Bersamina triumphs

Filipino International Master Paulo Bersamina trounced countryman John Merill Jacutina to join Grandmaster John Paul Gomez and IM Ricky de Guzman inside the top 20 after the eighth and penultimate round of the 17th Asian Continental Chess Championships (Second Manny Pacquiao Cup) Monday night. The win put Bersamina in a 14-man logjam at 17th place with 4.5 points apiece. Bersamina was tackling Iran’s Grandmaster Ehsan Ghaem Maghami in the final round at press time.