UNITED States-based Julio Catalino Sadorra and fellow Filipino grandmasters Mark Paragua, John Paul Gomez and Richard Bitoon won their opening-round matches Saturday night in the $100,000 Manny Pacquiao Cup Asian Continental Chess Championship at Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay City.
The 26-year-old Sadorra, a senior business administration student at University of Texas-Dallas, bested compatriot FM Hamed Nouri; Paragua tamed International Master Emmanuel Senador; Gomez downed Malaysian IM Jimmy Liew; and Bitoon trounced Adelardo Pagente to share top spot with top seed GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam and second-ranked GM Li Chao of China.
Le, who boasts an Elo rating of 2714, beat compatriot FM Tran Tuan Minh while Li (Elo 2686) whipped Indian Ganesan Akash as they revved up their bid for the five World Cup slots at stake in the nine-round Open division.
Filipino prospects Emmanuel Emperado and Fide Master Mari Joseph Turqueza shared the limelight by toppling foreign GMs.
Emperado thwarted Mongolian Bayarsaikhan Gundava (Elo 2528), while Turqueza upset Vietnamese Dao Thien Hai (Elo 2506).
Veteran Filipino IMs Barlo Nadera and Chito Garma also proved their mettle by splitting the point with Indian GM Krishnan Sasikiran, ranked No. 3 with a 2669 Elo, and Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto (Elo 2531).
GMs Oliver Barbosa, Rogelio Antonio Jr. and Darwin Laylo also settled for draws.
Barbosa, already assured of a slot in the World Cup, set in August in Tromso, Norway, split the point with China’s Bai Jinshi. Antonio drew with Noel Dela Cruz and so did Laylo against Mongolian FM Sumiya Bilguun.
In the women’s division, the Chinese juggernaut started rolling with WGMs Huang Qian, Quo Qi and Wang Jue disposing of their rivals.
Huang bested Filipino WIM Catherine Pereña, Quo downed Indonesian WFM Aa Citra Dewi, and Wang repulsed Mongolian WFM Uuganbayar Lkhamsuren. The women are disputing the lone slot in the 2014 Women’s World Championship.
The tournament is organized by the Eugene Torre Chess Foundation.