.L. Le (Vietnam)
4.5 – W. So, R. Nolte, E. Maghami (Iran), S. Megaranto (Indonesia)
4 – R. Antonio, R. Bitoon, D. Ballecer, J. Sadorra, B. Nadera, Z.H. Wynn (Myanmar), A.D. Nguyen (Vietnam), , M. Mahjoob (Iran), X. Zhang (China), S. Irwanto (Indonesia), D. Liu (Indonesia).

A DAY after losing to Weiqi Zhou of China, GM Wesley So bounced back in contention by demolishing Haoxiang Jia of China after the six rounds in the US$40,000-Philippine Open international chess championship at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center late Saturday.

With the win, So tied for fourth to seventh places with compatriot NM Rolando Nolte, top seed Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran and GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia Weiqi, on the other hand remain on top with a masterful win over Megaranto with 5.5 points on account of five wins and one draw.

Li bounced back from a sorry loss to Megaranto in the fifth round as he whipped GM-candidate Julio Catalino Sadorra in the following round to share second to third places with GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam with five points.

Le, one of the three Vietnamese seeing action in this 76-player, six-nation championship, subdued GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. in another marquee match watched by a sizable weekend crowd which included NCFP president Prospero "Butch' Pichay.

So, the reigning Dubai Open champion, and NM Rolando Nolte are the highest-placed Filipinos with 4.5 points in the tough, 11-round tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and sponsored by the Department of Tourism and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Nolte continued his surprisingly strong showing when he halved the point with Maghami.

Nolte, who is seeking his second GM norm, held his ground against foreign opponents. He won over GM Nguyen Anh Dung of Vetnam and IM Dede Liu of Indonesia and drew with Le and Xiaohui Wang of China.

IM Richard Bitoon outclassed Emmanuel Senador, IM Barlo Nadera toppled GM Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam and Dino Ballecer split the point with IM Zaw Htun Wynn of Myanmar to join Antonio, Sadorra and six foreign players in a big group with four points.

Fast-rising Jan Emmanuel Garcia of Ateneo and Karl Victor Ochoa of Bulacan State University also pulled minor reversals by beating their older and more experienced rivals.

Garcia shocked IM Chito Garma, while Ochoa bested Victor Lluch to improve to three points.

In all-female encounters, national women's champion Cristy Bernales trounced WIM Irine Sukandar of Indonesia and Catherine Perena beat Kimberly Jane Cunanan.

In other notable sixth-round results, IM John Paul Gomez overpowered Efren bagamasbad, IM Ronald Bancod dumped Arlan Cabe, Xu Deshun of China downed Reggie Olay, IM Salor Sitanggang outplayed Rustum Tolentino, NM Adrian Pacis stopped Haridas Pascua, Fernandito Pialan repulsed Hamed Nouri, and Aices Salvador toppled IM Aung Aung of Myanmar.

contributed by MARLON BERNARDINO