INQUIRER Sports

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan -- Grandmaster Buenaventura “Bong” Villamayor took a giant step to winning his first major chess title in a long time Saturday.

Villamayor humbled International Master Richard Bitoon in the seventh round and then drew with IM Rustum Tolentino in the eighth and penultimate round to keep the lead in the 2008 Palawan Open chess championship at the Palawan Provincial Capitol Bldg. here.

With eight points on six wins and two draws, Villamayor moved closer to the title and the P50,000 top prize in the nine-round tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippine (NCFP) and supported by the Palawan provincial government.

The 41-year-old campaigner, who left a high-paying job as a chess instructor in Singapore to resume his playing career, needs only a draw in his ninth and final match to formally claim the title.

“A draw is enough, but I’ll go for the win if there’s an opportunity for it,” said Villamayor, who will next play NM Emmanuel Senador.