By El Amigo
MANILA — The Philippine men’s chess team made quick work of Tunisia, 4-0, while the women’s squad saw its upset bid against 18th-seeded Hungary unravel in a 1.5-2.5 setback in the third round of the 46th World Chess Olympiad Friday night.
Grandmaster Darwin Laylo marked his return to the lineup in emphatic fashion, beating FIDE Master Hamed Ben Ghanem in 51 moves in a Queen’s Pawn battle on fourth board.
Laylo had sat out the opening two rounds but immediately made his presence felt, completing a clean sweep for the Filipinos.
International Masters Michael Concio Jr., Pau Bersamina and Jem Garcia also delivered convincing wins on the top three boards, helping the Philippine men climb into a 66-team logjam at No. 30 with four match points.
The Filipinas, meanwhile, came close to pulling off a major upset against Hungary.
Mhage Sebastian, Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna and Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda each held their Hungarian opponents to draws on the first three boards, leaving the match hanging on the fourth board.
But Woman FIDE Master Shania Mae Mendoza was unable to complete the comeback after losing to Woman International Master Kata Karacsonyi.
Frayna and Fronda had appeared to gain positional advantages early, while Mendoza recovered from an opening setback and reached an apparently balanced position. Neither Frayna nor Fronda, however, could convert their advantages into victories, while Mendoza eventually slipped into defeat.
The loss dropped the Philippine women into a 62-team tie for 27th place, also with four match points.
The two Philippine squads were set to face the United Arab Emirates in the men’s fourth round and Sri Lanka in the women’s side at press time.
Both teams are being supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
