So, Bitoon, Bancod join leaders in Pichay Cup

GM Wesley So defused the challenge of IM Ronald Dableo to post his second straight win in the fourth Prospero Pichay Cup international chess championship late Sunday.

IMs Richard Bitoon and Ronald Bancod also came away with big wins over fancied rivals to join the leaders in the early going of the tournament at the Duty Free Phils. in Parañaque City.

Bitoon, who stunned Wang Xiaohui of China in the first round, pulled the rug from under GM Zhou Weiqi of China while Bancod upended No. 16 seed GM Darwin Laylo after stunning GM Marat Dzhumaev of Uzbekistan.

The sixth-seeded So outplayed Dableo for win No. 2 in what could be an inspiring start for the 14-year-old top Filipino GM out to atone for his 25th place finish in the PGMA Cup last week.

Other two pointers are top seed GM Murtas Kazhgaleyev of Kazakhstan, second seed GM Zhang Zhong of Singapore, ninth seed GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia, No. 10 seed GM Jayson Gonzales, No. 14 seed Gm Saidali Iuldachev of Uzbekistan, and No. 15 GM Li Shilong and No. 21 Wan Yunguo of China.

Kazhgaleyev, who finished fifth in the recent PGMA Cup, subdued GM-candidate Julio Catalino Sadorra at the top board.

Zhong humbled GM Bong Villamayor, Megaranto whipped Dino Ballecer, Gonzales downed Deniel Causo, Iuldachev outclassed IM Barlo Nadera, Li trounced IM Weiming Goh of Singapore, and Wan bested Haridas Pascua.

Eleven players, led by third seed Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia and fourth seed GM Ehsan Gahem Maghami of Iran, had 1.5 points.

Mchedlishvili halved the point with GM-candidate John Paul Gomez, while Ghaemmaghami won over Rhobel Legaspi.

GM Mark Paragua, the second highest -placed Filipino in the PGMA Cup with six points, drew with Xiu Deshun of China to join the 1.5 pointers.

Also with the same score were GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, Dao Thien Hai and Nguyen Van Huy, all of Vietnam; GM Wen Yang of China, and Gomez, Oliver Dimakiling and first-round sensation IM Petronio Roca.

Truong Son nipped IM Chito Garma, Dao stopped NM Efren Bagamasbad, Huy outwitted IM Rolando Nolte, Dimakiling humbled Jan Emmanuel Garcia and Yang drew with Roca.