Zhang rules GMA Cup

Grandmaster Zhang Pengxiang capped China’s domination by emerging solo champion even as Filipinos fell like dominoes yesterday in the final round of the $30,000 2006 President Arroyo Cup at the Duty Free Fiesta Mall.

The second-seeded Zhang Pengxiang, the fourth highest rated chesser back home, smashed compatriot GM Zhang Zhong in 54 moves to score 7.5 points, enough to take home the golden cup and the top prize of $6,000.

Top seed GM Alexander Onischuk of the US and No. 8 GM Victor Mikhalevski of Israel downed their respective Filipino foes to finish tied at second place with seven points apiece.

Onischuk, who trounced Asian Games-bound International Master Ronald Dableo in 66 moves of a King’s Indian Attack, sealed second place after emerging with the higher tiebreak while Mikhalevski, a 32-move winner over eighth-round sensation Hamed Nouri in a Benoni duel, finished third.

Each received $3,500.

Wunderkind IM Wesley So, 13, came a move closer to clinching the second of the three results to become a full-fledged GM only to miss it in a 37-move loss to No. 5 GM Vladimir Belov of Russia in a Sicilian encounter.

Instead of taking the f7 pawn with a rook in the 23rd move that would have been fatal for Belov, So captured the Knight at d7-square instead.

That turned out to be a blunder as the Russian countered to emerge an exchange up that he easily converted into a win.

So finished with 5.5 points.

No. 5 GM Vlaruzhan Akobian of the US and No. 3 GM Ni Hua and IM Wang Rui of China hurdled their respective opponents to finish tied fourth-sixth and got $2,000 apiece.

Akobian overcame IM Chito Garma in a Queen’s Pawn game (67 moves), Ni slammed countryman Zhou Weiqi (29 , Sicilian) and Wang humbled No. 7 GM Mark Paragua (40, Slav).

Zhang Zhong still finished seventh overall after finishing with the highest tiebreak score in a big group of six pointers despite the final round defeat that showed China’s awesome status as a world chess power.

China finished a strong second place behind Armenia in the Chess Olympiad held early this year in Turin, Italy.

Nouri, who pulled off a shock eighth-round win over No. 6 GM Vladimir Belov of Russia, was the highest Filipino finisher with six points at eighth place.

Nouri, a native of Escalante City, Negros Occidental, was actually tied with nine others at seventh place but bested IMs Darwin Laylo (10th), Yves Ranola (11th), Dableo (12th) and Jayson Gonzales (13th), Emmanuel Senador (14th), FIDE Master Julio Catalino Sadorra (15th) and IM Ronald Bancod (16th).