So bags 4th win, Tagaytay paces Inter-province chess team

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan - Grandmaster Wesley So (ELO 2667) notched his 4th win, fashioning out a 3.5-0.5 rout of Tagaytay City over Bacolod-Negros Chess Team on Sunday morning in the 2011 Inter-Province Chess Team Championship at the Gov. Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism and Training Center here.

So outplayed Sander Severino (ELO 2344) in board one while Ivan Gil Biag and Garry Garcia stunned their rivals - Ellan Asuela and Marvin Ting of Bacolod-Negros Chess Team. Allan Cantonjos (ELO 2191) of Tagaytay City halved the point with Joel Pimentel (ELO 2050) in board two.

Tagaytay City now has eight match points, one point ahead of top seed Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA)-A after four rounds of play in the 28-team chess tournament

LWUA-A led by Grandmaster John Paul Gomez (ELO 2538) scored a 2.5-1.5 win over second seed and higly-rated Cabuyao (Laguna). Gomez drew with Fide Master Roderick Nava (ELO 2397) while Rodolfo Panopio, Jr. (ELO 2218) crushed Ted Ian Montoyo (ELO 2297) of LWUA-A in board two.

Jayson Salubre (ELO 2282) and Mari Joseph Turqueza (ELO 2181) beat LWUA-A's Roel Abelgas (ELO 2170) and Ryan Dungca (ELO 2132) to improve to 11.5 points.

In the fifth round, tournament-leading Tagaytay City squares off with defending champion LWUA-A in an early collision of fancied teams. So and Gomez will meet in top board in another classic duel of Filipino grandmasters.

Third seed Misamis Oriental halved the points with 15th seed Gov. Bombit Adiong Lanao del Sur to gain five match points. Grandmaster Mark Paragua drew with unrated Roger Sarip in board one and Faisal Amanggay of Gov. Bombit Adiong Lanao del Sur tripped Alfredo Rapanot in board four.

Richilieu Salcedo (ELO 2222) of Misamis Oriental drew with Cosain Magarang in board three while Ben Polao (ELO 2074) routed Jhonnel Balguin of Misamis Oriental in board two.

South Cotabato, LWUA B and LWUA C blanked their opponents, 4-0. South Cotabato led by Cesar Mariano, Ferdinand Leysa (ELO 2065), Xavier John Verdun (ELO 2259) and Mark Gustillo stopped Passi City.

LWUA B - Fide Master Paulo Bersamina (ELO 2098), Jan Nigel Galan (ELO 2047), Jerad Docena (ELO 1941) and Vince Angelo Medina (ELO 1963) tripped Bulacan BYCF led by Edmundo Gatus (ELO 2229).

The women's squad of LWUA-C led by Jedara Docena (ELO 2035), Christy Lamiel Bernales (ELO 2015), Fide Master Cherry Ann Mejia (ELO 1912) and Mikee Charlene Suede (ELO 1902) waylaid unrated Team E Aklan led by Mira Mirano.

Peter I. Kimpo Aklan Chess Team also humbled 5th seed DAR Quezon City, 3-1. Allen Mirano thumped rated Lennon Hart Salgados (ELO 2114) of DAR Quezon City and his brother Kevin Mirano (ELO 2042) beat Sherwin Tiu to power the 16th-ranked team for a share of third to fifth places after four rounds with six match points.

Wilfred Vergel Neri, in his first game, drew with Emmanuel Senador (ELO 2375) and Jan Francis Mirano halved the point with Jerry Areque (ELO 2086).

In other matches, Team B Aklan dispatched Dep Ed B, 3.5-0.5; La Paz (Iloilo) Chess Team bested Antique, 2.5-1.5; Team C Aklan hurdled their match against ASU-CIT Aklan, 3-1; Accenture Chess Enthusiasts Club B dumped Team F Aklan, 3-1; Dep Ed A outplayed Accenture Chess Enthusiasts Club A, 3-1 and Makati City beat Passi City, 3.5-.05.