SO, GOMEZ DREW WITH SUPER GMs BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO POWER RP

FILIPINO Grandmaster Wesley So (2610) settled for a truce with Super GM Alexei Shirov (2726) even national champion IM John Paul Gomez (2519) held Super GM Miguel Cordoba Illescas (2604) into a draw but not good enough to power the 38th ranked Philippine Team who bowed to all-Super GM 12th ranked Spain, 1-3, in the sixth round of 38th World Chess Olympiad yesterday at the International Congress Center in Dresden, Germany.

After GMs Jayson Gonzales (2469) and Darwin Laylo (2507) was succumbed to Super GM Francisco Pons Vallejo (2664) and GM Pablo Carillo San Segundo (2564) on board 2 and 4, respectively.

With the loss, the Filipinos was stuck at 7 match points scoring, dropped into a tie for 41st to 57th placers in the company of seventh round opponent 68th ranked Belgium, who lost to 24th ranked Croatia, 1.5-2.5..

Earlier, the Filipinos backed up by NCFP president Prospero “Butch” Pichay have beaten Algeria (2.5-1.5), Monaco (2.5-2.5) and Iran (2.5-1.5), drew with Greece (2-2) and lost to China (1..5-2.5).

Meanwhile, it was a double-black eye for the country when the Filipinas lost to Sweden, 1.5-2.5.

GM Pia Cramling (2550) and WIM Svetlana Agrest (2258) led Sweden by demolishing Catherine Perena (2210) and Daisy Rivera (2073) on board 1 and 2, in order. WFM Evgenia Pavlovskaia (2197) settled an important draw over Christy Lamiel Bernales (1998) on board 4.

Chardine Cheradee Camacho (2100) carrying the fight for the Filipinas when she upset WIM Irina Tetenkina Irina (2243) on board 3. They remained 5 match points scoring system, and will next face Costa Rica.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO