Chinese Lei Tingjie emerged surprise leader after four rounds of the 2016 Philippine International Chess Championship at Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel in Olongapo, Zambales.
The 19-year-old Woman Grandmaster trounced Indian International Master Abhimanyu Puranik in the third round Wednesday and stunned Georgian GM Levan Pantsulaia in the fourth round yesterday to upstage her male rivals with 3.5 points.
Lei, the world’s No. 21 in the distaff side, jumped ahead of top-seeded compatriot GM Wang Hao, Belarusian GM Vladislav Kovalev, Argentine GM Tigran Kotanjan, Russian GM Boris Savchenko, Russian GM Anton Demchenko and Georgian GM Merab Gagunashvili; all with 3.0 points.
Only four Filipinos—IMs Paulo Bersamina, Oliver Dimakiling and Haridas Pascua and GM John Paul Gomez—are within sight of the leaders with 2.5 points each.
Dimakiling trounced compatriots Rolando Andador and Fide Master Randy Segarra, respectively, while Pascua matched his effort with successive victories over Emmanuel Emperado and IM Emmanuel Senador.
Already a two-time Olympian at 18, Bersamina drew with Savchenko and Gomez, who also split the point with Armenian GM Tigran Kotanjan.
Blocking Lei’s path in the fifth round being held last night is Kovalev.
Among the seven 2.0-pointers are IMs Jan Emmanuel Garcia and Ricardo de Guzman and GM Rogelio Antonio Jr.