By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Filipino International Master (IM) Christian Gian Karlo Arca settled for a draw against Bulgarian Grandmaster (GM) Arkadij Naiditsch in the penultimate round of the Manny Pacquiao International Open at Family Country Hotel in General Santos City Friday.
The Zamboanga City-based Arca now has 6.0 points (5 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss) to share second place with Naiditsch and three other GMs – Swiss Peng Li Men, Indian Visakh N R and Swedish Vitaly Sivuk.
“It was a tough match,” Arca, who just turned 17, said.
Swedish GM Platon Galperin defeated Indonesian GM Novendra Priasmoro to take the lead with 6.5 points.
Priasmoro dropped to third with 5.5 points in a tie with Indian GM Pa Iniyan, Singaporean GM Jingyao Tin and Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto.
Filipino GMs Daniel Quizon and Darwin Laylo, and IM Kim Steven Yap are in fourth place with 5.0 points, in a tie with GM Timur Garayev and Vietnamese GM Duc Hoa Nguyen.
Organized by Pacman Chess Association, the five-day Standard (90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment time control format) event offers USD20,000 (about PHP1.1 million) to the champion. (PNA)
