Lin ties Gupta for lead, Nolte stuns GM

Standings after five rounds (Open Division)
4.0 points—Gupta (Ind), Lin (Chi); 3.5—Demchenko (Rus), Zubov (Ukr), Sivuk (Ukr), Shomoev (Rus), Lu (Chi), Deepan (Ind); 3.0—Nguyen (Vie), Sinulduth (Ind), Savchenko (Rus), Nolte (PH), Abelgas (PH); 2.5—Torre (PH), Laylo (PH), Antonio (PH), Smirnov (Rus), Bitoon (PH), Ranola (PH), Bersamina (PH), Gotel (PH) 2.5; 2.0—Mosharov (Rus), Sean (Ina), Kotanjian (Arm), Pascua (PH), Rohan (Ind); 1.5—Puranik (Ind), Frayna (PH), Dimakiling (PH) 1.5.

SUBIC—Chinese International Master Chen Lin toppled Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Belous in the fifth round to share the lead with top seed GM Abijheet Gupta of India halfway through the 2015 Philippine International Chess Championship being held at Subic Peninsular Hotel here in Olongapo City.

The 27-year old Lin, one of the highest-rated IMs in the world with an Elo rating of 2520, beat Belous in 50 moves of the English Opening (Anglo-Slav) to bring his total to four points in a tie with Gupta after five rounds.
Gupta, the 2008 World Junior champion, bested erstwhile co-leader GM Anton Demchenko of Russia in 105 moves of a Sicilian.
Chinese GM Shanglei Lu also gained headway following a 30-move dismantling of Filipino IM Yves Ranola in another English Opening (Anglo-Dutch Variation) to improve to 3.5 in a tie with second seed Ukranian GM Alexander Zubov, Ukranian GM Vitaly Sivuk, Russian GM Anton Shomoev and Indian GM Chakkravarthy Deepan.

Local bets IM Rolando Nolte and National Master Roel Abelgas bested higher-rated opponents to rise to 3.0.
Nolte stunned Russian GM Mikhail Mosharov in 50 moves of the Ruy Lopez (Spanish Game) while Abelgas tamed Indonesian IM Wishand Cuhendi Sean after 47 moves of the Indian Game ( Kingside Fianchetto).