SUBIC—International Master Chen Lin of China toppled Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Belous in the fifth round to climb into a two-way tie for the lead with top seed Abijheet Gupta of India halfway into the 2015 Philippine International Chess Championship at the Subic Peninsular Hotel here in Olongapo City.
Standings after five rounds (Open Division)—Gupta (IND), Lin (CHI) 4.0, Demchenko (RUS), Zubov (UKR), Sivuk (UKR), Shomoev (RUS), Lu (CHI), Deepan (IND) 3.5, Nguyen (VIE), Sinulduth (IND), Savchenko (RUS), Nolte (PH), Abelgas (PH), 3.0, Torre (PH), Laylo (PH), Antonio (PH), Smirnov (RUS), Bitoon (PH), Ranola (PH), Bersamina (PH), Gotel (PH) 2.5, Mosharov (RUS), Sean (INA), Kotanjian (ARM), Pascua (PH), Rohan (IND) 2.0, Puranik (IND), Frayna (PH), Dimakiling (PH) 1.5.
Challenger Division (after four rounds)—Mirano K., Salgados, Morado, Mendoza 3.5 points, Alora, Miciano, Aviles, Mirano J., Diaz 3.0, Pradas, Rapanot, Salcedo, Ricana 2.5, Evangelista, Lim, Pidor, Marimla, Doroy, Medina, Morsalim S., 2.0, Bagamasbad, Morsalim M., Bernardo, Graspela, Cerezo 1.5.
The 27-year-old, 10th-ranked Lin, one of the highest-rated IMs in the world with an Elo rating of 2520, outplayed the no. 6 seed Belous in 50 moves of the Anglo-Slav Variation of the English Opening to bring his total to four points in a tie with Gupta at the top.
Gupta, the 2008 World Junior chess champion, sustained his win streak by outlasting erstwhile co-leader GM Anton Demchenko of Russia in a marathon 105 moves of a Sicilian at the top board.
The other Chinese bet, GM Shanglei Lu, also gained headway following a 30-move dismantling of Filipino IM Yves Ranola in the Anglo-Dutch Variation of the English Opening to improve to 3.5 in a tie with no. 2 seed Ukranian GM Alexander Zubov, fellow Ukranian GM Vitaly Sivuk, GM Anton Shomoev of Russia and GM Chakkravarthy Deepan of India.
Lin will take on Zubov while Gupta battles Russia’s Shomoev in the sixth round late Thursday.
Local campaginers IM Rolando Nolte and National Master Roel Abelgas, meanwhile, managed to keep the Filipinos’ bid on track by beating their higher-rated opponents and improve their score to 3.0 in a tie with three other foreign bets in the tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee, Puregold, Asian united Bank and Burlington Socks.
The 23rd-ranked Nolte, who topped the Selangor Open held in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia last May, upended GM Mikhail Mosharov, the no. 7 seed, after 50 moves of the Spanish Game of the Ruy Lopez opening, while former PCU-Dasmarinas standout and 30th seed Abelgas turned back no. 20 IM Wishand Cuhendi Sean of Indonesia after 47 moves of a Kingside Fianchetto of the Indian Game.
Also with three points are Vietnamese GM Doc Hoa Nguyen, GM Narayanan Sinulduth Lyna of India and GM Boris Savchenko of Russia.
Behind them with 2.5 each are Filipino GMs Eugene Torre, Darwin Laylo, Joey Antonio, Richard Bitoon, IM Paulo Bersamina, Michael Gotel, and GM Pavel Smirnov of Russia.
In the Challenger Division, Kevin Mirano, Jeth Romy Morado, Lennon Hart Salgados and WIM Shania Mae Mendoza emerged tied with similar 3.5 after four rounds of action.
Mirano and Mendoza agreed to a draw to keep their grip of the top spot, while Salgados and Morado beat their respective foes to vault into the four-way tie.
Salgados downed John Estrada Salcedo in 48 moves of a Pirc Defense (Classical System), while Morado defeated Paul Robert Evangelista after only 26 moves, also via the Pirc.