INQUIRER Sports

Standings round 5:

4.5 pts--- GM Wong Meng Kong (Singapore)

4.0 pts--- IM Richard Bitoon (Philippines), GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (Vietnam), GM Tigran Kotanjian (Armenia)

3.5 pts--- GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. (RP), GM John Paul Gomez (RP), GM Darwin Laylo (RP), IM Ronald Dableo (RP), GM Anton Filippov (Uzbekistan), GM Mikhael Michedlishvili (Georgia), GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (RP), GM Merab Gagunashvili (Georgia), GM Getha Gopal Nayanan (India), GM Dao Thien Hai (Vietnam)

FILIPINO International Master Richard Bitoon (2490) drew with Singaporean GM Wong Meng Kong (2403) in the fifth round Sunday night, to fortify his GM title bid in the 4th President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Cup International Chess Championship in Parañaque City.

The Medellin, Cebu-native Bitoon compiled 4.0 points on 3 wins and 2 draws to share 2nd-4th spots along with Vietnamese GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son and Armenian GM Tigran Kotanjian, winners over Kazakhstan GMs Annuar Ismagambetov and Pyotr Kostenko, respectively.

?Ok lamang ang draw para maipreserba ko ang lakas ko sa mga susunod na round,? said the former Southwestern University top player Bitoon, who shocked tournament top seed Georgian Super GM Mikhael Mchedlishvili (2613) in the fourth round.

Bitoon, protégé of NM Matias ?Bombi? Aznar, will face Kotanjian in sixth round late yesterday. Bitoon is seeking to complete his GM norm in the event.

Wong Meng Kong, on the other hand remained on top with 4.5 points.

Six players lost their fourth-round matches via defaults due to typhoon Ondoy. They are: Dableo, IM Barlo Nadera, NMs Deniel Causo and Ali Branzuela, Albert Rivera, and Conrado Diaz. They appealed their case but organizers turned them down.

Nadera, a resident of Malabon City suffered his second straight lost by default after failing to show up in the fifth round against Davao City NM Allan Macala.

In other matches, Antonio and Gomez settled for a draw, while Filipino GMs Mark Paragua, Bong Villamayor and Jayson Gonzales lost.