INQUIRER Sports

Standings after round 5:

4.0 points--- GM Eugene Torre (RP), GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. (RP), GM Darwin Laylo (RP), GM Mikhael Michedlishvili (Georgia), GM Merab Gagunashvili (Georgia), GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (Iran), GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (Vietnam)

3.5 points---GM Mark Paragua (RP), GM John Paul Gomez (RP), GM Dao Thien Hai (Vietnam), GM Anton Filippov (Uzbekistan), GM Das Neelotpal (India), GM Zhang Zhong (Singapore)

Filipino Grandmasters Eugene Torre and Rogelio ?Joey? Antonio Jr. won their respective fifth round matches on Sunday to create a seven-way tie for first in the 5th Prospero A. Pichay, Jr. Cup Chess Championship in Quezon City.

GM Torre, Asia?s first Grandmaster, beat Indian GM Abhijeet Gupta in 42 moves of Trompovsky Opening, while Antonio nipped Armenian GM Tigran Kotanjian in 42 moves of Sicilian Defense, Alapin variation late Sunday.

The wins allowed Torre and Antonio to raise their total to 4.0 points, the same output of compatriot GM Darwin Laylo, top seed GM Mikhael Michedlishvili and GM Merab Gagunashvili of Georgia, GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran and GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam.

In the sixth round late Monday, Michedlishvili battled Antonio on board 1 while GM John Paul Gomez faced Torre on board 4.

Other 5th round results: Maghami drew with Michedlishvili, Laylo drew with 2009 PGMA Cup winner Uzbek GM Anton Filippov and Ngoc Truong Son subdued Armenian GM Pyotr Kostenko.

Still in contention of this nine round Swiss-system tournament organized by Prospero ?Butch? Pichay Jr., president of the NCFP with 3.5 points each are Gomez, Filippov, GM Mark Paragua of the Philippines, GM Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam, GM Das Neelotpal of India and GM Zhang Zhong of Singapore.

Paragua hammered NM Alcon John Datu after 87 moves of Alekhine Defense; Gomez bested NM Alex Milagrosa after 28 moves of French Defense; Dao halved the point with Zhang after 30 moves of Slav Defense, and Neelotpal drew with Chinese GM Li Shilong after 32 moves of Slav Defense.