Barbosa claims first GM norm in Asian chess tilt

FILIPINO International Master (IM) Oliver Barbosa drew his 9th and final round match against former Asian Junior Champion Indian GM Abhijit Kunte yesterday to earn his first GM norm at the close of the 10th Asian Continental Individual Chess Championships in Mashhad, Iran.

Earlier, it was reported that Barbosa needs to win his final round match to earn a GM norm, but National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero Pichay Jr. clarified that the Filipino was able to earn his first GM norm despite a 9th round draw because he faced higher-ranked foes in the final two rounds.

Barbosa (ELO 2506) ended his campaign with 5.0 points to finish in a tie for 13th to 21st place with Kunte, GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly and GM Sethuraman SP of India, compatriot GM John Paul Gomez, GM Wen Yang of China, GM Anuar Ismagambetov of Kazakhstan, GM Cao Sang of Vietnam and former world champion and top seed GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan.

Barbosa collected a total performance rating (TPR) of 2606.

GM Wesley So, country’s top player with an ELO rating of 2667, drew his final round match with GM Parimarjan Negi of India to tally 5.5 points and share 9th to 12th spots with Negi, GM Zhao Jun and GM Zhou Weiqi of China.

Zhou inflicted the second straight loss of GM Mark Paragua who remained stuck at 4.5 points, the same output of GM Darwin Laylo, who drew with the world’s top female player GM Hou Yifan of China.

Meanwhile, GM Pentala Harikrishna of India bested fellow 6.5 pointers GM Yu Yangyi of China and GM Truong Son in the tie break to capture the title.

Harikrishna beat Zhao while Truong Son outlasted Yangyi in the final round.

GM Rinat Jumabayev of Kazakhstan beat Kasimdzhanov to emerge fourth overall with 6.0 points. He will join Harikrishna, Yangyi, Truong Son and Jumabayev as Asia’s representatives to the 2011 World Cup scheduled later this year in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. /Correspondent Marlon Bernardino