Pascua, Branzuela top Asian Indoor Games semis

Final standings:

7 points – H. Pascua, A. Branzuela
6.5 -- R. Nolte, C. Castellano, B. Nadera
6.0 -- R. Dableo, E. Senador, J. de Ramos, R. Legaspi, B. Valencia, J. Turqueza, A. Macala
5.5 -- L. Carlos, C. Garma, R. Llavanes, E. Bagamasbad, S. Kintanar
5.0 -– A. Vasquez, A. Pacis, T. Montoyo, J. Morazo, C. Diaz, E. Tunguia, R. Evangelista

National Master (NM) Haridas Pascua and Ali Brazuela shared the limelight on Friday's end of the semifinal round of the 2009 Asian Indoor Games qualifying tournament at the Victory Central Mall in Monumento, Caloocan City.

Pascua pulled the rug from under International Master (IM)Chito Garma, while Branzuela toppled NM Efren Bagamasbad to finish with a nine-round total of seven points and lead eight other qualifiers to the grand finals scheduled later this year.

Pascua, the 16-year-old student of University of Baguio, finished with five wins and four draws.

The pride of Mangatarem, Pangasinan won over Zaldy Falcon in the first round, Recarte Tiauson in the second round, NM Leonardo Carlos in the fourth round, IM Ronald Dableo in the fifth round and Garma.

He drew against IM Rolando Nolte in the third round, Rhobel Legaspi in the sixth round, Branzuela in the seventh round and Christopher Castellano in the eighth round.

Branzuela, seeded 14th, defeated John Franz de Asis, Peter Aviles, Dableo, Allan Sasot and Castellano in his first five assignments.

He then drew with Nolte in the sixth round and Pascua in the seventh round before losing to IM Barlo Nadera in the eighth round.

Aside from Pascua and Branzuela, the other eight players who made it to the grand finals to be held at the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) office in Balara, Quezon City are Nolte, Castellano and Nadera, who all finished with 6.5 points; and Dableo, Emmanuel Senador, Julius de Ramos, Legaspi and Belsar Valencia, who wound up with six points.

Two other players –- Mari Joseph Turwueza and Allan Macala – also finished with six points but missed the slots due to inferior tiebreak scores.

Turqueza and Macala, however, have been placed on reserve list.

The 10 qualifiers will join Grandmasters (GMs) Rogelio Antonio Jr. John Paul Gomez, Mark Paragua, Darwin Laylo, Jayson Gonzales and IM Buenaventura "Bong" Villamayor in the grand finals.

GM Wesley So, who is set to campaign in the United States, and GM Eugene Torre, both begged off from participation.

Also notably missing is top seed IM Richard Bitoon, who withdrew from the semifinal tournament after three rounds.

Bitoon, the country’s highest-rated IMs, swept his first three assignments but begged off from further participation due to illness.

Among the prominent players who missed the cut were Garma, Bagamasbad, Adrian Pacis, Ted Ian Montoyo and Deniel Causo.

The top finishers in the grand finals will earn the right to represent the country in the Asian Indoor Games scheduled in Vietnam later this year. (PNA)