NATIONAL champion Grandmaster Richard Bitoon beat higher-ranked foes in succession to share the lead with five others in the 2015 Philippine Sports Commission-Puregold International Chess Challenge at Subic Bay Peninsular, Subic Freeport Zone, Olongapo City.
Belying his 24th seeding, Bitoon downed No. 2 seed GM Alexander Zubov of Ukraine after 48 moves of an English Opening, then subdued No. 13 GM Duc Hoa of Vietnam to set the pace with compatriots International Master Oliver Dimakiling, GM Darwin Laylo and IM Haridas Pascua; Russian GM Boris Savchenko and Ukrainian GM Vitaly Sivuk.
The 23-year-old Sivuk, winner of the. recent Philippine International Chess Championship held at the same venue, bested Filipino Jerad Docena and Indian IM Abhimanyu Puranikher, respectively.
The 28th seed Dimakiling, on the other hand, toppled No. 6 seed GM Vladimir Belous and 14th seed Indian GM Narayanan Sinulduth Lyna.
Laylo, seeded 18th in the tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, trounced Woman IM Janelle Mae Frayna and then upset No. 3 GM Pavel Smirnov of Russia.
Pascua, who only needs to raise his Elo rating to 2500 to become a full-fledged GM, defeated WIM Mikee Charlene Suede and GM Anton Shomoev.
Four other Filipinos—GMs Eugene Torre and Joey Antonio and IMs Emmanuel Senador and Joel Pimentel—were lodged at 1.5 points with Indian top seed Abijheet Gupta, No. 7 GM Mikhail Mozharov of Russia, GM Chitambharam Vr. Aravindh of India and GM Tigran Kotanjian of Armenia.