Antonio, Dableo share lead

For the Philippines, the result of the board one match in the penultimate round of the 2003 Asian Zonals in Ho-Chi Mihn City in Vietnam tasted a bit bitter and a bit sweet.

Bitter because Ronald Dableo was at the losing end, deprived of a guaranteed playoff crack at a slot in the World Chess Championship.

And sweet because Grandmaster Rogelio Antonio was the one triumphant, giving the Philippines a chance at sweeping the two World Championship slots staked in the nine-round Swiss System Asian Zonals.

In the women’s play, disaster struck Arianne Caoili as she bombed out of the fight for the championship on a loss to Vietnamese WIM Nguyen Thi Thahn An.

Antonio, seeded No. 3 in this event, pressed his bid for a return stint in the World Championship, toppling Dableo to draw level with his fellow Filipino bet in the lead going into the final round.

Antonio and Dableo gain the right to represent the Asian Zone 3.2 in the world tilt if they beat top seed Wu Shaobin of Singapore and Irwanto Sadikin of Indonesia, respectively, in the closing round.

Two other Filipinos with a fighting chance are GM Bong Villamayor and IM Mark Paragua who repulsed Vietnamese opponents Pham Mihn Hoang and Pham Chuong, respectively.

Villamayor and Paragua tied Wu and Irwanto with 5.5 points apiece. Wu and Irwanto drew their match on Board No. 2.

Both are still very much in the thick of the fight for the championship as Villamayor and Paragua take on Chuong and Indonesian Salor Sitanggang, respectively, in the final round.

The Filipinos made a big hurrah in the eighth round with grandmaster Eugene Torre ending a string of draws with a victory over another Vietnamese foe Le Quang Liem to earn his fifth point.

Torre, Asia’s first grandmaster who is ranked No. 4 here, eyes runner-up honors as he plays Vietnamense Top Quoc Khanh in the closing round.

Caoili bowed out of the medal race in the women’s play as she was stalled with five points on a loss to the top-seeded Nguyen.

Nguyen has 6.5 points, half-point in front of Mongolia’s Mongontuul Nathuyag, as she plays another Mongolian Anhchimeg Bayanmohn in the final round today.

Caoili suffered the sorry fate, a day after creating stir in the tourney by upending the second seeded and erstwhile solo leader Mongontuul.