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Rolando Nolte, Joey Antonio share lead in Manny Pacquiao chess tourney

Sports

Rolando Nolte, Joey Antonio share lead in Manny Pacquiao chess tourney

By Kristel Satumbaga-Villar

International Master Rolando Nolte and Grandmaster Joey Antonio pulled off key results Friday, Dec. 16, to seize a share of the lead after seven rounds of the MCPL’s Manny Pacquiao International Open Chess Festival in General Santos City.

Joey Antonio seizes share of the lead after seven rounds of the MCPL’s Manny Pacquiao International Open Chess Festival. (MB File Photo)

The 50-year-old Nolte held second seed GM Lucas Van Foreest of the Netherlands to a draw while Antonio, 60, slammed IM Kim Steven Yap to each grab a share of the lead with several others with 5.5 points apiece.

The pair of results kept Nolte and Antonio on course of snaring the title and the champion’s purse worth P1.14 million, the biggest in decades, courtesy of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

Also claiming a spot at No. 1 were Russian-born Konstantin Sek, who halted IM Daniel Quizon’s giant-slaying ways with a 40-move win of a Sicilian Defense, and fourth seed GM Pier Luigi Basso of Italy, who edged IM John Daniel Bryant of the United States.

It was a heartbreaking defeat by the 18-year-old Quizon, who was coming off stunning upsets of third seed GM Vitaly Sivuk of Sweden and top pick Hovhannes Gabuzyan of Armenia in the last two rounds Thursday, Dec. 15.

Quizon fell from a share of the lead to a place in the top 10 with five points.

Also with five points were Gabuzyan and IM Michael Concio, Jr., who split the point, and GM Darwin Laylo, who smashed Xavier John Verdun.

Nolte was battling Basso, while Antonio was clashing with Sek in the eighth and penultimate round at press time, hoping to cling on to the lead going into the final round Saturday, Dec. 17.

Related Tags

rolando nolte Joey Antonio

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