Standings after round 8: (Standard competition)
7.0 points---IM Chito Garma (Philippines)
6.5 points---IM Petronio Roca (Philippines)
6.0 points---GM Eugene Torre (Philippines)
5.5 points---IM Angelo Young (Philippines)
5.0 points---NM Cesar Caturla (Philippines), FM Oleg Rinas (Kazakshtan), AGM Angelito Camer (Australia), NM Roulzon Roullo (Philippines), NM Rosendo Bandal Jr. (Philippines), IM Aitkazy Baimurzkin (Kazakhstan)
4.5 points---NM Stewart Manaog (Philippines), NM Carlo Lorena (Philippines), Kuanishbek Jumadullayev (Kazakhstan)
TAGAYTAY City---International Master Chito Garma toppled Fide Master Oleg Rinas of Kazakshtan in the eight and penultimate round to remain on top in the 9th Asian Seniors Chess Championship (Standard event) at the Tagaytay International Convention Center late Saturday.
The former University of Manila (UM) standout Garma, a habitue of Marikina Chess Club of sportsman Thaddeus Antonio "Boy Bolok" Santos Jr., had answer to every Rinas attack and came away with the much-needed win to beat his rivals for the top USD 500 purse.
Garma remains on top with 7.0 points in this prestigious, nine-round tournament being organized by the 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).
Trailing on second place is International Master Petronio Roca who defeated National Master
Cesar Caturla in the eighth round. Roca now has 6.5 points whose stint here is being supported by Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Chief Bgen.Charito “Ching” Plaza, Deputy Director General Theo Panga and Dasmariñas City mayor Elpidio "Pidi" Barzaga Jr.
Defending champion and tournament top seed Grandmaster Eugene Torre, meantime nipped National Master Stewart Manaog to raise his scores to six points and keep his hopes for the title 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.
Sharing the limelight is International Master Angelo Young who brought down Than Khin of Myanmar and hike his total to 5.5 points, or just half a point ahead a six-man lead group headed by Arena Grandmaster Angelito Camer of Australia with five points.
Also with five points are Caturla, Rinas, National Masters Roulzon Roullo and Rosendo Bandal Jr. and International Master Aitkazy Baimurzkin of Kazakhstan.
Mike Lapitan is the tournament director, while Patrick Lee is the supervising arbiter.-Marlon Bernardino-