RP whips Belgium; Gomez nears GM title

DRESDEN, Germany – IM John Paul Gomez moved within a win from obtaining an outright GM title with a victory over Bruno Laurent as the Philippines blasted an all-IM Belgium side, 3.5-0.5, to wheel back into contention in the seventh round of the World Chess Olympiad here Thursday.

Gomez cashed in on his opponent’s scattered pieces right in the opening of their French game and unleashed a vicious queen-rook-bishop attack which led to an inevitable mate or loss of a material by Laurent, who resigned on the 23rd move.

The 22-year-old La Salle mechanical engineering student, a three-time national junior champion back home, remained the Filipinos’ leading scorer with 5.5 points.

Gomez needs only a win in his next two games to clinch an outright GM title and join Eugene Torre, Rosendo Balinas, Rogelio Antonio Jr., Nelson Mariano, Mark Paragua, Bong Villamayor, Darwin Laylo, Wesley So and Jayson Gonzales in RP’s roster of GMs.

“John Paul has a very good chance of getting his GM title in the next two games,” said Torre, the non-playing team captain.

So and Gonzales also beat their respective rivals while Villamayor settled for a draw as the Philippines bounced back from a sixth round setback to Spain to gain a share of 25th.

“I like our chances now. The team is in good position of surpassing its 44th-place finsih in the Turin Olympiad two years ago,” said Torre

The 15-year-old So pounced on Ekren Cekro’s faulty handling of the opening of the Austrian Attack, giving up two pawns for swift attack on the black’s kingside which his rival failed to neutralize. He won on the 20th to hike his output to 4.5 points.

Gonzales snapped a four-game slump and outclassed Daniyal Saibolautov in 42 moves of the French defense, while Villamayor failed to complete the sweep with a draw with Richard Polaczek in 43 moves of the Slav.

It was the Philippines’ fourth win against one draw and two losses based on the match point style scoring system being used here by FIDE for the first time in 81 years.

Equally impressive was the Filipinas’ 3-1 win over Costa Rica on victories by Daisy Rivera, Cheradee Chardine Camacho and Christy Lamiel Bernales.

Rivera miscalculated a bishop sacrifice at endgame but played well enough to secure a victory over WIM Carla Da Basco in 57 moves of the Sicilian Alapin.

Camacho battled back from the brink of a losing king-and-pawn endgame and escaped with a morale-boosting win over Shirley Patricia Trejos in 62 moves of Irregular Opening.

Bernales outplayed Maria Elena Rodriguez, checkmating her unrated Costa Rican opponent with her queen and two bishops in only 23 moves of the French.

Sherrilyn Cua lost to WIM Carolina Munoz in 46 moves of a French Tarrasch.

The Filipinas, who finished 27th in Turin two years ago, have seven points on three wins, one draw and three losses.

They next play Dominican Republic, a 2.5-1.5 winner over Iraq.

Armenia, meanwhile, brought down top seed Russia, 2.5-1.5, to wrest the solo lead with 13 points, one ahead of France, Israel and Germany-1.

France edged India, 2.5-1.5; Israel dumped Spain, 3-1, and host Germany-1 nipped Romania, 2.5-1.5, for joint second with 12 points.