GM Mark Paragua wins 18th annual Mid-America Open Chess Championship
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014
Hello everyone,
MANILA -- Filipino Grandmaster Mark Paragua has won the 18th Annual Mid-America Open Chess Championship at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Missouri on tiebreak points from a five-way first place with GM Fidel Corales Jimenez of Cuba, GM Benjamin Finegold of the US, GM Manuel Leon Hoyos of Mexico and International master (IM) Priyadharshan Kannappan of India.
Ruifeng Li of China, Iskandar Aripov of Uzbekistan, and Anthony D Paolercio of Italy were tied at 6th to 8th places with 3.5 points each.
Paragua, who was tapped by Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte as a sports consultant, compiled four points in five outings with impressive wins against David Tianjiang Peng and Tianlu Peng of China, Advait Patel of Israel and Kevin Y Cao of USA. He lost only to Zach Kasiurak of Lithuania in the second round.
The 18th Annual Mid-America Open Chess Championships was organized by the Continental Chess Association headed by Bill and Brenda Goichberg.
Labels: mark paragua, mid-america chess open
Asian Chess Champion 2013 is Chinese GM Li Chao
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
The 2013 Asian Continental Championship (Open) was held on 18-26th May in Manila, Philippines. The tournament was organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and Eugene Torre Chess Foundation, Inc. 75 players from 14 federations, including 26 Grandmasters and 18 IMs, took part in the tournament, according to a Chessdom news update.
Chinese Grandmaster Li Chao emerged Asian Continental Champion after concluding the tournament with 7,0/9 points. Half a point behind, there were five players sharing the 2nd place. Local chess fans are delighted that Philippines’ Grandmasters Oliver Barbosa and Mark Paragua grabbed the silver and bronze medals respectively. Further, Le Quang Liem (Vietnam, 4th) and Adhiban Baskaran (India, 5th) also qualified for the 2013 World Chess Cup. Sasikiran Krishnan had the worst tie-break and remained outside of the qualification.
Read more »Labels: adhiban baskaran, asian chess continental chess, le quang liem, li chao, mark paragua, oliver barbosa, sasikiran krishnan
Manny Pacquiao Chess Cup Asian Continental 2013: Four Players in Lead
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
Manny Pacquiao (centre) watching Filipino GM Julio Sadorra beat IM Wang Chen of China. With Pacquiao are GM Eugene Torre (left) and NCFP Chairman/President Prospero A. Pichay, Jr.
Here is the latest chess news via Fide. Four Philippine players are in the lead pack at the halfway mark of the Manny Pacquiao Chess Cup Asian Continental Chess Championship at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Metro Manila, Philippines. GM Mark Paragua grabbed solo lead with 4.5 points after beating erstwhile leader compatriot Julio Sadorra in the 5th round. Sadorra, a senior business administration student at the University of Texas in Dallas, Filipino GMs John Paul Gomez and Richard Bitoon, top seed Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem and Chinese GM Li Chao trail by half-point behind with 4 points each.
There was exciting chess in all the rounds. Paragua penetrated the French Defense of Sadorra with his Rook on the seventh rank and delivered checkmate on the 33rd move. Gomez beat Chinese GM Li Shilong, Bitoon outsmarted compatriot GM Joey Antonio, Li Chao smashed GM Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam while Le Quang Liem was held to a draw by GM Lalith Babu of India.
The top five qualify for the World Chess Cup to be held this August in Tromso, Norway.
In the women's chess division, the champion qualifies to next year’s Women’s World Chess Championship. WGM Mary Ann Gomes of India outclassed WGM Guliskhan Nakhbayeva of Kazakhstan to create a four-way tie for first along with IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul of Mongolia, WGMs Guo Qi and Wang Jue of China with 4.0 points each. Munguntuul drew with WGM Huang Qian of China; Guo bested WGM Nguyen Thi Thanh An of Vietnam; Wang nipped WIM Hoang Thi Nhu Y of Vietnam. WFM Antoinette San Diego blasted WGM Swaminathan Soumya of India to lead the group of 3.5 pointers with WGMs Huang Qian and Tan Zhongyi and WIM Ni Shiqun of China, WGM Nafisa Muminova of Uzbekistan and IM Pham Le Thao Nguyen of Vietnam.
