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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Arca stuns super GM, grabs share of lead in Bangkok chess tilt

Arca stuns super GM, grabs share of lead in Bangkok chess tilt

Published Apr 16, 2025 05:06 am

At A Glance

  • FIDE Master Christian Gian Karlo Arca caught a big fish in super Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson of Germany to snatch a share of the lead with 11 others after three rounds of the Bangkok Chess Club Open in Thailand Tuesday night, April 15.

FIDE Master Christian Gian Karlo Arca caught a big fish in super Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson of Germany to snatch a share of the lead with 11 others after three rounds of the Bangkok Chess Club Open in Thailand Tuesday night, April 15.

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FIDE Master Christian Gian Karlo Arca 

The 16-year-old Arca showed his potential to be the country’s next GM as he brought down the top-seeded German in 39 moves of a King’s Indian Attack to stay at the helm in a big group of three-pointers that included International Masters Michael Concio, Jr. and Paulo Bersamina.

Concio, who is also a GM candidate, destroyed Iranian Behnood Delavari’s Sicilian Defense in 35 moves while Bersamina, an Olympiad veteran, crushed fellow Filipino Marc Kevin Labog’s Slav Defense in 64 moves.

Arca, who hails from Panabo, Davao del Norte, hopes to sustain his giant-slaying ways as he tackles English GM Stephen Gordon in the fourth round of this nine-round meet.

For Concio, he will battle Indian GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly while Bersamina squares off with Macedonian GM Evgeny Romanov.

Over in Iceland, Janelle Mae Frayna, the country’s first and only WGM, trounced Adrian Mensing of the Netherlands in the ninth and last round to finish with a respectable six points in the Reykjavik Open.

Frayna said she is scheduled to participate in another tournament in Alicante, Spain before proceeding to Mongolia for the Asian Zonals unfurling April 22.

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