Paragua clutch win lifts Tagaytay over Mongolia

MANILA, Philippines - GM Mark Paragua toppled FM Myagmarsuren Gunbayar to key Tagaytay Philippines’ 2.5-1.5 victory over Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) as the hosts held sway after seven rounds of the 2013 Asian Cities Chess Team Championship Dubai Cup late Thursday in Tagaytay City.

GMs Oliver Barbosa, John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo drew their respective games against GM Bayarsaikhan Gundavaa, IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul and IM Gombosuren Munkhgal as Tagaytay Phl pooled 13 points and kept a two-point lead over Shanghai China and Wuxi China heading to the last two rounds of the event.

The Tagaytay team is set to meet Pasay-Philippine Airforce in the penultimate round late Friday.

Pasay-Philippine Airforce trounced Erdenet, Mongolia, 3-1, with NMs Onofre Espiritu, Raymond Salcedo and Allan Cantonjos beating their respective rivals in the event which offers $3,000 aside from the Dubai Cup to the winning team.

Meanwhile, Shanghai (China) beat Manila-Philippine Sports Commission, 3-1, while Wuxi (China) crushed Shah Alam (Malaysia), to share second place with 11 points in the event hosted by Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, the Fide Asian Zone 3.3 president and the Tagaytay City government, headed by his wife and Mayor Agnes Tolentino.

IM Lou Yiping and WGM Zhang Xiaowen defeated IM Roland Nolte and IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia, respectively, while GM Joey Antonio drew with GM Zhou Jianchao and GM Richard Bitoon halved the point with WGM Ju Wenjun.

In other results, Baghdad (Iraq) edged Singapore (Singapore), 2-5.-1.5, Seoul (Korea) upset Bs Begawan (Brunei), 3-1, Sharjah (UAE) blasted Kuwait (Kuwait), 4-0, Colombo (Sri Lanka) crushed Abu Dhabi (UAE), 4-0, and Dubai (UAE) drew with Chinese-Taipei (Taipei), 2-2.