Sadorra posts 3rd win, shares Asian lead

STREAKING Filipino Grandmaster Julio Catalino Sadorra trounced Chinese International Master Wang Chen Monday night to share the top with Qatari GM Mohammed Al-Sayed in the $100,000 Manny Pacquiao Cup Asian Continental Chess Championships at Midas Hotel in Pasay City.

Showing proficiency with black, the United States-based Sadorra won in 30 moves of a French Defense (King’s Indian Attack variation), matching the three-game win run of Al-Sayed, who toppled Vietnamese GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son in 45 of a Slav Defense.

The 26-year-old Sadorra, seeded ninth among 76 players with a 2561 Elo, and Al-Sayed, ranked 26th with a 2502 Elo, both tote 3.0 points. They were disputing top stop in the fourth round of the Open division at press time last night.

“I’ll go for the win against GM Al-Sayed,” said Sadorra, a graduating business administration student at University of Texas-Dallas  who hails from Bacoor, Cavite.

Other Filipinos in strong contention for the five World Cup berths at stake with 2.5 points are Olympian GMs John Paul Gomez, Mark Paragua, Richard Bitoon and Darwin Laylo.

Gomez forged a draw with top seed Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem (Elo 2714) while Paragua, Bitoon and Laylo hurdled their foes.

Paragua downed Singaporean IM Kevin Goh Wei Ming; Bitoon trounced Indian GM Subramanian Prasad; and Laylo bested countryman IM Chito Garma.

Le and Gomez split the point after 46 moves of a Gruenfeld Defense while Li, ranked second with a 2686 Elo, halted the march of unheralded Emmanuel Emperado after 31 moves of a Catalan Opening.

Emperado, who downed GMs Bayarsaikhan Gundava of Mongolia and G.N. Gopal of India in succession, stayed at 2.0 points in a tie with GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. and Fide Masters Haridas Pascua and Roderick Nava and 14 others.

Antonio bested IM Barlo Nadera while Nava stunned Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto.

Pascua drew with GM Santosh Vidit Gujrathi.

The nine-round Swiss System event offering $100,000 in prizes is organized by the GM Eugene Torre Chess Foundation and is sponsored by eight-division world boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, Cafe Puro, Alaxan, Oriental and Motolite Corp.

In the Women’s division, Mongolian IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul and Chinese WIM Zhai Mo notched victories to join Chinese WGMs Huang Qian and Guo Qi, Indian WGM Mary Ann Gomes and Vietnamese IM Pham Le Thao Nguyen at the top with 2.5 points each.

Munguntuul repulsed Uzbek WGM Nafisa Muminova while Zhai downed Filipino WNM Jan Jodilyn Fronda to boost their bid for the lone 2014 World Championship slot at stake.