Foreign GMs lead early charge

Vietnamese grandmasters Dao Thien Hai and Nguyen Anh Dung and Indon GMs Utut Adianto and Edhi Handoko led the charge of the foreign bets at the start yesterday of the Asian Zone 3.2.a. Championship at the Grand Boulevard Hotel.

FIDE Masters Ildefonso Datu and Fernie Donguines also shared opening day honors over their foreing rivals. Datu turned back International Master Benny Juswanto of Indonesia in 54 moves of an English Opening while Donguines trounced Hasnul Bin Hasim of Brunei in 35 moves of a Reti-Opening in this nine-round event.

Dao, who topped last year’s Zonals with Filipino GM Buenaventura Villamayor in Vietnam, beat Cedep Koszih of Indonesia in 41 moves while Nguyen scuttled top local IM Chito Garma in 50 moves of a Queen’s Gambit-Declined.

Adianto and Handoko likewise hurdled their first round assignments with the former turning a drawish position into a resounding triumph over FM Yves Rañola (55-Caro-Kann) and Handoko whipping Chor Yvezn Cheng of Hong Kong (13-Sicilian).

Three of the top six local chessers, GMs Eugene Torre and Villamayor and IM Mark Paragua, settled for draws.

Torre, who won the recently-concluded National Open, halved the point with NM Darwin Laylo (47-Torre Attack), Villamayor split the point with NM Emmanuel Senador (28-French), and Paragua agreed to a 40-move standoff with NM Allan Sayson (King’s Indian Attack).

In women’s play, WIM Beverly Mendoza posted RP’s lone win, beating Hong Kong’s Li Ching in 31 moves of a Caro-Kann.