Paragua joint second in Singapore Masters

SINGAPORE — Filipino Grandmaster Mark Paragua stopped compatriot and GM candidate Jayson Gonzales yesterday to close in on solo leader and Super GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili of Georgia after seven rounds of the Singapore Masters and Challengers International Open Championships.

Azmaiparashvili, the top seed, drew with GM Ni Hua of China in just 10 moves of a Slav Defense to remain on top with six points at the Hotel Royal in Newton Road of this Lion City.

Paragua defeated Gonzales after 30 moves of a London System and improved to 5.5 points in a tie with GMs Victor Mikhalevski of Israel, Koneru Humpy, the former world junior women champion of India, Zhang Zhong of China and Hua.

Zhang and Mikhalevski split the point after 31 moves of a Ruy Lopez Opening while Humpy nipped defending champion GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia in the other featured matches.

Azmaiparashvili, a former European champion, now has five wins and two draws. He drew with Zhang in the sixth round, which ended late Wednesday.

Gonzales enjoyed the early advantage against Paragua but due to time pressure committed successive blunders on the 17th and 18th moves allowing the former RP child prodigy to score a come-from-behind victory.

"Na bluff ako ni Mac Mac. Dapat tinira ko ‘yung pawn sa f5 sa 17th move para makalamang sana ako ng piyesa. Kala ko kasi makakalamang ako. Isa pa ay tinira ko yung Bf2. Pero lamang pa din yun nga lang sa 18th move ay nag blunder ako sa Nc4 dapat Ne4 kaya naka recover na siya at tuloy-tuloy na advantage niya," said Gonzales.

With the loss Gonzales was stuck up with 4.5 points, the same output of GM Nelson Mariano II and IM Richard Bitoon of the Philippines, GM Viktor Varavin of Russia, WGM Ruofan Li of China, IM Ashot Nadanian of Armenia and Tu Hoang Thai of Vietnam.

Gonzales’ bid for his third and final GM norm results went down the drain since he has played against only with one GM (Paragua) in the tournament. His eighth and penultimate round opponent Thursday is IM Salor Sitanggang of Indonesia.

"Sayang. Akala ko makukuha ko na dito ang huling GM norm ko. Kung nanalo kasi ako kay Mac-mac ay siguradong GM ang kalaban ko sa last two rounds," said Gonzales whose only consolation was an invitation to the European GM (round-robin) closed tournament in 2006.