US World Open

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News from MARLON BERNARDINO:

US MASTER ANTON PAOLO DEL MUNDO PACE WORLD OPEN CHESS

UNITED States Chess Master Anton Paolo Del Mundo take charge for the Filipinos campaign at the start of US$400,000 total pot event dubbed as 35 th World Open Chess Championships gets underway at the Valley Forge Radisson and Convention Plaza, King of Prussia in Pennsylvania, USA.

Del Mundo, the former Shell Active Chess champion defeated FM Rogers Norman of the USA, FM Aydin Duman of Turkey then held into a draw with WFM Tatev Abrahamyan of Armenia to raise his total 2.5 points after three matches in the five-day schedule of Under 2400 section.

Only four Elo rating points is needed of Virgina based and former Quezon City resident Del Mundo to became the country's newest Fide Master. Del Mundo who is currently No.48 in the July RP-FIDE rating list with 2296. According to Fide Handbook, who ever player had an 2300 Elo rating with complete minimum 24 games is automatic earn Fide Master title.

Meanwhile, 1980 Asian Junior Champion Filipino IM Marlo Micayabas bounce back in contention after losing his first two assignment third assignment by demolishing Hamish Selness to score his first full points in three games of play. The former Toril, Davao native and New Jersey based earlier bowed to Daniel Yeager and Libando Rueda, in round 1 and 2, respectively.

In Sydney, Australia, San Fernando City, La Union native Benny Galvez settled for third with 5.5/7 last Sunday in the Rootyhill Chess Club Open was held at the Rooty Hill, RSL Club in New South Wales. IM George Xie of Australia won the event with 6.5 points, half points ahead with top seed and runner-up GM Dejan Antic of Serbia and Montenegro who tote 6.0 points.

In the five-day Open section in the on-going World Open being held to comemorate the 4th of July Independence day in United States, California based Joel "Cholo" Banawa and Chicago based William Aramil notch 2-2-win-loss card after four games of play.

The former Novaliches, Quezon City Banawa beat Jeremy Larsen (29 moves of King's Indian Defense) and Thomas Beckman (57 moves of Modern Benoni Defense) in round 2 and 3, but yielded to GM Alexander Stripunsky (68 moves of Ruy Lopez Opening) and

GM Sergey Erenburg (36 moves of Slav Defense) in round 1 and 4, in order.

Aramil, on the other hand surprise IM Justin Sarkar (36 moves of Slav Defense) and clobbered Daniel Rensch (54 moves of Sicilian Defense) in round 2 and 3 but bowed to IM Joshua Friedel (24 moves of Sicilian Defense) and GM Lubomir Ftacnik (49 moves of King's Indian Defense) in round 1 at 4.

American GM Stripunsky, meanwhile stop Russian GM Evgeny Najer after 62 moves of a King's Indian Attack system to post his fourth straight wins in as many round.

Sharing the limelight is ex-UST varsity player and Chicago based Dexter Pacheco notch 1.5 points after two outings in the four day schedule of Under 2000 brackets.

According to engineer Ric Paragua, his son lone Filipino GM Mark Paragua will compete in the three-day Open section schedule to join compatriot IM Enrico Sevillano, IM Angelo Young and US Master Rico Salimbagat. The 23-years-old Paragua, the 2003 SEA Games most bemedalled athlete with 3 gold medal is fresh from a back to back runner-up place in the Connecticut and New York tournament, respectively. (MARLON BERNARDINO).

