INQUIRER Sports

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan -- Grandmaster Buenaventura "Bong" Villamayor on Friday afternoon beat International Master Barlo Nadera to keep his solo leadership after six rounds in the ongoing Governor Joel Reyes’s Palawan Open Chess Tournament.

Villamayor (2486), who will banner Palawan in the forthcoming Inter-Province Chess Tournament scheduled on June 12-19 in Tandag, Surigao del Sur, forced Nadera, handling black, into a lopsided exchange of pieces to emerge victorious after 43 moves of a Slav opening.

Tied for second place are International Master Richard Bitoon, Fide Master Roderick Nava, NM Mirabeau Maga, NM Rostum Tolentino, and IM Manny Senador.

Lumped together at third place with 4.5 points are IM Barlo Nadera, IM Ronald Bancod, and local stalwart Roger Seratubias, who drew his last round with Bancod.

Unheralded local players Bert Alora and Rey Reyes waylaid IM Ronal Bancod and IM Emmanuel Senador in separate upsets to spoil the titled players' domination over the 70-participant tournament.

The 9-round Swiss System tournament is sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and organized by the Palawan Provincial Sports Office headed by Sunshine Cabiguen.