Round 5: Wesley So grabs solo lead in Asian Chess

Individual Standings after round 5:(Open Division, Nine Round Swiss-System/ 42 player's field)

4.5 points---GM Wesley So (Philippines)
4.0 points---GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (Vietnam)
3.5 points---GM Susanto Megaranto (Indonesia), FM Gombosuren Munkhgal (Mongolia), GM Darwin Laylo (Philippines), GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. (Philippines), IM Nguyen Doc Hoa (Vietnam)
3.0 points---FM Haridas Pascua (Philippines), GM Rogelio Barcenilla Jr. (Philippines), IM Bayarsaikhan Gundavaa (Mongolia), FM Tran Tuan Minh (Vietnam), IM Barlo Nadera (Philippines),
GM John Paul Gomez (Philippines), GM Richard Bitoon (Philippines), FM Mari Joseph Turqueza (Philippines), GM Cao Sang (Vietnam), IM Nguyen Van Huy (Vietnam)
2.5 points---GM Eugene Torre (Philippines), Manny Yu (Philippines), Roger Sarip (Philippines), FM Paulo Bersamina (Philippines), GM Dao Thien Hai (Vietnam), Rustum Tolentino (Philippines)

Tagaytay City---Filipino teenage chess wonder Grandmaster (GM) Wesley So claimed solo leadership in the fifth round of the Asian Zone 3.3 Chess Championship here at the Tagaytay International Convention Center on Friday.

 So, the country’s highest-ranked player and the tournament’s top seed with an Elo rating of 2682, took a break from his studies at Webster University in the United States to compete in the event hosted by Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino Jr. and the city council, defeated  IM Bayarsaikhan Gundavaa of Mongolia (Elo 2522).

"Maganda 'yung coordination ng major pieces ko kaya napilit kong manalo sa laro against (Bayarsaikhan) Gundavaa," said So.

The 19-year-old Bacoor, Cavite native surged to 4.5 points in the standings after 5 rounds in the Nine Round Swiss-system event, organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) headed by it's Chairman/President Prospero 'Butch' Pichay Jr. and Secretary-General Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino Jr. which offers two (2) slot for this year's World Cup in Tromso, Norway.

Actually, So took the leadership board in the fifth round after ertswhile co-leader second seed GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam (Elo 2631) halved the point with GM Darwin Laylo (2491).

Ngoc Truong Son, the 2005 Manila Southeast Asian Games five gold medal winner is in the losing position but managed to draw with Marikina ace Laylo to improve his total to 4.0 points for solo second place.

"Slight advantage tayo sa middle game kaso mahirap pa din y'ung laro. Then sa endgame tabla na talaga eh," said Laylo.

"Pang siyam na laban na namin ni Ngoc Truong Son kala ko makaka iskor na ako kaso muling nauwi sa tabla," Laylo referring his nine (9) head to head match against Ngoc Truong Son and all ended into a fighting draw.

Sharing third to eighth places with 3.5 points each are defending champion GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia, FM Gombosuren Munkhgal of Mongolia, Laylo, 12-time national open champion GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. and IM Nguyen Doc Hoa of Vietnam.

Megaranto settled a draw with Duc Hoa, Munkhgal upset GM Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam and Antonio edged countryman FM Haridas Pascua.

In other matches saw, GM Mark Paragua bested countryman GM Eugene Torre, GM John Paul Gomez subdued FM Rudin Hamdani of Indonesia, US based GM Rogelio Barcenilla Jr. routed Ravdanlkhumbuu Amgalanbaatar of Mongolia, FM Mari Joseph Turqueza shocked IM Rolando Nolte.

In the distaff side, Nguyen Thi Thanh An of Vietnam defeated fellow Vietnamese Woman Grandmaster Nguyen Pham Le Thao to remained on top with 4.5 points in five outings.Bernadette Galas of the Philippines crushed WFM Ummi Fisabilillah of Indonesia to climbed at 4th to 7th place in the company of 3.0 pointers the likes of Pham, WGM    Hoang Thi Bao Tram and WIM Nguyen Thi Mai Hung of Vietnam.

Other Pinay bets WFM Rulp Ylem Jose, WFM Marie Antoinette San Diego and WIM Catherine Perena tallied 2.0 points each for 10th to 14th places while Mary Grace Tambasen at the cellar dwellar with no point.  -Marlon Bernardino