By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Olympiad veteran Grandmaster John Paul Gomez smashed International Master Michael Concio, Jr. to remain unbeaten after the third round of the MCPL’s Manny Pacquiao International Open Chess Festival in General Santos City Wednesday, Dec. 14.
The 37-year-old Biñan, Laguna bet, who was the country’s top scorer in the Chennai Olympiad early this year with an unbeaten score of seven points in 10 games, towed the lead pack that included top seed GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan of Armenia, second pick GM Lucas Van Foreest of the Netherlands and fourth pick GM Pier Luigi Basso of Italy with perfect scores of three points.
Gabuzyan turned back American IM John Daniel Bryant; Van Foreest trounced Russian Konstanin Sek; and Basso downed Filipino IM Kim Steven Yap in the nine-round event that will coincide with sponsor and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao’s 44th birthday celebration on Saturday, Dec. 17.
Gomez outplayed Concio, a World Cup veteran and reigning Asian Juniors rapid king, in 56 moves of a Guioco Piano to stay on course in topping the event and pocketing the champion’s purse worth a cool P1.14 million, the biggest in the country in recent years.
Half a point off the pace was a group spearheaded by World Juniors veteran FIDE Master Alekhine Nouri, who downed Jeriel Manlimbana.
Also with 2.5 points were GM Vitaly Sivuk of Sweden, GM Joey Antonio, IM Cris Ramayrat and IM Rolando Nolte.
Panabo City wonder boy, 13-year-old Christian Gian Karlo Arco continued his giant-killing ways as he followed up his shock win over ninth seed IM Dragos Ceres of Moldova in the opening round Tuesday with two straight draws with Ramayrat and IM Chito Garma to climb to two points.
