BUDAPEST. – Grandmasters Julio Catalino Sadorra and John Paul Gomez delivered the victories in the Philippines’ 3-1 win over South Africa in the eighth round Thursday to get back into the thick of things in the 45th Chess Olympiad at the BOK Sports Hall here.
Sadorra turned back International Master Jan Karsten in 36 moves of a Queen’s Pawn duel at board one while Gomez waylaid FIDE Master Banele Mhango in 34 moves of the Jaenisch Variation of the Ruy Lopez at board three as the Filipinos moved into a big group in the top 30 with 10 match points each.
IMs Paulo Bersamina and Jan Emmanuel Garcia both split their games early with Caleb Levi Levitan and Daniel Cawdery at boards two and four, respectively, before Gomez and Sadorra unleashed the killer blows.
The win was a soothing balm for the Filipinos, whose trip is being bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission and backed by NCFP chief Butch Pichay, after absorbing back-to-back defeats at the hands of the Armenians 2.5-1.5 and the Croats 3.5-.5, that kicked them out of the top 10.
Sadorra, a University of Texas in Dallas coach, said they would need all the prayers and support when they go for the final push in their medal search starting with a ninth-round duel with the United Arab Emirates.
