So leads rare RP double sweep

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines completed a rare double sweep in the World Chess Olympiad, fashioning out a pair of 4-0 routs over South Korea in the men’s division and the Netherlands Antilles in the ladies side in the first round in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time).

GMs Wesley So, John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo and IM Richard Bitoon whipped their lowly rated Korean rivals in one of the 44 shutout victories posted in the opening day of the 11-round tournament.

The 16-year-old So, in his third appearance in the Olympiad, made short work of Sanghoon Lee to lead the Filipinos’ charge.

Gomez trounced Kyul Lee, Laylo clipped Munkhbat Chogdov while Bitoon, a last-minute replacement for GM Rogelio Antonio Jr., crushed Hoon Young Jun to complete the rout.

Cheradee Chardine Camacho, Catherine Perena, Shercila Cua and Rulp Ylem Jose also hurdled their matches against Netherlands Antilles in the women’s division.

Camacho, 16, demolished Maria Elisabeth Delemarre, Perena beat Nadiniela Coffie, Cua bested Azry SalimMoussa and Jose dumped Benigna Coffie.

The twin victories, however, put the Filipinos in an early collision with the fancied teams in the second round Wednesday.

So plays black against super GM Alexei Shirov as the 37th-ranked Team RP battles No. 16 seed Spain, a 3.5-0.5 winner over Algeria.

This will mark the second time that So and Shirov will meet in the Olympiad. The two drew their match in Dresden two years ago although the Filipinos dropped a 1-3 loss.

Gomez meets GM Ivan Salgado, Laylo faces GM Jordi Magem Badals and Bitoon tackles GM Daniel Alsina matches.

Bitoon is being fielded for the second straight game in favor of GM Eugene Torre in a bid to obtain a GM result.

The 52nd-ranked RP ladies, on the other hand, battle the No. 14 seed Romanians, who also blanked Egypt, 4-0.

Camacho will take on IM Cristina Adela-Foisor, Perena squares off with WGM Elena Kosma, Cua meets WGM Carmen Voicu and Jose faces WGM Alina l’Ami.

In other results, top seed Russia-1 scored a 3.5-0.5 win over Ireland while second seed Ukraine whipped Iraq, 4-0, and third seed China beat Kyrgyzstan, 3.5-0.5.

Two-time defending champion Armenia thumped Costa Rica, 3-1, No. 4 Russia-2 outclassed IBCA, 4-0; fifth seed Hungary overwhelmed Jordan, 3.5-0.5; seventh seed Azerbaijan crushed South Africa, 3.5-0.5; No. 8 Bulgaria trashed Bangladesh, 3.5-0.5; No. 9 United States beat Faroe Island, 4-0; and No. 10 France outplayed Paraguay, 3.5-0.5.

Asian power India also blanked Wales, 4-0, while Vietnam waylaid Bostwana, 4-0, and Indonesia downed Mauritania, 4-0.

In women’s side, Russia-1 outclassed Bangladesh, China humbled Brazil, Ukraine downed Bolivia, Georgia beat Macedonia, Russia-2 stopped Singapore, USA dumped Dominican Republic and India tripped Albania via similar 4-0 scores.