Bersamina vs Iranian in Asean youth chess

MANILA, Philippines - Newly crowned national junior champion Paulo Bersamina tries to firm up his hold of the lead in the boys’ 12-and-under division as he takes on third seed Amir Badkoubi of Iran in the sixth round of the Asean Age Group Chess Championships at the Traveler’s Hotel in Subic today.

Bersamina, 12, won four games and had a one draw in the first five rounds and is looking fresh from a one-day break that took the participants to education and sightseeing tour Tuesday.

The incoming freshman student of Far Eastern University, the youngest player to win the national junior title, is a full point ahead of Amir, second seed Nguyen Van Toan Thanh of Vietnam and fellow local bets Carlo Caranyagan, Tristan Frech Ibaoc and Romulo Curioso.

In other matches, Ibaoc battles Nguyen and Caranyagan collides with Curioso.

In the girls 12 under, Marie Antoinette San Diego faces WCM Vu Thi Dieu while Samantha Glo Revita squares off with Vu Hoang Lan in a pair of RP-Vietnam matches on the top boards.

San Diego, Revita and the two Vietnamese players share the lead with four points in five rounds.

In other games, Richelieu Salcedo plays FM Ton That Nhu Tung of Vietnam in the boys’ 20 and under while Mari Joseph Turqueza mixes it up with Haridas Pascua.

Alcon John Datu takes on Alfredo Rapanot, Jonathan Emmanuel VII meets Nguyen Viet Chung of Vietnam.

NCFP executive/events director Willie Abalos said the nine-round standard competition will end tomorrow to be followed by the one-day, seven-round rapid competition on June 11 and the one-day, nine-round blitz tournament on June 12. 

Individual medals will be awarded to the top three players in each age-group category, while team medals will be given to the top countries based on the total scores of their top three players.