Dableo obtains IM title

Ronald Dableo enhanced a promising chess career by becoming the country’s newest International Master when he beat Truong Ngoc Nguyen late Thursday to virtually clinch one of the two berths in the Men’s World Championship after seven rounds of the Asian Zonals at the First Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

While erstwhile co-leader IM Mark Paragua and veteran campaigner GM Eugene Torre fell by the wayside with stinging losses, Dableo kept the momentum of his sixth-round victory over a 12-year-old prodigy and pulled off a 40-move triumph over 13-year-old Truong Ngoc Nguyen in their Queen’s Pawn game.

The victory raised Dableo’s output to 6 points, the required number for a conferral of an outright IM title under the FIDE guidelines.

But clinching a berth in the world tilt, or topping this 9-round tournament where the top two players will gain slots in the world championship, is another thing.

For the 24-year-old reigning National Open champion must score half-a-point in the last two rounds to assure himself of a playoff for the second world championship berth.

And ironically standing in his way is a compatriot — GM Joey Antonio, who stepped up his own bid by beating lowly-ranked Vietnamese Liem Quang Le in 47 moves of a Queen’s Indian Opening.

Antonio, one of the country’s best bets here but who struggled in the early going of this event, notched his fifth point to lead the second group that includes Sadikin Irwanto of Indonesia, Chuong Pham of Vietnam, and top seed Wu Shaobin, whom Dableo humbled in the fourth round.

Arianne Caoili capped the explosive day for the Filipino bets when she upended second seed and erstwhile solo leader Bathuyag Mongontuul of Mongolia to move within half-a-point off the pace with two rounds left in women’s play.

Caoili, No. 4 here, handled the white pieces splendidly and essayed a 42-move triumph in their English Opening to notch her fifth point and tie local bet Le Kim Bui in third.

Mongontuul remained on top with 5.5 points but now shares the lead with top seed An Thi Thanh Nguyen, who downed compatriot Kim Thien Kieu Le.

Dableo, ranked 18th in a field of 36, needs only to draw his eighth round match with Antonio to assure himself of a crack at the second world championship berth although the chase for the top two slots remain wide open among seven other players.

The fifth-seeded Paragua, looking good in the early going but stalled in the middle rounds with draws against his compatriots, absorbed a numbing loss to Irwanto, a FIDE Master who showed a deeper understanding of their Center Game to hack out a 38-move victory. He slid to joint sixth with 4.5 points.

Worse was Torre, a four-time Asian Zonal champion but who uncharacteristically lost his way in a Sicilian game and resigned on the 65th move, enabling the 27th-ranked Pham to escape with the win. Torre dropped to ninth place with four points.

Joining Paragua is GM Bong Villamayor, who sustained his backdoor bid by trouncing Anh Duong The in just 25 moves of a Reti game.