GM Gomez grabs solo lead in Battle of GMs

Grandmaster (GM) John Paul Gomez defeated FIDE Master (GM) Jan Emmanuel Garcia to grab the solo leadership after the 7th round of the 2010 Phoenix Petroleum “Battle of GMs” national chess championships.

Gomez beat Garcia to raise his total to 6 points at the Character Hotel in Tagaytay City, on Monday. He is a half point ahead over top seed GM Wesley So who has 5.5 points.

Gomez, who held the solo lead when the tournament took a two-day break starting Friday, agreed to split the point after only 16 moves of the Slav defense against fellow GM Darwin Laylo in the 6th round late Sunday.

So, who won via default over 12-time RP Open champion GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. in the 6th round, settled a truce with International Master (IM) Rolando Nolte.

Antonio, meantime, agreed to a draw with Laylo in the 7th round to climb to 3rd place with 4.5 points, followed by Laylo who toted 4 points for 4th place.

In other results, GM-elect Ronald Dableo crushed IM Oliver Dimakiling while US-based Julio Catalino Sadorra held into a draw against fellow IM Richard Bitoon.

In the distaff side, Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Chardine Cheradee Camacho notched her 4th straight win and gained the provisional lead with 4.5 points.

The 16-year-old Camacho, an incoming sophomore at the Ateneo de Manila University taking up BS Applied Physics with Applied Computer Systems, prevailed in just 27 moves of the Sicilian. Akiko Suede got mired at 2 points. – by Marlon Bernardino