Pantsulaia turns back Paragua, shares lead

Georgian Grandmaster Levan Pantsulaia downed GM Mark Paragua in the fourth round yesterday to keep pace with top pick Chinese GM Wang Hao in the 2016 PSC-Puregold International Chess Challenge at Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel in Olongapo, Zambales.

The fourth-seeded Pantsulaia won after 30 moves of a Reti, Barcza Opening and raised his total to 3.5 points, the same output of Wang, who bested Belarusian GM Kirill Stupak in 50 moves of a Queen’s Gambit Declined-Vienna Variation.

Tied for third and fourth at 3.0 points were Belarusian GM Vladislav Kovalev and Indian International Master Abhimanyu Puranik.

Kovalev whipped IM Pascua Haridas in the third round then subdued GM Darwin Laylo in the fourth to stay level with Puranik, conqueror of Roel Abelgas and Georgian GM Mikhell Mchedishvili, respectively.

Paragua, who drew with Stupak in the third round Wednesday night, remained with 2.5 points and dropped to a share of fifth to 15th places in the nine-round Swiss event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines headed by Cong. Prospero “Butch” Pichay.

Tied with Paragua were countrymen IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia and GMs Eugene Torre and Rogelio Antonio Jr.

Garcia drew with Torre and Georgian GM Merab Gagunashvili in succession to boost his chances for a GM result.

Torre settled for another draw with Indian Harshit Raja in the fourth while Antonio split the point with Laylo and Russian GM Anton Demchenko in that order.

The second-seeded Demchenko, Gagunashvili, Kirill, Raja, WGM Lei Tingjie and Vietnamese IM Tuan Minh Tran were also at 2.5 in the tournament being supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and Puregold.

The fifth round is going on at press time. —ROY LUARCA