Mariano moves 2 points closer to GM title

Former Asian Junior champion Nelson Mariano II inched closer to a dream grandmaster title by beating GM Zaw Win Lay of Myanmar in the morning match Tuesday then trounced IM Aung Thant Zin later in the First ASEAN GM chess tournament in Bangkok, Thailand.

Those victories hiked Mariano’s output to 4.5 points, half-a-point behind Vietnam GM Nguyen Anh Dung in the tough double-round robin event featuring six players. But more importantly, it moved the 29-year-old Mariano to within two points of obtaining the third and final GM norm with four rounds to go.

"With the way Nelson’s playing, I’m sure he will be able to clinch his GM title now," said GM Joey Antonio, who bested Mariano and other foreign bets to retain his Bangkok Open crown last week.

"Sobra pa sa 6.5 points and puntos ni Nelson dyan kasi 50 percent lang yan kung sakali kaya mga apat na draw lang, GM na siya," he added.

Sound opening preparation anchored Mariano’s twin wins as he used his superior minor piece (bishop and rook vs knight and rook) and flaunted his endgame brilliance to outwit Lay in 67 moves of a Sicilian-Najdorf.

Mariano, a former UE star and mainstay of the Philippine Army team whose stint is sponsored by long-time chess patron lawyer Andy Gatmaitan, then prevailed over Zin whom the Filipino dominated with his sharp handling of a double-edged English game en route to a 43-move victory.

GM Bong Villamayor, the other Filipino in the fold, remained in third with 3.5 points, his bid hampered by draws in the fifth and sixth rounds.

The Asean Chess Confederation organized the three events soon after the Bangkok Open to give Asian players a chance to earn international titles and ratings.

Meanwhile, IA Rolly Yutuc topped the FIDE Elo rated event with 7.5/9 games to garner a 2405 ELO performance.

Mariano, whose rise to chess fame was abruptly halted when he decided to slow down after finishing joint third in the 1994 World Juniors, acquired his first GM norm when he bested a stellar field, including Anh Dung, to win the Asian Juniors crown in Shah Alam, Malaysia in 1994.

But it took him almost a decade to obtain his second GM norm when he finished strong in the tough Dubai Classic last month.

He opened his bid in Bangkok with a victory and a draw, defeating Zin in 56 moves of a Sicilian, before halving the point with Myanmar I.M., Aung Aung in 76 moves of a French defense.