Wang rules chess challenge for 2nd straight title

Chinese Grandmaster Wang Hao asserted his superiority last night, beating United States-based GM Mark Paragua and ruling the 2016 PSC-Puregold International Chess Challenge at Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel in Olongapo, Zambales.

The top-seeded Wang wound up with 7.0 points to claim his second straight crown, duplicating his Philippine International Chess Challenge win last week at the same venue.

Georgian GM Levan Pantsulaia also prevailed over Belarusian GM Vladislav Kovalev to place second with 6.5 points.

Kovalev stayed at 6.0 points and settled for a share of third to fifth places with No. 2 seed GM Anton Demchenko of Russia and Georgian GM Merab Gagunashvili.

Despite the loss, Paragua, who entertained hopes of stealing the crown following his victory over Chinese Woman GM le Tingjie in the eighth round Saturday night, emerged the best Filipino performer with 5.5 points, good for seventh spot in the 34-player field.

Also with the same total were Belarusian GM Kirill Stupak, Gagushnavili and Russian GM Boris Savchenko, who split the point with Georgian GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili.

Fide Master Roel Abelgas shared the limelight when he drew with tenth placer IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia and earned his third and final IM result.

The 36-year-old Abelgas, coach of La Salle-Dasmariñas and Perpetual Help in the NCAA, finished with 5.0 points like Garcia and took 11th spot via higher tiebreak over Armenian GM Tigran Kotanjan, who subdued Indian Harshit Raja.

Abelgas needs only to raise his Elo rating of 2291 to 2400 to be conferred the IM title.

Five Filipinos, led by IM-elect Haridas Pascua amassed 4.5 points to land in the money race of the nine-round Swiss event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines headed by Rep. Prospero “Butch” Pichay.

Tied with Pascua were GM Eugene Torre and GM Rogelio Antonio Jr., among others.

Hao pocketed $7,000 (about P350,000) in the Philippine Sports Commission-supported tournament. —ROY LUARCA