Teener stuns Bitoon for solo lead

Standings after 5 rounds:

5 pts — Barbosa; 4.5 — Gomez, Cabe; 4— Bitoon, Nadera, Roque, Senador, Donguines, Martinez, Nolte, Pialan, Ibanez; 3.5 — Nava, Filipinas, Ricafort, Suelo, Gonzales J., Bancod, Ranola, Nodado, Labay, Perez, Panopio, Alisangco.

Playing with the poise of a veteran, National Master Oliver Barbosa downed International Master and third seed Richard Bitoon in the fifth round yesterday to wrest the solo lead in the Shell National Open Rapid Chess Championship at the third floor, Immaculate Concepcion Multi-Purpose bldg., Lantana St., Quezon City.

A day after stunning IM Jayson Gonzales, the 16-year-old Barbosa played with the same resolve to dispose of Bitoon in a Closed Sicilian game which the latter mishandled right in the opening moves.

"Napaaga ‘yung castling niya. Akala niya kasi makakaatake kaagad siya sa kingside," said Barbosa, who earned his NM title when he was only 11 years old in 1998.

Bitoon’s premature castling prompted Barbosa to launch an assault on his opponent’s king with the former hastening his downfall by committing several blunders under extreme time pressure.

By the time the game reached the endgame, Barbosa netted Bitoon’s bishop and rook en route to the impressive victory.

The win enabled Barbosa to wrest the solo lead with five points although two other bets are in hot pursuit with similar 4.5 points.

NM John Paul Gomez, 17, downed Roderick Nava, while NM Arlan Cabe settled for a draw with IM Barlo Nadera to climb into a tie for second and third places going into the sixth round of the event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and sponsored by Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.

Bitoon and Nadera dropped into the company of seven other four-pointers led by giant-killer Melben Roque.

The 22-year-old Roque held NM Emmanuel Senador to a draw, dragging Senador into a nine-way tie with Bitoon, Nadera FIDE Master Fernie Donguines, NM Rolando Nolte, Fernandito Pialan and NM Rudy Ibañez.

Donguines, who lost via a playoff to NM Ronald Dableo in the recent Shell National Open Chess Championship, turned back NM Roel Filipinas; Nolte trounced Jerome Balico; Pialan tripped Ali Branzuela while Ibañez defeated Ferdinand Leysa.

Barbosa will next clash with Cabe, while Gomez, a two-time national junior champion, takes on Bitoon in the sixth round today.