RUSSIAN Grandmasters Anton Demchenko, Ivan Popov and Mikhail Mozharov made their move yesterday as the race for top honors in the Philippine International Chess Championship tightened up at Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City.
The second-seeded Demchenko exploited white to subdue Filipino GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. in the eighth round and catch Georgian GM Levan Pantsulaia at the top of the $30,000 tournament being dominated by foreigners.
Demchenko prevailed after 55 moves of the Caro-Kann Defense to rise to 6.0 points with Pantsulaia, who drew with Mozharov after 30 moves of another Caro-Kann.
The top-seeded Popov, on the other hand, downed Filipino GM Richard Bitoon after 51 moves of the Pirc Defense to share third spot with Mozharov, Georgian GM Merab Gagushnavili and Armenian GM Avetik Grigoryan at 5.5 points.
Gagunashvili and Avetik drew their match after 30 moves of another Caro-Kann and stayed in contention for the $5,000 champion’s purse of the tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.
With his first loss, Antonio, who beat International Master Haridas Pascua in the seventh round, remained at 5.0 points with five countrymen and Indian International Master Narayanan Sunilduth Lyna.
Bunched with Antonio and Lyna, who drew with Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre, were GMs John Paul Gomez, Darwin Laylo and Oliver Barbosa, IM Kim Steven Yap and Roel Abelgas.
Gomez and Barbosa, both three-time Olympians, played to a draw after 30 moves of the Ruy Lopez; Yap trounced Noel Dela Cruz, while Abelgas tamed Raymond Salcedo.
In the ninth round being played last night, Demchenko was pitted against Grigoryan, Pantsulaia against Popov, Yap against Gagunashvili, Antonio against Mozharov, Barbosa against Sunilduth Lyna and Gomez against Abelgas.
Bitoon, Torre and Mongolian Fide Master Sumiya Bilguun, who stunned IM Joel Pimentel, were at 4.5 points and need to sweep their last two matches to land in the money race.
IM Haridas Pascua and WIM Janelle Mae Frayna, one of four female bets, agreed to a draw and tallied 4.0 points each with United States-based GM Julio Catalino Sadorra, FM Sander Severino, FM Paulo Bersamina and Dela Cruz.
The Philippine Sports Commission and Puregold are the chief sponsors of the tournament being supported by Asia United Bank, Burlington, Microtel and Harold’s Hotel. Roy Luarca