by Marlon Bernardino
Final Standings: (Six Round Swiss-system, 3-day Fide standard rating tournament, 72 players)
5.5 points---GM Darwin Laylo (Philippines)
5.0 points---FM Andrean Susilodinata (Indonesia), FM Arlan Cabe (Philippines)
4.5 points---GM Buenaventura Villamayor (Singapore), AGM Almario Marlon Quiroz Bernardino Jr. (Philippines), Ainur Garafutdinov (Russia), Satvik Kapoor (India), FM Nelson Villanueva (Philippines)
4.0 points---Fang Kun (Singapore), FM Ashvin Sivakumar (Singapore), Ramil Rumusud (Philippines), Huay Leon Warren Lim (Singapore), Vedant Kumar (Hongkong), Jimson Bitoon (Philippines), Teo Hong Ming (Singapore), Durga Saravanan (India), Rishikesh Parthasarathi (Singapore), Ong Wah Peng John (Singapore)
Singapore---FILIPINO Grandmaster (GM) Darwin Laylo recently won the Hong Bao Rating Tournament 2020 (Open division), which took place at the Singapore Chess Federation Conference Room in Bishan, Singapore last January 27, 2020.
Laylo, one of the top players of multi-titled Philippine Army chess team playing under the banner of Usec Lieutenant General, AFP (RET.) Arthur Tabaquero (AFP Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs) and Col. Dexter Macasaet (Director, SSC, IMCOM, PA) and National Chess Federation of the Philippines chairman/president Rep. Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. won with 5.5 points, earning a 500 singapore dollar cash prize.
Laylo’s big wins were against compatriots Fide Master Arlan Cabe in the fourth round and Arena Grandmaster Almario Marlon Quiroz Bernardino Jr. in the sixth and final round.
Laylo split the point with another Pinoy Grandmaster Buenaventura "Bong" Villamayor, playing for the Singapore flag in the fifth and penultimate round.
Fide Master Andrean Susilodinata of Indonesia, who yielded to Bernardino in the penultimate round upset GM Villamayor in the last round to catches up Cabe in the second to third places with 5.0 points apiece.
With a better tie break points, Susilodinata took the runner-up purse of 300 singapore dollar while Cabe pocketed the third prize worth 200 singapore dollar.
Villamayor and Bernardino wound-up with 4.5 points apiece completed the top five list for 100 singapore dollar each.
Also with 4.5 points were Ainur Garafutdinov of Russia, Satvik Kapoor of India and Fide Master Nelson Villanueva of the Philippines.
The 3-day (January 25-27, 2020) standard event (90 mins with 30 seconds increment) organized by the Singapore Chess Federation. Tournament director is IO Thomas Hoe while Chief Arbiter is IA Jasmin Nisban. Singapore Chess Federation president Christopher Lim led the closing rites.
-MarlonBernardino-