GRANDMASTER John Paul Gomez bested 13-year-old qualifier Phil Martin Casiguran in 71 moves of a Sicilian Defense and took the lead after seven rounds of the Philippine National Open Chess Championship Grand Finals in Alicia, Isabela Sunday night.
The win was the fifth straight by the 38-year Olympiad veteran and sixth overall, powering him to No. 1 with 6.5 points in the 11-round tournament that stakes P120,000 to the champion courtesy of Alicia Mayor Joel Amos Alejandro.
Gomez was 1.5 points ahead of his closest pursuers, International Masters Pau Bersamina and Jem Garcia, his teammates in the Budapest FIDE Olympiad a month ago.
Bersamina drew with IM Ricky de Guzman in 35 moves of a Torre Attack while Garcia fought Samson Chiu Chin Lim to a marathon 71-move standoff of a King’s Indian Defense.
Gomez is in hot pursuit of his third national crown after ruling the annual tournament in 2008 and 2013.
“Kapit lang,” said Gomez, who will battle Bersamina, Garcia, Daniel Quizon and local bet IM Joel Banawa in the last four rounds.
Gomez overtook Bersamina, who had the solo lead after scoring 4.5 points in the first five rounds.
But Bersamina, seeking his breakthrough national crown, stumbled to Casiguran in a stunning 60-move defeat of a Sicilian encounter in the sixth round last Saturday.