Zonal Championship

BY: BOBBY ANG

(As published in Chess Piece, BusinessWorld, 10 June 2011)

Zone 3.3 Open Chess Championship
Tagaytay City
May 24-30, 2011

Final Top Standings
(in tie-break order)

1. GM Susanto Megaranto INA 2529, 7.0/9

2-4. GM Mark Paragua PHI 2542, GM Zhang Zhong SIN 2592, IM Richard Bitoon PHI 2480, 6.5/9

5-6. FM Jan Emmanuel Garcia PHI 2344, IM Rolando Nolte PHI 2429, 6.0/9

7-14. GM Darwin Laylo PHI 2516, GM Rogelio Antonio Jr PHI 2589, GM John Paul Gomez PHI 2538, IM Oliver Barbosa PHI 2506, GM Nguyen Anh Dung VIE 2481, IM Nguyen Huynh Minh Huy VIE 2464, John Alcon Datu PHI 2218, IM Oliver Dimakiling PHI 2408, 5.5/9

15-21. IM Kevin Goh Wei Ming SIN 2424, IM Nguyen Van Huy VIE 2454, GM Cao Sang VIE 2547, GM Eugenio Torre PHI 2495, GM Dao Thien Hai VIE 2512, FM Nguyen Duc Hoa VIE 2458, FM Rudin Hamdani INA 2368, 5.0/9

Total of 48 players

Tie Break1: The results of the players in the same point group

Tie Break2: Rating average of the opponents

Indonesia’s GM Susanto Megaranto and the Philippines’ Mark Paragua (in photo) both qualified for the 2011 World Cup which will be held this August in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. From this event the top 3 will join five others in a Candidates match-tournament to determine the next challenger to the world champion.

Two rounds before the end it was Darwin Laylo and Goh Wei Ming who looked like they were going to advance, but both of them lost their last two games and were completely overtaken.

Mark Paragua finished the tournament undefeated and his last round victory over Goh Wei Ming tied him for second with ex-Chinese now Singaporean GM Zhang Zhong and compatriot IM Richard Bitoon, where he prevailed on tie break points.

Olay, Edgar Reggie (2343) -- Paragua, Mark (2542) [D85]
Zone 3.3 Championship, Tagaytay City, PHI (1.1), 24.05.2011
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Reggie resigns. A pity he didn’t allow the pretty finish 34...Be4+ 35.Kh3 Rh2+! 36.Bxh2 Bg2#

GM Mark Paragua has lately been showing flashes of his old form. Here is a nice game from the recent 2011 Asian Individual Championship.
Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi (2495) -- Paragua, Mark (2542) [D46]
ch-Asian Individual Mashhad IRI (6.13), 07.05.2011
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