Torre, Bersamina deliver for PHL vs Finland

MANILA, Philippines – Ageless Grandmaster Eugene Torre and youthful Paulo Bersamina delivered the victories as the Philippines downed Finland, 2.5-1.5, to get back on track even as the women's squad was sent back to Earth with a 4-0 bashing from 11th seed Spain in the 41st World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway Tuesday night.

Bersamina, 16, scored the first point for the Filipinos with a 45-move victory over International Master Vilka Sipila on fourth board before Torre, 62, clinched it by wielding the seldom-used Larsen Opening in overpowering IM Mikael Agopov in 30 moves in the third board.

GM John Paul Gomez provided the lone draw – a 36-move standoff with IM Mika Karttun – in between the two triumphs on second board in helping seal the Filipinos the win that sent them in a 19-team logjam at 23rd spot with five match points.

GM Julio Catalino Sadorra had a chance to cap the match win with a victory but he blew his chances and lost to GM Tomi Nyback in 28 moves of a Slav Defense on top board.

The Filipinas, in contrast, couldn't sustain the momentum of their shock 2-2 draw with eighth seed Poland in the third round and was hammered by 11th seed Spain, 4-0, to fall from a share of No. 15 to a place outside the top 30 with five match points.

Janelle Mae Frayna and Jan Jodilyn Fronda were the first to fall with absorbing crushing defeats at the hands of men's IMs Olga Alexandrova ns Ana Matnadze on second and third boards, respectively.

Needing a win to knot the count, Chardine Camacho and Christy Lamiel Bernales couldn't cash in and blundered away their chances to fall to IM Sabrian Vega Gutierrez and WIM Amalia Aranaz Murillo on first and fourth board.

The men's team will tackle Chile while the women's squad tangles with 14th seed Bulgaria in the fifth round.

Thankfully, Bersamina and Torre saved the day for the rag-tag PHL side, which is already hobbling by the decision of Wesley to change allegiance and coach the United States men's team and Oliver Barbosa's failure to join the team due to visa delays.

Bersamina emerged with a dangerous pair of bishops against Sipila's immobile knights after the opening scuffle, won the exchange in the middle game and gave up a rook to checkmate his foe.

Torre, for his part, showed vintage form as he employed an old line he borrowed from a long-tme friend, the late American world champion Bobby Fischer, in putting Agopov off-balanced.

After a slow buildup, Torre, on a historic 22nd Olympiad appearance, finally launched a kingside onslaught that netted a pawn first then later a rook for a bishop before carving his way through Agopov's weakened kingside.

When Agopov resigned, Torre was either set to win a knight or mate the former outright.