Gomez, So share chess lead

MANILA, Philippines - Dresden Olympiad veteran John Paul Gomez settled for a draw with fellow GM Darwin Laylo to remain tied for the lead with defending champion GM Wesley So in the sixth round of the Phoenix Petroleum Battle of GMs national chess championships at the Character Hotel in Tagaytay yesterday.

Gomez, who held the solo lead when the tournament took a two-day break Friday, agreed to halve the point with Laylo after only 16 moves of their Slav encounter with neither player wanting to deviate from the book line.

But Gomez found himself tied for the lead with So with five points after the latter won by default over fellow GM Rogelio Antonio Jr.

Antonio, who topped the recent first PSC chairman Harry Angping Cup rapid chess championships, arrived at the tournament venue and requested for a postponement of his game against So since he wasn’t feeling well.

But National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) executive/events director Willie Abalos turned down Antonio’s appeal and forfeited the game in favor of So.

Abalos, also the tournament director, cited a ruling that a player must appear on the board at the time of the match.

With the default, the second-seeded Antonio remained with only four points.

Laylo, on the other hand, improved to 3.5 points in the 11-round tournament organized by the NCFP, headed by president/chairman Butch Pichay in cooperation with the Tagaytay City government through Mayor Abraham Tolentino.

In the distaff side, WFM Chardine Cheradee Camacho notched her fourth straight win and gained the provisional lead with 4.5 points.

The 16-year-old Camacho, an incoming sophomore at the Ateneo, prevailed in just 27 moves of the Sicilian.