Final Standings (Open Division): 7.0 points—Sivuk (UKR); 6.5—Demchenko, (RUS) Shomoev (RUS), Savchenko (RUS), Gupta (IND), Deepan (IND), Sunilduth Lyna (IND), Lu (CHN); 6.0—Lin (CHN), Smirnov (RUS); 5.5—Zubov (UKR), Nolte (PHI), Mozharov (RUS), Docena; 5.0—Belous (RUS), Nguyen (VIE), Laylo, Antonio, Torre, Bitoon, Bersamina, Kotanjian (ARM); 4.5—Puranik (IND), Rohan (IND); 4.0—Ranola, Abelgas, Dimakiling, Frayna, Gotel, Pascua; 3.5—Sean (INA); 3.0—Secopito; 2.5—Pedersen (DEN), Mariano III.
GRANDMASTER Vitaly Sivuk of Ukraine picked up his third straight win to rule the 2015 Philippine International Chess Championship yesterday at Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel at the Subic Freeport in Olongapo City.
Sivuk, the No. 11 seed, stunned the top-rated and erstwhile solo leader GM Abijheet Gupta of India in 42 moves of a Gruenfeld Defense in the 10th and final round to finish with seven points and bag the winner’s prize of $5,000.
The 23-year-old Ukrainian had five wins and four draws against a loss, to GM Anton Demchenko of Russia in the sixth round.
Demchenko, fellow GM Anton Shomoev, Chinese GM Lu Shanglei and Indian GM Chakkravarthy Deepan had a chance to forge a tie for the overall lead but their games all ended in draw, with Lu splitting the point with Demchenko and Deepan halving the point with Shomoev.
The four dropped into a seven-way tie for second with 6.5 points with Gupta and GM Narayanan Sinulduth Lyna of India and Russian GM Boris Savchenko.
Sinulduth Lyna turned back Filipino GM Joey Antonio in 31 moves of an Anti-Nimzo Indian, while Savchenko downed International Master Chen Lin of China after 36 moves of a Mieses Variation of the Scandinavian.
Lin and No. 3 seed GM Pavel Smirnov of Russia, who beat compatriot GM Vladimir Belous in 34 moves of a Benko Gambit Accepted, wound up with 6 points each.
IM Rolando Nolte and 17-year-old NM Jerad Docena emerged as the top Filipino finishers.
Nolte drew with GM Eugene Torre while Docena outsteadied IM Abhimanyu Puranik of India.