Grandmaster Oliver Barbosa of Taytay, Rizal won a slot in the World Chess Cup next year by placing fifth overall in the 11th Asian Continental Individual Chess Championships on Sunday at First Hotel, Tan Binh in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

According to IM Marlon Bernardino, the other four World Cup advancers are India's GM Parimarjan Negi, who scored seven points, as well as GM Yu Yangyi of China. Both scored seven points in the tournament in Vietnam as leaders. The others are GM Salem A.R. Saleh of United Arab Emirates with six points.

Bernardino reported that Barbosa won the slot via a superior tie-break points over fellow six pointers GM Ding Liren and GM Ni Hua of China, Filipino GM Wesley Soblitz, the winner of a blitz side event, GM Wen Yang and GM Lu Shanglei of China.

Fourth placer Liu Qingnan of China and Barbosa received US$ 2,028 from a share of a total prize of US$ 14,200 for fourth to 10th placers.

India's GM Negi was top placer and at second was GM Yu Yangyi of China as they divided a combined prize of US$ 11,000, while GM Salem A.R. Saleh was in solo third.

Bernardino listed other Filipino players who were in the Asian Chess as 12th placer GM John Paul Gomez (5.5 pts.), 36th placer GM Mark Paragua (4.5 pts.), 46th placer GM Darwin Laylo (4.0 pts.), 51st placer IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia (4.0 pts.), 53rd placer GM Eugene Torre (4.0 pts.) and 72nd placer GM Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr. (0.5 pts.) who decided to withdraw in the third round of the nine- round Swiss-System tournament.

The Philippine chess team campaign in the 11th Asian Continental Individual Chess Championships is backed up by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, reported Bernardino.*PNA

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