GRANDMASTERS Anton Demchenko and Shomoev Anton of Russia and Narayanan Sunilduth Layna of India racked up two straight victories to climb into a three-way lead on Tuesday in the 2015 Philippine International Chess Championship at the Subic Peninsular Hotel in SBMA, Olongapo City.
Standings after two rounds (Open Division)Demchenko (RUS) Sunilduth Layna, Shomoev 2 points, Zubov, Mozharov, Lin, Laylo, Gupta, Belous, Puranik, Sivuk, Antonio, Savchenko 1.5 Lu, Smirnov, Kotanjian, Torre, Nguyen Nolte, Abelgas, Sean Ranola, Bitton, Gotel 1.0 Rohan, Pascua .5
Demchenko, ranked no. 5 in the tournament with an Elo rating of 2592, defeated Indian GM Chakkravarthy Deepan for his second consecutive win, after outlasting Filipino IM Rolando Nolte in the first round.
The ninth-seed Anton, meanwhile, turned back GM Eugene Torre, while Sunilduth Layna upset fourth seed Chinese GM Shanglei Lu.
But top seed GM Abijheet Gupta of India, who crushed young Filipino IM Haridas Pascua in the first round, settled for a draw against the other Chinese bet, 10th seed International Master Chen Lin, and dropped into a tie for second spot with no. 2 GM Alexander Zupov, GM Mikhail Mozharov, Lin, no. 6 GM Vladimir Belous, IM Abhimanyu Puranik, GM Vitaly Sivuk, GM Boris Savchenko and Filipino GMs Darwin Laylo and Rogelio “Joey” Antonio.
Laylo, who defeated WIM Janelle Mae Frayna in the first round, forced a standoff against Savchenko, while Antonio, who beat WIM Catherine Perena-Secopito in the opener, drew with Mozharov, to be the only Filipino campaigners in the top places after two rounds in the tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Puregold, Asia United Bank, Burlington Socks and Marc Venture.
In the Challenger Division featuring local participants, the opening-round winners include WFM Shania Mae Mendoza, Alfredo Rapanot, John Marvin Miciano, Samson Lim Jr., Lennon Hart Salgados, Kevin Mirano, Ferdinand Avales and Jeth Romy Morado, Prince Ralph Pidor, Jan Francis Mirano and Paul Robert Evangelista.