Chinese IM, Indian GM seize control in Philippine international chess

MANILA, Philippines – International Master Chen Lin of China toppled Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Belous to force a tie with top seed Abijheet Gupta of India after five rounds of the Philippine International Chess Championship at the Subic Peninsular Hotel in Olongapo.

The 10th-ranked Lin, 27, outplayed the No. 6 Belous in 50 moves of the Anglo-Slav Variation of the English Opening to join Gupta at the top with four points.

Gupta, the 2008 World Junior chess champion, sustained his form by beating erstwhile co-leader GM Anton Demchenko (Russia) in a marathon 105 moves of a Sicilian.

The other Chinese bet, GM Shanglei Lu, also improved to 3.5 points after trouncing Filipino IM Yves Ranola in 30 moves of their Anglo-Dutch Variation of the English Opening encounter in a tie with second seed Alexander Zubov (Ukraine), Vitaly Sivuk (Ukraine), Anton Shomoev (Russia) and Chakkravarthy Deepan (India).

Lin will take on Zubov while Gupta battles Russia’s Shomoev in the sixth round late Thursday.

Local bets IM Rolando Nolte and National Master Roel Abelgas pooled three points apiece for a share of seventh with three others halfway through the event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Phl and supported by the PSC, POC, Puregold, Asian United Bank and Burlington Socks.

Nolte, who topped the Selangor Open in Malaysia recently, stunned No. 7 GM Mikhail Mosharov after 50 moves of the Ruy Lopez opening, while former PCU-Dasmarinas standout Abelgas turned back IM Wishand Cuhendi Sean of Indonesia after 47 moves of a Kingside Fianchetto of the Indian Game.

The other three pointers are Vietnamese GM Doc Hoa Nguyen, GM Narayanan Sinulduth Lyna of India and GM Boris Savchenko of Russia.

GMs Eugene Torre, Darwin Laylo, Joey Antonio and Richard Bitoon, IM Paulo Bersamina, Michael Gotel, and GM Pavel Smirnov of Russia all have 2.5 points.