Top seed Grandmaster Nigel Short of England beat Indian GM Srinath Narayanan in the ninth and final round to rule the Piaya Network Negros International Chess Tournament at Ikthus Osborn Hall on Thursday in Bacolod City.
The 52-year-old Short, a former world title contender, finished with 8.0 points, a full point ahead of Armenian GM Karen Grigoryan and Vietnamese GM Nguyen Duc Hoa, and bagged $3,000.
Grigoryan subdued erstwhile coleader GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio to tie Nguyen, who bested Ted Ian Montoyo.
Indian GM Srinath Narayanan shared fourth to eighth places with fellow 6.0 pointers Antonio, Vietnamese International Master Tran Minh Thang and local IMs Kim Steven Yap and Oliver Dimakiling.
Montoyo wound up with 5.5 points in the company of Edsel Montoya, IM Ronald Dableo, Jayson Salubre, GM Darwin Laylo and Xavier John Verdun.