A PODIUM finish.
That will be the best Filipinas Marie Antoinette San Diego and Shania Mae Mendoza could hope for after they drew in 30 moves of a Queen’s Gambit in the eighth and last round of the 7th ASEAN+ Individual Chess Championships at the AMORAP in Misamis Occidental on Sunday.
Their title and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title hopes were denied by Indonesian Woman International Master (WIM) Shafira Devi Herfesa, who virtually seized the crown and WGM herself following a 44-move win over Indian Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Shree Reddy Keerti in their Sicilian duel.
With a round to go, Ms. Herfesa has seven points, 1.5 points ahead of Ms. San Diego, Ms. Mendoza and top seed WIM Bordoloi Pratitee of India, who agreed to a 31-move standoff with Filipina WGM Janelle Mae Frayna of a Sicilian duel.
It will be a little significant for the 28-year-old Ms. Mendoza, who could clinch a WIM title if she ends up in the top three of this event financed by host Governor Henry S. Oaminal, Sr. and backed by the PSC and WR Chess.
But it will be easier said than done as she was battling Ms. Herfesa in the final round as of this writing.
Also in the top 10 in the women’s section were Ms. Frayna, WIM Ruelle Canino, who drew with Mongolian WGM Enkhtuul Altan-Uzii, and Mhage Sebastian, who bested Malaysian WFM Ainul Mardhiah Mohd Afif in 44 moves of an English Opening, with five points each.
In the open section, IM Paulo Bersamina couldn’t convert a pawn and positional edge and fell to battle-tested Vietnamese GM Nguyen Duc Hoa in 50 moves of yet another Sicilian that quashed his GM title aspiration.
Alekhine Nouri bested IM MJ Bacojo in 25 moves of a Sicilian while IM Michael Concio, Jr. halved the point with Antonio Dcunha Viani in 57 moves of a Slav to supplant Mr. Bersamina in the top 10 with five points each. — Joey Villar