Philippines Chess: Boxing Champ Manny Pacquiao Registers for Asia Continental Chess Tournament

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013

Hi everyone,

Interesting chess news: World's second highest paid athlete to play chess!

MANILA, Philippines – In an interesting bit of chess news, we hear that Philippines boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has enlisted for the Asian Continental Chess Championship scheduled from May 18 to 27 at the Midas Hotel in Pasay City.

Emmanuel 'Manny' Dapidran Pacquiao is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world boxing champion in which he has won ten world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He is also the second highest paid athlete in the world, according to his Wikipedia profile!

Grandmaster Eugene Torre, who is co-organizing the event announced the event as the nine-round Swiss System tournament to be known as the Manny Pacquiao Chess Cup. A total cash prize of $100,000 will be up for grabs in the event that serves as the last qualifying tournament for the 2013 World Cup in August in Norway.

The top five in the men’s division and the winner in the women’s division will earn slots to the World Cup. In case previous qualifiers win or finish among the top five, then the next best player gets the slot. The Eugene Torre Chess Foundation, Inc. is organizing the event in association with the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) under Butch Pichay, the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE.

“This will be a historic event because one of the world’s sporting icons, Manny Pacquiao, is supporting us. We will make sure it becomes a successful event,” said Torre.

Registration to the tournament is ongoing, according to Asia’s first grandmaster. He expects the top players from China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and the former Soviet republics to compete.

The NCFP has already sent invitations to the different national federations, and so far Torre said there’s been a tremendous response. He added that Filipino players, the International Masters and the National Masters, are also very interested in joining the event. “We are all very excited. I hope a Filipino qualifies for the World Cup. We will be happy with one but it will be a big bonus if we get two slots,” said Torre.

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Asia Continental Chess R7: Negi, Sukandar Lead in Open, Women's Sections

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

 

The latest chess news update from the Asian Continental Chess in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is that Indian GM Parimarjan beat Chinese GM Ding Liren in the seventh round to maintain his lead at the chess championshp. in only 30 moves to keep his lead in the Asian Chess Continental Championship here on Saturday.

Negi sacrificed a pawn on the 18th move to open lines against Ding's king in the centre since he had not castled. Negi controlled the half open file and was about to win a bishop when Ding resigned. Negi leads alone with six points. Three players -- GMs Yu Yangyi of China, Oliver Barbosa of the Philippines and Salem Saleh of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- follow with five and a half points each. 

In the women's section, WGM Irene Sukandar of Indonesia drew with Ding Yixin of China in 30 moves of a Sicilian Defence. They exchanged pieces and reached a drawn minor piece endgame. Sukandar leads alone with six points followed by Indian WGM Mary Ann Gomes with 5.5. Four players trail with 5 points each namely Eesha Karavade of India, and Chinese Tan Zhongyi, Wang Jue and Ding Yixin.

Gomes upset top seed GM Zhao Xue of China in 70 moves. Zhao had a bad pawn structure in the endgame and could not stop the pawn advance of her opponent.

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Asian Chess R4 - Irene Sukandar in sole lead in women's section; five-way tie in open section

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

WGM Irene Sukandar has gone into sole lead while there is a five-way tie in the open section after four rounds at the Asian Continental Chess Tournament being held in Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam. You can access the official website  the Asian Chess Federation site for live games and other info. Tied Yu and Liu are GMs Ding Liren of China, Oliver Barbosa of Philippines and Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia.

Ding outplayed GM S. Sethuraman of India in an endgame of opposite colored Bishops that lasted 79 moves.

Six players are in the second spot with 3 points each - IM Gao Rui of China and GMs John Paul Gomez of the Philippines, Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, Negi Parimarjan of India, Zhou Jianchao of China and Salem A. R. Saleh of the United Arab Emirates.

In the 5th round, the two Chinese Liu and Ding are paired, Barbosa plays Yu Yangyi while Megaranto faces GM Negi Parimarjan.

In the Women's section, Batchimeg tried to draw by perpetual check but Sukandar forced an exchange of Queens to transpose into a won endgame in 80 moves. Nine women follow in second spot - with 3 points each namely top seed Zhao Xue and compatriots Wang Jue and Dig Yixin of China, WGM Nguyen Thi Thanh An and Hoang Thi Bao Tram of Vietnam, Batchimeg and IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag of Mongolila, and Tania Sachdev and Mohota Nisha of India. Sukandar plays the top seed Zhao Xue in the 5th round of the chess event. 

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