Bitoon outplays Viet FM

TAGAYTAY—Filipino International Master Richard Bitoon found a key move and went on to beat Vietnamese Fide Master Nguyen Huynh Minh Huy in the eighth and penultimate round last night to keep his bid alive in the Asian Zonal Chess Championships at the Tagaytay International Convention Center. A bishop move by the 35-year-old Bitoon, the three-time Olympian from Medellin, Cebu, left Nguyen with the grim prospect of either getting his queen trapped or giving up a rook for a knight and a pawn. Nguyen, handling the white pieces,  desperately fought back but eventually surrendered after 25 moves of a Queen’s Indian Defense. The win gave Bitoon 5.5 points going into today’s final round of the twin event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and hosted by the Tagaytay City government through Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.
Filipino pacesetter Grandmaster Darwin Laylo (5.5 points) was still tangling with Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto (5.0) at presstime. Also locked in tight fights were GM Mark Paragua (5.0) against top-seeded Singaporean GM Zhang Zhong (5.0); Singaporean IM Goh Wei Ming (5.0) against Asian Youth under 16 champion Fide Master jan Emmanuel Garcia (4.5); GM John Paul Gomez (4.5) against Vietnamese GM Dao Thien Hai; GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. against Vietnamese GM cao sang; IM Oliver Barbosa against Vietnamese IM Nguyen Huynh Minh Huy; and GM Eugene Torre against Vietnamese IM Nguyen Van Huy (4.0). Laylo, Paragua, Torre and Antonio are members of the Philippine team that placed second to world power China in the Guangzhou Asian Games last year. That team was led by GM Wesley So, who skipped this event after qualifying for the World Cup slated in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, later this year. So hangs around here, however, to provide support to his friends Laylo, Paragua and Barbosa. In Saturday’s seventh round, Laylo split the point with Singaporean IM Goh Wei Ming to stay in front. Barbosa bounced back into contention with 4.5 points by trouncing compatriot IM Oliver Dimakiling. The Philippine bets in the women’s division got wiped out following the defeat of WFM Chardine Cheradee Camacho to Vietnamese WIM Hoang Thi Nhu and the draw between compatriots Jedara  Docena and Jan Jodilyn Fronda. Camacho got mired at 3.5 points while Docena and Fronda were at 4.0 points in the company of WIM Beverly Mendoza, who bested Singaporean WFM Chan Wei Yi. They were too far behind to challenge for the lone Women’s World Championship slot at stake, with Vietnamese WGM Nguen Thi Thanh An already toting 5.5 points.