GM Gomez nails 2 wins for solo lead

MANILA, Philippines –  GM John Paul Gomez repulsed WIM Nguyen Thi Mai Hung of Vietnam in the third round then trounced GM Zhao Jun of China in the fourth to seize the solo lead in the HD Bank Cup Open chess championship at the Rex Hotel in Vietnam yesterday.

Gomez, member of the team that bagged the silver medal in the recent Asian Games in Guangzhou, outdueled Hung in a slambang encounter then hurdled Zhao to stretch his win run to four for the solo lead.

Another Filipino campaigner, IM Richard Bitoon, held top seed GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam to a draw in the third then beat Kevin Goh of Singapore to lead three other players with 3.5 points.

GM Darwin Laylo settled for a pair of draws with compatriot IM Oliver Dimakiling and CM Tran Than Tu of Vietnam for joint sixth with three points.

Five other Filipinos – GM Roland Salvador, IM Oliver Barbosa, IM Kim Steven Yap, FM Haridas Pascua and Dimakiling – also stay in contention with 2.5 points.

Salvador, the highest-rated Filipino here with a 2533 rating, bowed to No. 22 seed Wang Chen of China in the third round but won over Vo Thanh Nin of Vietnam while Barbosa, who shared first place in last week’s ASEAN Chess Championships held in Singapore, lost to Yu Yangyi of China but bounced back with a victory over WIM Pham Le Thao Nguyen of Vietnam.

Yap whipped Tan Weiliang of Singapore and then drew with IM Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam while Pascua outclassed Pham Dihn Nhat Khanh of Vietnam and halved the point with IM Lou Yiping of China. Dimakiling drew with Laylo then lost to GM Yu Yangyi of China.