BANGKOK. — Two wins, one loss.
That’s how the Philippine chess team performed after three rounds in the Makruk Chess Classic Mixed Quintuple event in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games at the Bazaar Hotel here Thursday.
The GM Eugene Torre-led Filipinos proved unstoppable in a 5-0 demolition of Malaysia in the third round late Thursday to move into solo third with 2-1 win-loss record in the six-nation competition.
GM John Paul Gomez, IM Paulo Bersamina, IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia, GM Darwin Laylo and Ruelle Canino hurdled their respective Malaysian opponents from boards one to five to keep alive the Filipinos’ chances for a podium finish.
Gomez defeated Wei Hao Tan, Bersamina clobbered Shan Wen Tin, Garcia dumped Afiz Mohayuddin, Laylo crushed Nul Hakim Khairolhisal in the first four male boards.
Canino humbled Nurul Akma Khairolhisal in the lone female board battle.
The smashing win came after the Filipinos defeated Singapore, 3-2, in the first round, and lost to host Thailand, 1.5-3.5.
Torre admitted that host Thailand remains the big favorite to win the gold medal.
“Malaki ang adjustment na kailangan namin. It’s a different challenge in this kind of game. Big favorite pa din ang Thailand because this is really their game,” said the 74-year-old Torre of the Filipinos’ chances.
“We already won against Singapore and Malaysia, but lost to Thailand, so maganda pa din ang chances natin to win a medal. Although Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia have highly-rated GMs, we hope to do it in the standard chess,” added Torre, who made history by becoming the country’s first grandmaster in Nice, France in 1974.
Host Thailand and Vietnam battled to 2.5-2.5 draw in the featured third round encounter to keep a share of the lead with two wins and one draw for five points.
The Philippines is third with four points.
Singapore and Indonesia also battled to a standoff, 2.5-2.5, in the third round to keep fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Malaysia, winless in three rounds, is dead-last at 0-3.
