INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - International master Richard Bitoon downed countryman GM Mark Paragua Friday night to lead the Filipinos? charge in the eighth Asian Continental individual chess championship at the Subic Exhibition and Convention Center.

Bitoon, the reigning Singapore Open champion, boosted his total to 2.5 points and climbed to a share of second place with compatriot GM John Paul Gomez, top seeded Indian GM Khrisnan Sasikiran and seven others in the $50,000 tournament.

Another Indian, GM Chanda Sandipan, subdued Iranian GM Elhsan Moradiabadi in 35 moves to grab the solo lead with a perfect score of three points.

Top Filipino hope GM Wesley So whipped Xu Deshun of China to bounce back into contention with 2.0 points.

Stunned by GM Yu Shaoteng of China in the second round Thursday, the second-ranked So trounced No. 58 Yu and moved into a 21-player logjam at 12th to 32nd places.

?There are still eight more rounds left, so I still have enough time to catch up,? said the 15-year-old So, who will battle GM Saidali Iuldachev of Uzbekistan in the fourth round.