Standings after round 5:

# Name Rtng St Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Tot

1 GM Hikaru Nakamura 2738 NY W44 W55 D2 W58 W73 4.5
2 GM Leonid G Yudasin 2679 NY W59 W81 D1 W44 W55 4.5
3 GM Varuzhan Akobian 2651 CA W45 D56 W29 W16 W7 4.5
4 GM Vadim Milov 2731 SUI W26 D6 W23 D8 W21 4
5 GM Evgeny Najer 2672 NY W43 W41 W28 L7 W27 4

6 GM Daniel Fridman 2669 GER W76 D4 D11 W32 W25 4
7 GM Alexander Stripunsky 2669 NY W60 W32 W38 W5 L3 4
8 GM Julio Becerra 2592 FL W47 W57 W39 D4 D14 4
9 GM Darmen Sadvakasov 2583 FR W18 W52 D13 D14 W20 4
10 GM Sandipan Chanda 2719 IND D22 D16 W79 D38 W33 3.5

11 GM Borki Predojevic 2709 BIH W88 D23 D6 W39 D17 3.5
12 GM Jiri Stocek 2692 W52 D24 D18 D13 W38 3.5
13 GM Jaan Ehlvest 2683 NY W54 D14 D9 D12 W41 3.5
14 GM Ildar Ibragimov 2680 CT W82 D13 W24 D9 D8 3.5
15 GM Alexande Shabalov 2671 PA D72 D46 W61 D30 W42 3.5
16 GM David Howell 2611 ENG W79 D10 W22 L3 W43 3.5
17 GM Eugene Perelshteyn 2611 MA D46 W72 D30 W57 D11 3.5
18 GM Zviad Izoria 2715 NY L9 W84 D12 D52 W51 3
19 GM Lars B Hansen 2704 DEN W35 D29 D33 D31 D26 3
20 GM Yury Shulman 2667 IL L61 W51 W62 W56 L9 3

21 GM Victor Mikhalevski 2663 ISR D62 W65 W42 D33 L4 3
22 GM Milos Pavlovic 2638 SRB D10 D26 L16 W66 W62 3
23 GM Abhijit Kunte 2637 IND W87 D11 L4 W72 D30 3
24 GM Alexander Ivanov 2625 MA W84 D12 L14 W82 D31 3
25 GM Sergey Erenburg 2610 MD W63 D42 D31 W60 L6 3
26 GM Bosko Abramovic 2609 SRB L4 D22 W88 W46 D19 3
27 GM Lubomir Ftacnik 2606 SVK D64 W66 D56 W49 L5 3
28 GM Sergey Kudrin 2583 CT W48 W34 L5 H--- H--- 3
29 GM Dashze Sharavdorj 2521 CO W50 D19 L3 D36 W63 3
30 IM John Bartholomew 2473 MN D83 W67 D17 D15 D23 3

31 FM Robert L Hess 2472 NY D67 W83 D25 D19 D24 3
32 IM Amon Simutowe 2460 TX W68 L7 W47 L6 W60 3
33 WGM Keteva Arakhamia-Grant 2458 GEO W85 W71 D19 D21 L10 3
34 FM Daniel M Rensch 2444 AZ W70 L28 L49 W83 W67 3
35 IM Justin Sarkar 2443 NY L19 L49 W80 W74 W53 3
36 Jake Kleiman 2344 TN L71 W85 D53 D29 W57 3
37 FM Teddy Coleman 2258 NY L38 W89 D43 D40 W56 3
38 IM Yury Lapshun 2549 NY W37 W61 L7 D10 L12 2.5
39 IM Joshua E Friedel 2542 NH W49 W74 L8 L11 D45 2.5
40 GM John P Fedorowicz 2526 NY D66 D64 D46 D37 D49 2.5
41 IM Salvijus Bercys 2485 NY W90 L5 D64 W76 L13 2.5
42 IM Bryan G Smith 2457 PA W80 D25 L21 W77 L15 2.5
43 IM Dean J Ippolito 2437 NJ L5 W50 D37 W64 L16 2.5
44 IM Emory A Tate 2435 IN L1 D73 W81 L2 W58 2.5
45 FM Ray S Robson 2378 FL L3 D77 D83 W85 D39 2.5
46 Marc T Arnold 2335 NY D17 D15 D40 L26 W77 2.5
47 Warren Harper 2295 TX L8 W69 L32 D78 W79 2.5
48 Nicolas A Yap 2288 CA L28 W90 L57 D79 W76 2.5
49 William J Aramil 2240 IL L39 W35 W34 L27 D40 2.5
50 Robert Akopian 2210 CA L29 L43 D70 W75 W72 2.5

