Georgian GM rips Sadorra, seizes lead

MANILA, Philippines - GM Levan Pantsulaia of Georgia beat Filipino GM Julio Catalino Sadorra to grab the solo lead after three rounds of the Philippine International Chess Championship at Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City last Sunday.

Pantsulaia outplayed Sadorra after 57 moves of their Gruenfeld encounter to notch his third straight win in the Open division of the nine-round $30,000 tournament.

Pantsulaia, seeded third with a rating of 2583, moved half a point ahead of fellow GMs Merab Gagunashvili of Georgia, Anton Demchenko of Russia, Mikhail Mozharov of Russia and Filipino Oliver Barbosa and Fide Master Randy Segarra.

Ranked only 22nd in a field of 38, Segarra, coach of De La Salle University chess team, stunned Armenian GM Avetik Grigoryan in 58 moves of a Ruy Lopez to move into contention in the tournament sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission and Puregold.

Fresh off a long campaign in the US, Barbosa downed Sheider Nebato in 27 moves of a Slav.

Gagunashvili and Demchenko drew their match, while Mozharov also split the point with top seed Ivan Popov of Russia in the tournament backed by Asia United Bank, Burlington, Celebrity Sports Plaza, Microtel and Harold’s Hotel.

Popov was stalled at two points in the company of the US-based Sadorra, Filipino GMs Darwin Laylo, Eugene Torre, Rogelio Antonio Jr. and John Paul Gomez, IMs Kim Steven Yap and Haridas Pascua, Indian IM Narayanan Sunilduth Lyna, Fide Master Sander Severino and Merben Roque, who shocked GM Richard Bitoon.

Gomez and Antonio agreed to a truce, Laylo whipped Roel Abelgas, Torre subdued FM Paulo Bersamina, Yap whipped IM Ronald Bancod, Pascua trounced WIM Mikee Charlene Suede, while Lyna and Severino drew their match.

Pantsulaia was going for his fourth straight against Demchenko at presstime. Other crucial matches pitted Barbosa against Gagunashvili, Segarra against Mozharov, Popov against Torre, Sadorra against Lyna, Yap against Gomez, Antonio against Roque, and Laylo against Pascua.

WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda drew with Raymond Salcedo to catch up with Suede with one point.