The chess tournament is organised by the GM Eugene Torre Chess Foundation and sponsored by eight-division world boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, Cafe Puro, Alaxan, Oriental and Motolite Corp. and held under the auspices of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, Asian Chess Federation and Fide. Top games are broadcast live on http://www.asianchessonline.com.
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Labels: john paul gomez, julio sadorra, le quang liem, li chao, manny pacquiao chess cup asian continental 2013, mark paragua, richard bitoon
Asian Zone 3.3 Chess: Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, Wesley So qualify for World Chess Cup
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son
The last round of the Asian Zone 3.3 Open Championship proved to be a bit of an anti-climax with most of the work already done in the previous eight rounds and so the eagerly watched game between Cao Sang (5) and Wesley So (6.5) was disappointingly for the spectators, a quick draw, but a result that ensured that So became the first World Cup qualifier.
With this, Susanto Megaranto (5.5) and Rogelio Antonio (5.5) who both earlier had an outside chance of qualifying should both leaders lose had little to play for and soon after also agreed to a draw.
However John Paul Gomez (5) and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (6.5) was game on from the beginning, Nguyen seizing the opportunity to win and besides taking the remaining qualifying spot, he also become the outright winner.
With this, the top finishers are:1. Nguyen 7.5/9, 2. So 7/9, 3-4. Megaranto, Antonio 6/9. 5-10. Cao Sang, Munkhgal Gombosuren, Darwin Laylo, Mark Paragua, Gundavaa Bayarsaikhan, Eugene Torre 5.5/9
In the Women's Championship, with nothing to lose, Philippine No.1 Catherine Perena won in a long game against already confirmed winner Nguyen Thanh Thi An who desperately wanted to remain undefeated but would still have been happy to be clear first with 6.5/9 and qualifying for the World Championship.
But it was the young sensation Bernadette Galas who impressed again, once again lifting Filipino spirits, this time by beating Hoang Thi Bao Tram and grabbing a share of second and fourth places on 6/9 together with with Medina Warda Aulia who had earlier defeated Nguyen Thi Mai Hung and Pham Le Thao Nguyen who beat Chelsie Monica Shite. (Report by Peter Long)
Labels: antonio megaranto, Asian Zone 3.3 chess, cao sang, darwin laylo, eugene torre, gundavaa bayarsaikhan, mark paragua, munkhgal gombosuren, nguyen ngoc truong son, Wesley So
PSC Chess Cup Manila: Title Goes to GM Mark Paragua
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
The Philippine Sports Commission Cup International Chess Championship was held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Manila, Philippines, on January 14–20, 2013. A total of 70 players from six countries, including eight Grandmasters, competed in the 9-round Swiss open, according to a Chessdom news report. Local star GM Mark Paragua emerged sole winner of the tournament after drawing GM Rogelio Jr Antonio in the final round to conclude the race with 7,5/9 points.
GM Mark Paragua
The 20-years old FM Haridas Pascua had a fantastic run to be even with Paragua after the penultimate round, but the late defeat against GM John Paul Gomez left him on the shared second place.
The prize fund was US$30,000 with the top prizes being US$ 6,000, US$ 4,000, US$ 3,000, US$ 2,000 and US$ 1,500.
Read more »Labels: mark paragua, psc chess cup manila
Filipino Chess Icon Eugene Torre Upbeat About National Chess Team
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Filipino chess icon GM Eugene Torre has said that while the Filipinos finished 21st in the recent Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, they proved that they can slug it out with the world’s elite, beating top teams Bulgaria and England. The Filipinos even moved to joint second in a field of 143 after a draw with No. 4 Hungary and victories over the Bulgarians and the Englishmen. But defeats to China and Romania in the closing rounds spoiled their remarkable run, according to an article in The Philippine Star.
“It was an eye-opener that we could slug it out with the elite teams,” said Torre, Asia’s first grandmaster who at 60 remains as sharp as ever.
Read more »Labels: eugene torre, mark paragua, oliver barbosa, oliver dimakiling, Wesley So
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MANILA -- Filipino Grandmaster Mark Paragua has won the 18th Annual Mid-America Open Chess Championship at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Missouri on tiebreak points from a five-way first place with GM Fidel Corales Jimenez of Cuba, GM Benjamin Finegold of the US, GM Manuel Leon Hoyos of Mexico and International master (IM) Priyadharshan Kannappan of India. 
