The Philippines absorbed stinging defeats to Belgium, 3.5-2.5, and Australia, 4-2, to slip to joint fifth after six rounds of the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad Saturday.
The Nationals were leading the Belgians in the fifth round, 2.5-0.5, until losses from Grandmaster Banjo Barcenilla, Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Michael Concio Jr. turned things around.
Against Australia in the sixth round, GMs Mark Paragua and Darwin Laylo yielded to GMs Anton Smirnov and Max Illingworth on the top two boards that helped hasten the downfall.
WIM Kylen Joy Mordido provided the lone win for the Filipinos against Woman FIDE Master Cassandra Lim on the sixth board while WGM Janelle Mae Frayna and IM Daniel Quizon drew their games against WGM Jilin Zhang and GM Temur Kuybokarov on boards three and five.
WIM Bernadette Galas succumbed to WGM Julia Ryjanova on board four to seal their fate against the Aussies.
The PH team started the day with a stunning 3.5-2.5 victory over second seed Belarus in the fourth round, but failed to sustain it.
The pair of setbacks sent the Filipinos skidding from third to a share of fifth with the Belgians with six points apiece, putting them on the brink of making into the top three in the bracket.
The top three teams in this bracket will advance to Division I.
Undefeated Bulgaria and Germany remained on top with 12 points each, followed by Australia with 10 points and Indonesia with eight points.
The PH squad aims to win its last three matches against Bulgaria, Bangladesh and Turkmenistan on Sunday.