So keeps lead despite draws; Torre surges

MANILA, Philippines - GM Wesley So slowed down with back-to-back draws but remained on top even as GM Eugene Torre wheeled back into contention with two victories after six rounds of the National Chess Championships at the National Press Club Auditorium yesterday.

So, who swept his first four matches against the country’s leading GMs, settled for draws against IMs Rolando Nolte and Jan Emmanuel Garcia to raise his output to five points.

He stayed one point clear off Torre, GM Darwin Laylo and GM-candidate Oliver Barbosa with seven rounds left in the event also dubbed as the Battle of GMs.

Meanwhile, Torre continued to dish out top form, beating Garcia in 62 moves of an English Open before thumping GM John Paul Gomez with a 32-mover in a Queen’s Pawn Opening game to lead the four-pointers group in the event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and backed by Pilipinas Shell, Waterfront Hotel and Casino and Philippine Sports Commission.

Against Gomez, Torre gave up two pieces for a rook and two pawns in the early going that exposed black’s king. He then sacrificed a rook for another piece, forcing Gomez to give up his queen or face a mate threat.

“I kept sacrificing pieces hoping to sustain the attack,” Torre, 59, told The STAR. “I was also in time trouble but I managed to find the correct moves that forced him (Gomez) to give up his queen or be checkmated.”

The twin victories more than made up for Torre’s third round loss to US-based GM Rogelio Barcenilla Jr. 

Laylo fought Italy-based GM Rolando Salvador to a 31-move standoff in their super-sharp French encounter while Barbosa turned what had appeared a drawish bishop-and-pawn endgame into a victory as IM Yves Ranola squirmed in time trouble and lost in 78 moves of a Reti game.

“I managed to trap his bishop in the end because he was having trouble with time,” said Barbosa.

IM Richard Bitoon beat Salvador in 44 moves of a Sicilian encounter in the fifth round but lost to Barcenilla in 38 moves of a Queen’s Pawn London System in the sixth for 3.5 points in a tie with Rolando Nolte.