FILIPINO Grandmaster (GM) Richard Bitoon defeated Fong Yit San of Malaysia to stay in contention after eight rounds of the Brunei Campomanes Memorial Grandmaster Open Chess Championships 2012 in Brunei on Thursday.
The Medellin, Cebu native Bitoon secured the win against Fong using the advantageous white pieces.
He now has a total of 5.0 points, the same output of fellow Filipino IMs Oliver Dimakiling and Kim Steven Yap and Fide Master Mari Joseph Turqueza, GMs Dao Thien Hai and Nguyen Anh Dung of Vietnam and Yeoh Li Tian of Malaysia.
The Davao City bet Dimakiling, for his part, bested Lee William Kah Howe of Malaysia while the Cebu City ace Yap split the point with GM Dao. FM Turqueza, top player of V. Luna chess club in Quezon City, on the other hand was beaten by FM Pitra Andika of Indonesia, who remained on top going to the final round with 6.5 points.
Another Filipino entry GM Oliver Barbosa from Taytay, Rizal lost to GM Jha Sriram of India and was stuck at 4.5 points. GM Jha raise his total 5.5 points that includes GMs Tahir Vakhidov and Marat Dzhumaev and IM Jakhongir Vakhidov of Uzbekistan and IM Dinesh K Sharma of India in the $10,000 total pot prize event being held to honor and commemorate the late FIDE honorary president Filipino Florencio ?Pocamps? Campomanes.
Their trip to Brunei is supported by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) under the leadership of it's chairman/president Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr., Cebuano chess patron Boogie Lim of Rose Pharmacy, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
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