Gomez on a roll, seizes lead in National Open chess tilt

MANILA, Philippines — Grandmaster John Paul Gomez strung together five wins in a row, including a 71-move win over young Phil Martin Casiguran of a super-sharp Sicilian duel, to hang on to leapfrog to No. 1 after the seventh round of the Philippine National Open Chess Championship Grand Finals in Alicia, Isabela Sunday night.

That win rampage catapulted the 38-year-old Gomez straight to No. 1 with 6.5 points, 1.5 points ahead of the closest two-man chase pack of Budapest Olympiad teammates International Masters Pau Bersamina and Jem Garcia.

Bersamina and Garcia drew with IM Ricky de Guzman and Samson Chiu Chin Lim, respectively, to hike their totals to five points each.

It also pushed Gomez closer to claiming his third national crown after his conquests in 2008 and 2013 in this 11-round meet that is staking a berth to next year’s Southeast Asian Games in Thailand and the top prize worth P120,000 courtesy of host Alicia Mayor Joel Amos Alejandro.

“Matagal tagal na din ako nag-champion dito, sana ma-sustain,” said the Biñan, Laguna native, whose other wins came at the expense of FIDE Master Mark Jay Bacojo, Alexis Emil Maribao, Vince Angelo Medina, Lim and then Casiguran.

For Gomez to hold the fort, he would need to get favorable results in his last four foes — Bersamina, Garcia, Daniel Quizon and local bet IM Joel Banawa.

Bersamina though appeared in control early after seizing the lead after five rounds with 4.5 points.

But he ran into trouble against Casiguran, the youngest participant here at 13 years old, and lost in the sixth round Saturday that allowed Gomez to supplant him at the helm.