So annexes 7th win as Tagaytay firms up lead

MANILA, Philippines - GM Wesley So stayed on track for a record sweep by winning his straight match as fancied Tagaytay virtually captured the overall championship with one round left in the 2011 National Inter-Province chess team championship at the Cabanot Training Center in Kalibo, Aklan yesterday.

Tagaytay routed Makati, 3.5-0.5, and went unassailably ahead with 15 points, two points clear of Bacolod heading to the final round of the nine-round tournament which offers a top purse of P100,000.

So outduelled NM David Elorta to notch his eighth straight victory while Allan Cantonjos defeated Edsel Montoya and Iivan Gil Biag crushed Raymund de las Pena to complete another big day for Tagaytay..

Garry Garcia failed to complete a shutout win for Tagaytay as he was held to a draw by Mervin Lumidao.

Bacolod, bannered by FM Sander Severino and Joel Pimental, trounced South Cotabato, 3-1, to grab solo second with 13 points.

Defending champion LWUA-Quezon City A took a 1.5-2.5 setback to third seed Misamis Oriental and slid to third with 12 points.

Jhonnel Balquin provided the marginal win for Misamis Oriental as he toppled Ted Ian Montoyo on board two.

GM Mark Paragua of Misamis and GM John Paul Gomez of LWUA-A battled to a draw as did Christian Arroyo and Jayson Salubre and Richelieu Salcedo and Mari Joseph Turqueza.

Misamis Oriental moved up to fourth with 11 points.

LWUA-B, led by reigning national junior champion Paulo Bersamina and Jan Nigel Galan, nipped Cabuyao-Laguna, 2.5-1.5, while DAR-Quezon City, headed by NM Emmanuel Senador and Lennon Hart Salgados, dumped DepEd-A, 3-1, for a share of fifth with 10 points.