Sales faces Lupian in final

BACOLOD CITY — FIDE Master Jesse Noel Sales and National Master Alexander Lupian waltzed their way to the finals as they disposed of their rivals in the semifinal round Monday in the P2.2-million Glutaphos-Philippine Chess Grand Prix at the Sugarland Hotel.

Sales, of Calamba City, seeded number two in the tournament, repeated over local non-titled entry Josevito Tapulgo in 45 moves of a Sicilian Naidorf Variation in their second semifinal game. Sales beat Tapulgo in 39 moves of Nimzovitch in their first semis encounter Sunday.

Earlier, Lupian of Sto. Tomas, Davao, and the elimination round topnotcher, tamed Iloilo’s Horizon Villanueva in 32 moves of the Kan Variation to earn the first finals slot with a 1.5-0.5 record. Lupian and Villanueva drew their first game in 48 moves of a French Game.

The tournament started last July 28 with 58 participants, 20 of them national masters and one FIDE Master.