Sadorra posts 3rd victory, keeps pace with leaders

Grandmaster Julio Catalino Sadorra is living up to hype after three rounds in the Philippine International Chess Challenge.

Tasked to spearhead the Filipino drive against the foreign GMs, the United States-based Sadorra responded with his third straight victory at the expense of countryman International Master Barlo Nadera Tuesday night at Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City.

Sadorra, now the country’s top player following the transfer of GM Wesley So to the United States Chess Federation, raised his total to 3.0 points and kept pace with Russian GM Ivan Popov and Georgian GM Levan Pantsulaia.

A Bachelor of Business Administration cum laude at University of Texas at Dallas, the 28-year-old Sadorra earlier beat Paulo James Florendo and IM Oliver Dimakiling.

The top-seeded Popov (Elo 2622) downed GM John Paul Gomez while Pantsulaia (2583), winner of last week’s Philippine International Chess Championship, bested GM Darwin Laylo in the featured matches of the $30,000 tournament sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission and Puregold.

A few hours after pulling off a shocker over second seed Russian GM Anton Demchenko (2611), International Master Haridas Pascua forged a draw with Armenian GM Avetik Grigoryan after 37 moves of a Benoni Defense. Pascua and Haridas both tallied 2.5 points.

Demchenko rebounded by besting Noel Dela Cruz in the afternoon session and shared 2.0 points with 13 others in the Open division.

Also in the upper half of the 46-player field are 16-year-old IM Paulo Bersamina, Gomez, Laylo, Nadera, Dimakiling, Georgian GM Merab Gagunashvili, IM Rolando Nolte, IM Emmanuel Senador, Indian IM Narayanan Sunilduth Lyna, GM Richard Bitoon, David Elorta, GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. and Alcon John Datu.

Other results: Bersamina drew with Antonio; Barbosa drew with Raymond Salcedo, Elorta d. Kim Steven Yap, Bitoon d. Emmanuel Emperado, Dimakiling d. Fide Master Mari Joseph Torqueza, Senador d. Woman IM Bernadette Galas, and Datu d. Onofre Espiritu. Nolte d. Woman FM Shania Mae Mendoza while Gagunashvili drew with Sunilduth Lyna.