51 Christian Tanaka 2106 CA H--- L20 W65 W71 L18 2.5
52 GM Mageesh Panchanathan 2572 TX L12 L9 W82 D18 D65 2
53 GM Melikset Khachiyan 2553 CA D65 D62 D36 D63 L35 2
54 GM Michael A Rohde 2483 NY L13 W82 H--- H--- U--- 2
55 GM Mark C Paragua 2478 PHI W73 L1 L58 W59 L2 2 56 FM Marcel Martinez 2459 FL W77 D3 D27 L20 L37 2
57 IM Alan R Stein 2457 CA W69 L8 W48 L17 L36 2
58 Faik Aleskerov 2453 NY L81 W59 W55 L1 L44 2
59 FM Kazim Gulamali 2411 GA L2 L58 W73 L55 W81 2
60 Joel Banawa 2410 CA L7 W68 W78 L25 L32 2 61 Thomas J Bartell 2403 NJ W20 L38 L15 L67 W78 2
62 FM Igor Schneider 2385 NY D21 D53 L20 W68 L22 2
63 FM James Critelli 2333 CT L25 W80 D71 D53 L29 2
64 Ali Morshedi 2300 TX D27 D40 D41 L43 D70 2
65 WIM Batch Tuvshintugs 2275 CA D53 L21 L51 W69 D52 2
66 Shinsaku Uesugi 2222 MD D40 L27 D67 L22 W85 2
67 WFM Alisa Melekhina 2163 PA D31 L30 D66 W61 L34 2
68 Jeremy Larsen 2147 NY L32 L60 W90 L62 W87 2
69 David E Spigel 1902 NY L57 L47 W91 L65 W83 2
70 Zachary A Young 1872 NY L34 L86 D50 W89 D64 2
71 GM Merab Gagunashvili 2643 GEO W36 L33 D63 L51 U--- 1.5
72 Daniel J Ludwig 2411 FL D15 L17 W74 L23 L50 1.5
73 IM Jay R Bonin 2374 NY L55 D44 L59 W81 L1 1.5
74 Stanley W Fink Jr 2200 VA W89 L39 L72 L35 D80 1.5
75 Jerome B Hanken 2200 CA H--- H--- L77 L50 H--- 1.5
76 Joseph Mucerino Jr 2068 PA L6 D88 W87 L41 L48 1.5
77 Benjamin Coraretti 2027 NM L56 D45 W75 L42 L46 1.5
78 Thomas J Beckman* 2010 MD H--- H--- L60 D47 L61 1.5
79 Douglas E Stanley 2002 MD L16 W87 L10 D48 L47 1.5
80 Ken J Baxter 1931 NC L42 L63 L35 W90 D74 1.5
81 Stan Ritvin 2285 PA W58 L2 L44 L73 L59 1
82 Victor C Shen 2234 NJ L14 L54 L52 L24 W90 1
83 Paul T Fielding 2200 PA D30 L31 D45 L34 L69 1
84 Bradley J Sawyer 2171 TX L24 L18 B--- U--- U--- 1
85 Andrew Shvartsman 2019 NJ L33 L36 W89 L45 L66 1
86 Geoffrey Herman 2000 NJ U--- W70 U--- U--- U--- 1
87 Tony Pabon 1800 CA L23 L79 L76 B--- L68 1
88 FM Boris Privman 2251 NJ L11 D76 L26 U--- U--- 0.5
89 IM Calvin Blocker 2472 OH L74 L37 L85 L70 U--- 0
90 William Carroll 1810 VA L41 L48 L68 L80 L82 0
91 John T Campbell 1800 VA U--- U--- L69 U--- U--- 0

GM Mark Paragua at 55th place closely followed by Joel Banawa at 60th. Anton Paulo del Mundo's name is familiar from the readings I had with Bobby Ang's nside Philippine Chess Volume 1. This is the first time I heard him joining tournaments again in years. I believe he was one of the brightest hope of Philippine Chess when he was a junior, playing for Ateneo Team.

Anyways, till then!