GENERAL SANTOS CITY—International Master Richelieu Salcedo and National Masters Jerad Docena and David Elorta hurdled their fifth-round rivals yesterday to share the lead and steal the limelight from the touted players in the 2nd Manny Pacquiao Random Chess Championship at SM City Mall here.
Salcedo downed NM Bob Jones Liwagon, Docena beat Ellan Azuela, while Elorda bested Edsel Montoya to raise their totals to a perfect 5.0 points in the nine-round individual competition of the P1.5 million tournament.
In the sixth round being held at press time, the 17-year-old Docena and Elorta are battling each other while Salcedo is tangling with IM Rolando Nolte.
Also within sight of the pacesetters are IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia, NM Levi Mercado, NM Hamed Nouri, Fide Masters Mari Joseph Turqueza and Austin Jacob Literatus and untitled Sherwin Tiu.
Mercado stunned GM Darwin Laylo, the No. 1 seed among 271 players seeing action; Garcia trounced Ronald Llavanes; Nouri whipped NM Elmer Sumngat; Turqueza drew with Tiu; while Literatus shocked No. 2 seed GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio.
Laylo and Antonio remained at 3.5 points each while GM Jayson Gonzales, hobbled by inactivity owing to his role as National Chess Federation of the Philippines executive director, totes 3.0 points.
In the team event that ended Tuesday night, unheralded Elman 1 trounced Aqua Eternal,
3-1, in their final assignment to run away with the title and the P400,000 top prize.