Friday, August 24, 2007 Dimakiling settles for draw
GRANDMASTER candidate Oliver Dimakiling of Davao City settled for a truce with fellow countryman International Master Richard Bitoon in the sixth round of 2007 Dato Artur Tan Malaysian Open Thursday, at the ballroom of Cititel Midvalley Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Dimakiling and Bitoon, both playing under the banner of National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero Pichay Jr. now have 4.5 points to climb into a tie for 5th to 13th places in the company of countryman IM Barlo Nadera of Mandaue, Cebu, GM Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam, GM Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh, IM Wang Rui and Wan Yunguo of China, IM Sadikin Irwanto of Indonesia and IM Gary Lane of Australia.
Woman International Master Sheerie Joy Lomibao of Quezon City, who forced a draw with IM Bitoon and GM Utut Adianto of Indonesia in the early round, beat Jun Lian Low of Malaysia to raise her total 3.0 points in this FIDE event, which attracted 86 players.
She will face Kaiser Jenius Hakiki of Indonesia in the seventh round.
In other sixth round matches saw Thursday were IM Nadera halved the point with GM Rahman, as well the game between of IM Wang and Yunguo, IM Irwanto clobbered IM Ronald Bancod of the Philippines, IM Lane upset GM Murray Chandler of England, and GM Dao nipped IM Nasib Ginting of India.
Top seed GM Zhang Zhong and Li Chao of China likewise hurdled respective rivals Thursday to join fellow Chinese WGM Ruofan Li and Weiqi Zhou in the leadership board with 5.0 points apiece.
GM Zhang crushed IM Girinath P.D.S. of India while Chao stopped International Master aspirations of Fide Master Hamed Nouri of Escalante City while WGM Ruofan settled for a draw with Weiqi.
Other Filipino woodpushers still in contention are NM Emmanuel Senador (4.0), NM Rolando Nolte (4.0), IM Julio Catalino Saddora (3.5) and NM Rhobel Legaspi.
