GM Laylo tops Mindanao Open

GRAND Master (GM) Darwin Laylo of Marikina tallied 8.5 points in nine-rounds to emerge champion of the 2012 2nd Mindanao Open Chess held at the Provincial Capitol of Kidapawan City over the weekend.

The second-seeded Laylo defeated Kidapawan City's Lorraine Cuevas and Tony Bartolome, Nazario Ubanan of Dipolog City, Jhonnel Balquin of Misamis Oriental, national master (NM) Roger Sarip of Lanao del Sur, NM Elwin Retanal of Davao City, intenational master )IM) Ronald Dableo of Manila and Lito Laput of Digos City before splitting the point with Henry Roger Lopez of Panabo City.

Dableo placed second by beating two other 7.5 scorers NM Macacuna Macala of Davao City and Jhonnel Balquin of Misamis Oriental via tiebreak. Macala and Balquin finished third and fourth, respectively.

Rounding up the top 10 were seven-pointers GM John Paul Gomez of Laguna, Lopez, Reynaldo Gempero, Ferdinand Leysa of Surallah, South Cotabato and Alawi Ibrahim of Marawi City along with GM Richard Bitoon of Cebu (6.5).

Bitoon prevailed over Sarip, Retanal, Adrian Dimakiling of Davao City and Cesar Apalla of Koronadal, South Cotabato with superior tiebreak.

Trailing behind were six pointers Jake Milagrosa, Fundador Binahon Jr., Jayson Salubre, Leyson, IM Edgar Reggie Olay, Mario Cagulada Jr., Laput, Allen Mirano, Emerson Rey Avila, Eugene Ambor, Archie Butal, NM Roel Filipinas, Mark Ian Oyao, Nazario Ubanan and Amer Tandong.

Cash prizes were awarded to the winners of the five-day Swiss System format chessfest sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

A total of 138 players joined the annual competition organized as part of Kidapawan City's celebration of the Kalivungan Festival.