Arca makes move in Bangkok

MANILA, Philippines — Christian Gian Carlo Arca continued to flash his potential as the country’s next Grandmaster after Daniel Quizon as he downed Thai International Master Prin Laohawirapap to storm back to contention after six rounds of the Bangkok Chess Club Open Friday night.

The 16-year-old Filipino FIDE Master sacrificed a pawn in the opening to create attacking chances and then later gave up a piece for a devastating onslaught that won him a pawn, which he used to carve out a 56-move win of a Caro-Kann Defense.

That sent Arca into a seven-player chase pack with five points each, or just half a point behind co-leaders GM Evgeny Romanov of Macedonia and GM Surya Ganguly of India.

Another Philippine bet, Olympiad veteran IM Pau Bersamina, was in that same group with world challenger Nigel Short of England and Hungarian GM Jozsef Horvath.