TIMOSHENKO WINS SIO7;
Bernardino Tops Pinoy In Sydney Chess
PARRAMATTA,New South Wales, Australia - Russian Grandmaster Georgy Timoshenko (2566) is this year,s inauguration Sydney International Open Chess Championships winner late Saturday dubbed as Parramata Chess Festival at the Parramata Town Hall here.
Timoshenko, third seed here in this 143-man field Fide rated tournament edges tenth seed Serbian GM Dejan Antic (2443) in a bucholz tie break points to win the championships trophy in this event organized by Australian Chess Enterprises (ACE) headed by Fide Master Brian Jones.
The duo (Timoshenko and Antic) scored 7.5 points each. Timoshenko settled for a draw with second seed Israeli GM Victor Mikhalevski (2590) in the ninth and final round while Antic downed fourth seed GM Murray Chandler (2548) of England.
Four players scored 7.0 points apiece and tied at third to sixth placers and they are GM Mikhalevski, ninth seed IM Zhao-Zong Yuan (2476) of New South Wales, ninth seed GM Darryl Johansen (2456) of Victoria and thirteen seed IM Gary Lane (2421) of New South Wales.
Meanwhile, Filipino and United States chess master Almario Marlon Bernardino Jr. kiss goodbye his International Master (IM) norms / results bid when he failed to convert his slight advantage in the Queen, Bishop, Knight and pawn end game losing to FIDE Master Igor Bjelobrk (2386) of New South Wales in his last round assignment.
I"ll try to win my endgame for possible IM norms/ results but luck wasn"t in my side in my last game against FM Igor (Bjelobrk)." said the 29-years-old Bernardino, a chess and billiard radio commentator back home in Manila who missed to obtain his first possible IM norms/ results.
"He played well in time of time scrambling." added Bernardino, would like to thank the moral support of Filipino here in Sydney headed by Dino Delos Reyes, Levi Descallar, Leonardo Tenorio, Angelito Camer, Robert Ambalong and Roland Manila who work here head group of Filipino Language Program Radio.
Bjelobrk whose Elo Fide rating of 2386 prevailed using the black pieces against Bernardino who hold an Elo Fide rating of 2146 after a marathon 50 moves of a Reti Opening.
With the win, Bjelobrk finished into a tie for 7th to 14th placers in the group of 6.5 pointers.
On the other hand, Bernardino who caught the attention of audience in eight round and penultimate round after beating top seed Russian Grandmaster Sergei Shipov who hold an Elo Fide rating of 2592 was stuck at 5.5 points to dropped into a tie for 30th to 42nd placers.
Bernardino adjudge over-all top Filipino player after besting Woman International Master (WIM) Arianne Bo Caoili in the tie break points. Bernardino finished in 33th placers while Caoili finished 40th placers.
Bernardino compiled 5.5 points on account of 5 wins, 1 draw and 3 loses in nine games of play.
The last time Bernardino saw in oversees chess tournament when he finished runner-up to eventual champion Hilton Bennett of New Zealand in the 2006 Palau International Open Chess Championships in Koror, Palau.
It shall be recalled, Bernardino got his Filipino National Master title when he finished in the top 10 of 1998 RP elimination round in SSS, Quezon City and earned also his elusive United States Chess Master in 1998 National Chess Congress in Philadelphia.
FM Jesse Noel Sales and NM Homer Cunanan, both finished with 5.0 points apiece. The pride of Pampanga Cunanan, mentor of multi-titled San Sebastian College however also missed his first possible IM norms/ results. Cunanan had a quality up advantage against IM Paul Garnett from New Zealand in the eight rounds but failed to capitalize in the next moves. "I over-looked to play the Bishop to f4 in my game against IM Paul (Garnett) that leads to him back in the game. If I beat him maybe I had a chance to play a titled player in the last round and had a chance for IM results." Cunanan said whose stint here is being supported by Pampanga governor Mark Lapid, Mabalacat, Pampanga mayor Marino "Boking" Morales and National Chess Federation of the Philippines(NCFP).
Filipino Individual Final Standings:
5.5 points: NM Almario Marlon Bernardino Jr.
5.5 points: WIM Arianne Bo Caoili (QLD)
5.0 points: FM Jesse Noel Sales
5.0 points: NM Homer Cunanan
4.5 points: Leonardo Tenorio (NSW)
4.0 points: Angelito Camer (NSW)
4.0 points: Levi Descallar (NSW)
4.0 points: Mario Aisa(NT)
4.0 points: Lorenzo Escalatante (NSW)
3.0 points: Allen Setiabudi (ACT)
3.0 points: Julius Ceasar Marquez
2.0 points: Mario Pleno (NSW)
1.0 point: Ely Tacorda
Pinoy Chessers in Sydney...
( Standing L-R:) Leo Tenorio, Engr Marques, Robert Ambalong, Marlon Bernardino, Homer Cunanan, Angelito Camer, Benny Galvez
( Front L-R: ) Levi Descallar, Eduardo Agulto, Henry Rara, Mario Aisa
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