RP female chessers rise as men tumble

KHANTY-MANSIYSK, Russia—The women’s team carried the cudgels for the Philippines on Monday following the unexpected lopsided defeat of their male counterparts in the sixth round of the 39th Chesss Olympiad in this city’s Sports Development Center.   Led by WFM Chardine Cheradee Camacho, the underrated Filipino squad clobbered Mexico, 4-0, to compensate for the 3-1 trashing the men’s team suffered at the hands of former Soviet republic Belarus.   Their third shutout win against two draws and one loss boosted the 52nd-seeded RP women’s total to eight points for a share of 18th to 32nd places in the 115-team field.   In contrast, the 37th-seeded men’s squad, with GM Wesley So and GM John Paul Gomez settling for draws, remained at seven points and dropped into a tie for 39th to 62nd places among 149 entries in the open section.   Camacho, the best Filipino performer thus far with 5.0 points in six games in the top board, whipped WIM Alejandra Guerrero.   WFMs Catherine Pereña and Shercila Cua followed suit by downing WIM Lorena Aleja Mendoza and Citlali Juarez Duran, respectively, with Rulp Ylem Jose sealing the rout by besting Daniela de la Parra in board 4.   With five rounds to go, the women’s squad lay four points behind top seed Russia-1, which nipped Ukraine, 2.5-1.5, and three behind Hungary, which dumped Poland, 4-0.   Up next for the Nationals is No. 35 seed Peru, 2.5-1.5 winner over Albania.   So drew with GM Sergei Zhigalko in 35 moves of the Sicilian Pelikan variation in their top board duel, while Gomez split the point with GM Vitaly Teterev in 40 moves of the King’s Indian.   GM Darwin Laylo, however, lost to Evgeniy Podolchenko in 92 moves of the Queen’s Indian, and IM Richard Bitoon bowed to IM Kiril Stupak in 58 of the Neo-Gruenfeld.