Paragua bounces back; So settles for 2nd draw

MANILA, Philippines - Grandmaster Mark Paragua rebounded from an opening-day loss to whip GM Orazly Annageldyev of Turkmenistan while GM Wesley So stumbled to another draw in the 10th Asian Continental Individual chess championships at the Hotel Pardisan in Mashhad, Iran last Tuesday.

Paragua outwitted the lower-rated Annageldyev in 53 moves of the Hedgehog Opening to remain in contention in the nine-round competition held to determine the region’s four representatives to the 2011 World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

The 27-year-old Paragua was upset by FM Jwan Bakr of Syria in the first round.

But while Paragua recovered his form, So failed to eke out a win against No. 26 GM Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam, settling for another draw in 24 moves of the English Opening.

So, seeded third behind GMs Rustan Kasimdhanov of Uzbekistan and Krishnan Sasikiran of India, also split the point with No. 28 GM Anuar Ismagambetov of Kazakhstan in the first round.

IM Oliver Barbosa drew with No. 8 GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam, while GM John Paul Gomez also halved the point with No. 41 IM Kaiqi Yang of China.

GM Darwin Laylo, meanwhile, lost to sixth seed GM Yu Yangyi of China in 51 moves of a Caro-Kann. Laylo opened his campaign with a big win over Austin Yang of Chinese-Taipei last Monday.

Overall, four Filipinos – Paragua, So Barbosa and Laylo – have one point apiece, a full point behind early leaders GMs Bu Xiangzhi of China, Yu Yangyi of China, Parimarjan Negi of India and Rinat Jumabayev of Kazakhstan.

Paragua, meanwhile, takes on No. 42 FM Hussein Ali Hussein of Iraq in the third round while So goes for his first win against IM Javad Alavi Sayed of Iran. Barbosa battles GM Ehsan Ghaemmaghami of Iran while Laylo faces Paragua’s first-round tormentor Bakr.

Gomez, with only a half-point to show in two rounds, clashes with IM Rui Gao of China.