Li rules Asian tiff; Paragua gains WC slot

MANILA, Philippines - Chinese Grandmaster Li Chao held Filipino GM Mark Paragua to a draw in just 16 moves of a Slav Defense in the final round to rule the $100,000 Asian Continental Chess Championships dubbed the “Manny Pacquiao Cup” at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay yesterday.

The second-seeded Li, who gained headway with a crucial eighth round victory over Uzbek GM Marat Dzhumaev Saturday, finished the nine-round Swiss system tournament with seven points to emerge solo winner in the event bankrolled by Sarangani Rep. and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

Despite failing to win the crown, Paragua still clinched a berth in the World Chess Cup by finishing joint second with top seed Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem and GM Oliver Barbosa with 6.5 points.

Le, the highest ranked player here with a FIDE rating of 2714, and Barbosa, the highest rated Filipino player with 2566, also halved the point in 17 moves of a Queen’s Pawn game in the meet organized by the Eugene Torre Foundation and backed by Cafe Puro, Alaxan, Oriental and Motolite Battery.

Barbosa, who bounced back from a second round loss to IM Chito Garma, forced Le to a draw via repetition of moves after the latter’s Queen was trapped in the queenside.

“When Oli (Barbosa) and Le drew their game, he (Li) offered me a draw because he knew he will win it with a draw,” said Paragua in Filipino. “I accepted the offer though because the position is drawish anyway.”

The standoff also proved enough for Paragua to earn his fourth trip to the World Cup after qualifying in that rich, knockout stage in 2004 in Libya and 2006 and 2010 in Khanty-Minsk, Russia.

Also making it to the World Cup are Li, Le and Indian GM Baskaran Adhiban, who beat GM John Paul Gomez in 45 moves of a Caro-Kann.

US-based Filipino GM Julio Catalino Sadorra sacrificed two pawns for a kingside onslaught which he converted to a 34-move win over Vietnamese GM Dao Thien Hai of a Slav battle to finish with six points.

Roel Abelgas, who coaches the La Salle-Dasmariñas chess team, drew with Kazakh International Master Kirill Kuderinov to obtain the IM title together with Emmanuel Emperado, son of former many-time Olympiad veteran Mila, who bested Indian Ganesan Akash.

FIDE Master Roderick Nava, for his part, had earlier clinched his IM title although he lost to Chinese GM Li Shilong in the last round to finish with four points.

FIDE Master Fernie Donguines denied Hamed Nouri his IM title by winning their match.