Phl chessers draw with Viets, bid for top 10 in final

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines drew with Southeast Asian rival Vietnam, 2-2, and stayed in the race for a top 10 finish in the World Chess Olympiad after 10 rounds in Istanbul, Turkey late Friday.

A day after a 0.5-3.5 loss to powerhouse China, grandmasters Wesley So, Oliver Barbosa, Eugene Torre and Mark Paragua played for a much-needed win but ended drawing all their games against the 27th-ranked Vietnamese.

The Philippines, ranked 35th, had 14 points in a tie for ninth to 15th place with Vietnam, ninth seed The Netherlands, Argentina, Uzbekistan, Romania and Slovenia.

No. 6 China shocked fifth seed US, 2.5-1.5, to remain tied at first place with top seed Russia and No. 3 Armenia with 17 points each.

Russia bounced back from a ninth round loss to the Americans with a 2.5-1.5 win over Argentina. Armenia overpowered the Netherlands, 3-1.

No. 2 Ukraine, which edged No. 7 Azerbaijan, 2.5-1.5, is at solo fourth with 15 points. US dropped to a share of fifth to eighth with No. 4 Hungary, Germany and Poland with 15 points apiece.

Of the four board matches, So came closest to snatching a victory after he emerged in an attacking position in his Slav game with GM Le Quang Liem. However, the Vietnamese saw a way out of a tight position and forced a draw in 39 moves via a perpetual check.

On board two, GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son was forced to give up a piece for three pawns and likewise escaped with a deadlock via perpetual check in 30 moves of the Soultanbeief Variation of his Slav duel with Barbosa.

Paragua followed suit on board four after finding little progress out of his pawn advantage in a rook-and-pawn endgame. He split the point with GM Nguyen Doc Hoa in 47 moves of the Modern Defense, Przepiorka Variation.

The 60-year-old Torre, Asia’s first GM and with a record of 21 Olympiad appearances, was the last to finish. Despite his endgame wizardry, he also couldn’t find the winning lines in a drawish position and halved the point with GM Nguyen Van Huy in 54 moves of the Knights Variation of the Indian game. – Joey Villar                        

Despite the draw, the Filipinos remained on course in their bid of eclipsing the country’s seventh-place finish in the 1988 edition in Thessaloniki, Greece as they go full force for a victory in Sunday’s 11th and final round against the 25th-seeded Romanians, who stunned the 10th seeded French, 2.5-1.5.

The Olympiad took its second and last break Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Phl women’s team also drew with Malaysia, 2-2, and is currently in a share of 39th place.

The Filipinas will play Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last round.