Netherlands whips RP; women chessers draw

DRESDEN, Germany – The Netherlands gave the Philippines a humbling 3.5-0.5 setback in the eighth round, leaving the Filipinos in a tie for 44th to 61st places with only three rounds remaining at the International Congress Center.

Only GM Wesley So survived the determined Dutch assault, drawing with GM Jan Smeets in 30 moves of the Petroff defense.

So has five points on three wins and four draws in seven matches on board two.

GM Bong Villamayor, IM John Paul Gomez and GM Darwin Laylo fell one after another, losing to their higher-rated Dutch opponents to complete the Filipinos’ worst showing in the tough, 11-round tournament being held in this snow-covered city by the Elbe River.

Laylo threw away an excellent chance and lost to GM Jan Werle (ELO 2582) in 39 moves of the English opening.

Laylo, 28, made a brilliant pawn sacrifice on the seventh move, to mobilize his pieces rapidly and eliminate his rival’s dark-square bishop.

But he blundered with rook move on the 345th move and allowed Werle to turn the game around.

Gomez succumbed to GM Daniel Stelwagen in 47 moves of the French Tarrasch.

Villamayor fell to GM Loek Van Wely in marathon 108 moves of the Queen’s Gambit Declined.

In the ninth round, the Philippines will take on the all-GM squad of Czech Republic.

The Filipinas did better than their male counterparts, drawing with Dominican Republic, 2-2.

Daisy Rivera and Christy Lamiel Bernales provided the much-needed victories for the 51st-seeded Filipinas, who remained in a tie for 48th to 66th places with eight points.

Rivera, an employee of Bingo Bonanza, crushed WFM Mercedes de la Cruz in 43 moves of the Siiclian, while Bernales, a high school student from Talavera, Nueva Ecija, humbled Dorisbel Muñoz in 52 moves of the French.

Rivera, a graduate of the University of the East, won for the third time in the last four rounds.

Bernales improved to 4-2-1 win-draw-loss.

Not as fortunate were Catherine Perena and Cheradee Chardine Camacho.

Perena bowed to WFM Eneida Perez in 67 moves of the Queen’s Gambit Declined while Camacho succumbed to Kenia Polanco Jose in 33 moves of the Center Counter.

The Filipinas will next meet No. 81 seed Brazil, 3.5-.5 winner over Paraguay in the eighth round.