Zhao rules Campo Cup; So finishes 7th

MANILA, Philippines - GM Zhao Jun of China became the first champion of the Florencio Campomanes Memorial Cup Chess Championships as he drew with GM Anton Filippov of Uzbekistan in the final round then nipped top seed GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam in the tiebreak to rule the inaugural staging of the event at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium yesterday.

It was Zhao’s fourth draw and counting his five victories, the 11th ranked Chinese bet finished the nine-round tournament with seven points.

Le matched that output as he trounced GM Zhou JIanchao of China but yielded the crown to Zhao via tiebreak score. They, however, split the combined first and second prizes worth $19,000 each.

GM Liren Ding of China, Zhou, GM Merab Gagunashvili of Georgia and Filippov shared third place with 6.5 points. Each won $ 6,500.

GMs Wesley So and Darwin Laylo and IM Richard Bitoon finished in a seven-way tie for seventh with six points. Each got $1,914.

So, who co-shared the lead in the early going of the tournament, settled for a draw with GM Murtas Kazhgaleyev of Kazakhstan in only 20 moves of the Slav to clinch seventh place after the tiebreak.

Laylo, who also halved the point with GM Ni Hua of China, wound up eighth overall.

GM Ehsan Ghaemmaghami of Iran finished ninth, followed by Kazhgaleyev, GM Li Chao of China, Bitoon and GM Tamaz Gelahsvili of Georgia in that order.

In women’s play, WGM Shen Yang outplayed WGM Zhang Xiaowen in an all-Chinese showdown to pocket the crown with 7.5 points.

GM Zhao Xue beat Filipina Catherine Perena to finish solo second with seven points.

WGM Atousa Poirukashiyan of Iran drew with WIM Hoang Thi Bao Tram of Vietnam for third 6.5 points.