Yeoh, Vo top Asian Zone 3.3 chess tilt

Malaysian Fide Master Yeoh Li Tian and Vietnamese Woman International Master Vo Thi Kim Phung emerged triumphant in the Asian Zone 3.3 Chess Championships at Tagaytay International Convention Center on Sunday.

The 18-year-old Yeoh drew with GM-elect Haridas Pascua to edge Vietnamese GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, who also drew with Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto in the ninth and final round for the Open division crown.

They both finished with 7.0 points, but Yeoh emerged with the higher tiebreak score and became the first Malaysian to qualify for the World Cup.

Yeoh and Nguyen, who also advanced to the World Cup set in Georgia in September, split the combined $2,500 for first and second placers in the tournament hosted by Tagaytay City through Cavite Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Mayor Agnes Tolentino.

IM Oliver Dimakiling settled for a draw with Singaporean FM Liu Xiangyi to place third with 6.0 points.

In title contention after beating Rhenzi Kyle Sevillano in the eighth round Saturday, Dimakiling needed a win and a loss by either Yeoh or Truong Son to stand a chance.

But with Yeoh and Truong Son opting for quick draws, Dimakiling saw no need to take risk and settled for half point against Liu that gave him the edge in the tiebreak.

Pascua, who drew with Megaranto in the eighth round, finished in a tie for fifth to seventh places with 5.5 points.

Ten players, including IM Paulo Bersamina and GMs Rogelio Barcenilla, Darwin Laylo, John Paul Gomez and Julio Catalino Sadorra, finished in eighth to 17th places with five points.

Bersamina outclassed FM Novendra Priasmoro of Indonesia, Barcenilla drew with FM Nguyen Anh Khoi of Vietnam, Laylo won over Sevillano, Gomez outplayed FM Adrian Pacis and Sadorra halved the point with IM Nguyen Van Huy.

Vo drew with top seed IM Irine Kharisma Sukandar of Indonesia to clinch the title with 7.0 points and get the top purse of $800.

WGM Hoang Thi Bao Tram of Vietnam and WIM Gong Qianyun of Singapore finished joint second with 6.5 points each.

Vietnamese IM Pham Le Thao Nguyen and Sukandar came in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Four Filipinos—WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, WFM Shania Mae Mendoza, WIM Catherine Secopito and Christy Bernales—shared ninth to 12th places with 4.5 points.

WGM Janelle Mae Frayna was 13th with four points. —ROY LUARCA