Gomez trips Chinese GM; Barbosa tumbles

FILIPINO Grandmaster John Paul Gomez thwarted Chinese GM Zhou Jianchao to share second place with four others after five rounds in the 11th Asian Continental Individual Chess Championships Thursday in Ho Chi Minh City.

The pride of Biñan, Laguna, hiked his output to 4.0 points, just half a point behind solo leader Chinese GM Yu Yangyi, who downed fourth round co-leader Filipino GM Oliver Barbosa.

Tied with Gomez were Chinese GM Ding Liren and International Master Liu Qingnan, Indian GM Parimarjan Negi and GM Salem A R Saleh of the United Arab Emirates.

Ding drew with Liu, Negi trounced Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto and Saleh subdued Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem.

GM Mark Paragua bested Qatari IM Nezad Husein Aziz to catch up Barbosa at 3.5 points.

Top Filipino hope GM Wesley So finally made his move, beating Indian GM Deepan Chakkravarthy for 3.0 points.

So, who drew his first four games, climbed to 3.0 points in the company of GM Ni Hua of China, conqueror of Filipino GM Darwin Laylo.

Laylo got stuck at 2.0 points in the company of IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia, who drew with Vietnamese IM Tu Hoang Thai.

Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre lost to Indonesian FM Pitra Andika and was mired at 1.5 points in the qualifier for next year’s World Chess Cup. Roy Luarca