Barbosa, Bitoon get GM norms; So leads

MANILA—International Masters Richard Bitoon and Oliver Barbosa secured Grandmaster results in the ninth round Thursday, staying within site of pacesetter GM Wesley So in the National Chess Championship: 4th Battle of the Grandmasters at the National Press Club.

Bitoon downed GM John Paul Gomez after 38 moves of the Sicilian while Barbosa split the point with GM Mark Paragua after 31 moves of the Slav to raise their total to 6.0 points, meeting the 6 of 9 requirement for a GM norm in this 13-round event.

With two GM results each, Barbosa and Bitoon need only one more to become full-fledged GMs.
Bitoon got his first GM norm during the 2008 Singapore International Open while Barbosa got his during the 10th Asian Continental Individual Chess Championships in Mashhad, Iran, last May.

So drew with GM Eugene Torre after 35 moves of the London System Opening to hike his total to 6.5 points and move closer toward a third straight Battle of GMs title. So won his first four games then drew the next five.

Standings after round 9:
MEN: 6.5 points—GM Wesley So; 6.0—IM Oliver Barbosa, IM Richard Bitoon; 5.5—GM Darwin Laylo, GM Eugene Torre; 5.0—GM Rogelio Antonio Jr., GM Joseph Sanchez; 4.5—GM Mark Paragua, IM Rolando Nolte; 3.5—GM John Paul Gomez, GM Rogelio Barcenilla, IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia; 3.0—GM Roland Salvador; 1.0—IM Yves Ranola
WOMEN (After 8 rounds): 7.0 points—WFM Rulp Ylem Jose; 6.0—WIM Beverly Mendoza; 5.5—WFM Cherry Ann Mejia, WNM Janelle Mae Frayna; 5.0—WNM Jedara Docena; 4.5—WIM Catherine Perea; 4.0—WNM Jan Jodilyn Fronda; 3.5—WFM Marie Antoinette San Diego; 2.5—Mira Mirano; 1.5—WNM Jenny Rose Palomo, Shania Mae Mendoza, Rowelyn Acedo