Darwin Laylo, Victorius at Victory Mall

Definitely, GM Darwin Laylo's first major tournament in local soil this year. In the final round, he drew his game against IM Bitoon, a player who has been struggling in the past against him. But a draw was about enough since everyone expected GM John Paul Gomez, the runner up finisher of the tourney to beat his lower rated opponent which he did. Why take risk anyway when a lost against Bitoon would blew his tittle away? Although the tournament saw without the participation of RP's top two and most charismatic players, Wesley So and Eugene Torre, five GMs participated coupled with seasoned IMs.

Next stop for our Filipino GMs is in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for the Zone 3.3 FIDE World Chess Championships slated July 22 to 30. Wesley So will be the top seed in that event. Below is the full report by NM and chess journalist Marlon Bernardino:

Final Standings after the tie break points was applied in the just concluded
Victory Central Mall Open Chess last Tuesday in Caloocan City:

7.0 points---GM Darwin Laylo
7.0 points---GM John Paul Gomez
6.5 points---GM Mark Paragua
6.5 points---IM Richard Bitoon
6.5 points---GM Rogelio Antonio Jr.
6.5 points---Christian Arroyo
6.5 points---FM Leonardo Carlos
6.0 points---IM Barlo Nadera
6.0 points---GM Jayson Gonzales
6.0 points---Rhobel Legaspi
6.0 points---Deniel Causo
6.0 points---IM Chito Garma
6.0 points---Ali Branzuela
6.0 points---NM Stewart Manaog
6.0 points---Rainer Labay


AFTER impressive showing in Monumento, Caloocan City, Lipa’s Grandmaster Darwin Laylo sets his eyes on the Zone 3.3 FIDE World Chess Championships 2009 gets underway on July 22 to 30 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Laylo, a member of the multi-titlist Philippine Army chess team halved the point with Cebuano IM Richard Bitoon in the ninth and final round to emerged over-all champion in the inaugural chess tournament of Victory Central Mall Open Chess Championships on Tuesday, organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) headed by its president Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr. and secretary-general Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino Jr., sponsored by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
Actually Laylo and fellow GM John Paul Gomez tallied identical 7.0 points apiece, however Laylo had a better 41.5 tie break points over Gomez 39.5 points to went home the championships trophy. The duo received P80,000 each after they split the combined prize of P160,000 for the 1st and 2nd placers. Gomez, who hails from Binan, Laguna toppled PNP bet Ali Branzuela in the final canto.
Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr., the lone Filipino qualifier in this year’s World Chess Cup (FIDE World Chess Championships) split the point with fellow GM Mark Paragua to notch 6.5 points and to create a five-way tie for third place together with Paragua, Bitoon, Cagayan De Oro’s Christian Arroyo and Manila’s Fide Master Leonardo Carlos.
In the Zone 3.3 FIDE World Chess Championships 2009, aside from Laylo, other Filipino bets gunning for slots in the World Chess Cup (FIDE World Chess Championships in Khanty Mansiyk, Russia on Nov. 20 to Dec. 15, 2009) are GMs Wesley So, Paragua, IM Bitoon and Asia’s First GM Eugene Torre. According to the official website, So, who is just arrived from China yesterday is the tournament top seed with an Fide Elo rating of 2646, ranked no.4 is Torre (2560), ranked No.8 Bitoon (2495), ranked no. 9 Laylo (2494) and ranke