Gomez bags solo lead; So splits point

MANILA, Philippines - GM John Paul Gomez posted back-to-back victories to grab the solo lead as top seed GM Wesley So settled for a draw in the fourth round of the Phoenix Petroleum Battle of GMs National Chess Championships at the Character Hotel in Tagaytay last night.

Gomez trounced IM Julio Catalino Sadorra in 39 moves of the Dutch opening in the third round then beat FM Haridas Pascua in 32 moves of the Slav in the fourth to emerge the solo leader with four points.

“I’m satisfied with my performance right now, especially winning my first four games,” said the 24-year-old Gomez, who finished no higher than fourth in the first two stagings of the tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) in cooperation with Phoenix Petroleum and the Tagaytay City government.

The victories gave Gomez a half-point lead over So, who trampled FM Jan Emmanuel Garcia in the third but was held to a draw by fellow World Cup veteran GM Darwin Laylo in the fourth round.

The 16-year-old So, gunning for a third straight victory here, dropped to second with 3.5 points.

GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. beat Dableo in 25 moves of the Scandinavian opening but split the point with Sadorra in the fourth to remain in third with three points.

Fourth seed IM Richard Bitoon crushed Garcia in the fourth round to move up to solo fourth with 2.5 points.

Laylo, who won his third round assignment against Pascua, is in solo fifth with two points.

Meanwhile, the 12-player field was reduced to 11 early Thursday when Jayson Gonzales withdrew following the death of his older brother in Tacloban.

Gonzales, also the head coach of UAAP champion Far Eastern University, informed NCFP president Butch Pichay about his brother’s death and promptly left for Tacloban.

NCFP executive/events director Willie Abalos and chief arbiter Gene Poliarco also decided to remove on record the results of the first three games of Gonzales and reduced the tournament to an 11-man field.

In women’s play, WIM Beverly Mendoza downed Jeny Rose Palomo and Rulp Ylem Jose humbled Mikee Charlene Suede to gain a share of the lead with three points apiece.