Standings after round 5: (Standard competition)
4.5 points---IM Chito Garma (Philippines), NM Cesar Caturla (Philippines)
4.0 points---IM Petronio Roca (Philippines)
3.5 points---GM Eugene Torre (Philippines), NM Carlo Lorena (Philippines), IM Angelo Young (Philippines), NM Roulzon Roullo (Philippines), FM Rinas Oleg (Kazakshtan)
3.0 points---FM Adrian Ros Pacis (Philippines), FM Syarif Mahmud (Indonesia), Than Khin (Myanmar)
TAGAYTAY City---International Master Chito Garma continued his winning ways in the 9th Asian Seniors Chess Championship (Standard event) here at the Tagaytay International Convention Center late Wednesday in the fifth round of the tournament.
The fourth seed Garma, (Elo 2317), a habitue of Marikina Chess Club of sportsman Thaddeus Antonio "Boy Bolok" Santos Jr. , beat countryman defending champion Grandmaster Eugene Torre (2449) after 56 moves of London System Oening in the 34-player, ten-nation competition hosted by the Tagaytay City government thru Cavite 7th District Cong. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino Jr. and Tagaytay City Mayor Agnes Tolentino.
"Ganda pagkalaro ni Chito (Garma). Bigla siya nag response ng d5 kasi alam niyang mag London System Opening si Eugene (Torre)." said US based Cebuano GM Richard Bitoon in a famous J'adoube Chess Group.
Garma is known to be a Dutch defense (f5) player against d4 Opening (Queens Pawn Game).
The former University of Manila (UM) standout Garma now enjoys share lead in rankings on 4.5 points in five rounds of play, the same output of National Master Cesar Caturla.
The seventh seed Caturla (2240), top player of Surigao, blasted Indonesian Fide Master Syarif Mahmud (2162). Garma will be having Caturla as his next assignment.
Sharing the limelight is third seed International Master Petronio Roca (2376) of Dasmariñas City, whose stint here is being supported by Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Deputy Director General Theo Panga and Dasmariñas City mayor Elpidio "Pidi" Barzaga Jr., who brought down ninth seed Than Khin (2200) of Myanmar.
With the win, Roca moved up to third place with 4.0 points.
In other matches, IM Angelo Young won over compatriot FM Adrian Ros Pacis; FM Rinas Oleg of Kazakhstan beat CM Tony Davis of Australia; NM Carlo Lorena toppled Kuanishbek Jumadullayev of Kazakhstan and NM Roulzon Roullo beat NM Stewart Manaog.
The champion will receive $500 in the tournament organized by Tagaytay Chess Club on behalf of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and Asian Chess Federation (ACF) and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) while winner in the over-65 category will get $350. The top female players will earn $300 (over-50) and over-65 ($100). Mike Lapitan is the tournament director, while Patrick Lee is the supervising arbiter.-Marlon Bernardino-