Cua gains share of lead in chess

TAGAYTAY — Shercila Cua, an untitled but talented Filipina chesser, scored 1.5 points in the last two rounds, including a seventh round victory over WFM Le Thanh Tu of Vietnam, to gain a share of the lead with two others in the women’s standard chess of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games at the Tagaytay City Convention Center here yesterday.

Cua thus hiked her output to five points as she caught WGM Nguyen Thi Thanh An and WFM Luong Min Hue of Vietnam at the helm heading into the final two rounds of the nine-round event.

WFM Sheerie Joy Lomibao also won her seventh round match against Wan Khye Theng of Malaysia to notch 4.5 points, the same output put in by WIM Beverly Mendoza while Enerose Magno had 4 points as the RP ladies squad gained a share of the lead with the fancied Vietnamese team on identical 17.5 points.

The fine games of the lady chessers made up for another mediocre performance of their counterparts as GM Eugene Torre fell by the wayside in the seventh round.

Torre, who shared the lead halfway through, bowed to Le Quang Liem of Vietnam and got stalled at 4 points, enabling top Viet GM Nguyen Ngoc Truongson to pull away with 6.5 points after a victory over Indon GM Susanto Megaranto.

GM Joey Antonio and FM Oliver Dimakiling, however, regained their winnings ways to put RP men’s squad back in the hunt for the team title with 17 points although they remained 2.5 points behind the in-form Vietnam squad, which had 19.5.

Antonio trounced IM Mas Hafizumhelmi of Malaysia in 31 moves of a Caro-Kann, while Dimakiling, who bagged the silver medal in blitz chess, upset GM Wu Shaobin of Singapore. — Michelle Velete