Filipino chessers sweep Olympiad foes

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines rolled to a pair of 4-0 victories over Libya in the men’s division and Pakistan in the women’s side to kick off its campaign in the 40th World Chess Olympiad which got under way late Tuesday night at the Wow Convention Center in Istanbul, Turkey.

Super Grandmaster Wesley So downed Abobker Elarbi to lead the Filipinos win over the unfancied Libyans in an inspiring start for a team seeking to better its worst 50th place finish in the last Olympiad.

So whipped Elarbi in 44 moves of a Caro Kann Defense while GM Oliver Barbosa trounced Ahmed Al-Zayat in 42 moves of a Queen’s Pawn Game.

GM Mark Paragua demolished Hussein Asabri in 30 moves of a King’s Indian Defense while GM-candidate Oliver Dimakiling downed Hassan Asabri in 30 moves of an English Opening to complete the Filipinos’ sweep.

Catherine Perena, Rulp Ylem Jose, Janelle Mae Frayna and Jedara Docena, for their part, dominated Zenubia Wasif, Nida Mishrash Siddiqui, Ghazala Khuaja and Fatima Khuaja.

The 35th-seeded Filipinos, meanwhile, face a higher ranked rival in the Moldovians in the second round Wednesday night.

Ranked No. 23, Moldovia will be led by Viktor Bologan, Dmitry Svetushkin, Sergey Vedmeduic and Iulian Baltag.

Unlike the Phl, Moldova missed a shutout win as it settled for a 3.5-0.5 win over Pakistan as GM Bologan was held to a draw by IM Mahmood Lodhi on the top board.

The Phl will field in the same lineup of So, Barbosa, Paragua and Dimakiling, keeping GM Eugene Torre out of action for the second straight game.

The 60-year-old Torre is on a record 21st Olympiad stint.

The Phl ladies, meanwhile, will play again against 16th seed Slovenia’s Vesna Rozic, Jana Krivek, Ana Srebrnic and Spela Orehek, who routed Uruguay via the same 4-0 result.