GRANDMASTER John Paul Gomez bested 13-year-old qualifier Phil Martin Casiguran in 71 moves of a Sicilian Defense to zoom to the top after seven rounds of the Philippine National Open Chess Championship Grand Finals in Alicia, Isabela Sunday night.
It was the fifth straight victory by the 38-year-old Olympiad veteran and sixth overall to leapfrog straight to No. 1, with 6.5 points in this 11-round tournament that stakes P120,000 to the champion, courtesy of Alicia Mayor Joel Amos Alejandro.
Gomez is now 1.5 points ahead of his closest pursuers International Masters Pau Bersamina and Jem Garcia, the former’s teammates when they competed in the Budapest FIDE Olympiad a month ago.
Bersamina drew with IM Ricky de Guzman in 35 moves of a Torre Attack while Garcia fought Samson Chiu Chin Lim to a marathon 71-move standoff of a King’s Indian Defense.
Gomez is in hot pursuit of his third national crown after ruling the annual tournament in 2008 and 2013.
“Kapit lang,” said Gomez, who will battle Bersamina, Garcia, Daniel Quizon and local bet IM Joel Banawa in the last four rounds.
Gomez overtook Bersamina, who had in his grasp the solo lead after scoring 4.5 points in the first five rounds.
But Bersamina, who is seeking his breakthrough national crown, stumbled to Casiguran in a stunning 60-move defeat of a Sicilian encounter in the sixth round Saturday.
