Phl chessers win

MANILA, Philippines - Tagaytay atoned for its upset loss to unfancied Palembang (Indonesia) Saturday as it swept an all-female Iranian squad (Mashhad), 4-0, in the third round of the 17th Asian Cities Chess team championships at the Kartika Chandra Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia yesterday.

GM Wesley So beat WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan, GM Joey Antonio Jr. whipped WIM Shayesteh Ghader, GM John Paul Gomez outplayed WFM Sarasadat Khadelmalsharieh and GM Darwin Laylo outclassed Haniej Khalaji.

Tagayatay moved to joint fourth with four points, two points behind defending champion Tehran (Iran), top seed Shi Jiazhuang (China) and third seed Astana (Kazakhstan) in the tournament, which lured 24 teams from 15 countries.

The Phl chessers, however, will face a tougher rival in the highly-rated Astana (Kazakhstan) in the fourth round. Led by GM Murtas Kazhgaleyev and Pavel Kotsur, Astna whipped Palembang, 3-1, for its third straight match win.

The Kazakhs also won over Penang (Malaysia), 4-0, in the first round and Baghdad (Iraq), 4-0, in the second round,

The Filipinos opened their campaign with a 4-0 rout over Tarakan in the first round last Good Friday but struggled and dropped a 1.5-2.5 decision to Palembang in the second round.

So won over WGM Irine Kharisma Sukandar of Tarakan but lost to little-known FM Rudin Hamdani while Antonio swept his first two assignments over WFM Aulia Medina and IM Taufik Halay 2.

Gomez demolished WFM Monica Sihite in the first round but was held to a draw by IM Tirto while Laylo crushed WFM Citra Dewi of Tarakan but lost to untitled Hakiki Kaisar.

Top seed Shi Jiazhuang (China), led by GMs Yu Yangyi and Li Chao, swept Mazhhad (Iran), 4-0, in the first round, Bangalore (India), 3-1, in the second round and Jakarta (Indonesia), 3-1, in the third round, while defending champion Tehran (Iran), bannered by GMs Ehsan Ghaemmaghami and Elshan Moradiabadi, whipped Singapore, 4-0, Yangon (Myanmar), 3.5-0.5, and Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), 4-0.