1st GM norm for Barbosa

Barbosa claims first GM norm in Asian chess tilt
Cebu Daily News First
Posted 08:49:00 05/11/2011

FILIPINO International Master (IM) Oliver Barbosa drew his 9th and final round match against former Asian Junior Champion Indian GM Abhijit Kunte yesterday to earn his first GM norm at the close of the 10th Asian Continental Individual Chess Championships in Mashhad, Iran.

Earlier, it was reported that Barbosa needs to win his final round match to earn a GM norm, but National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero Pichay Jr. clarified that the Filipino was able to earn his first GM norm despite a 9th round draw because he faced higher-ranked foes in the final two rounds.

Barbosa (ELO 2506) ended his campaign with 5.0 points to finish in a tie for 13th to 21st place with Kunte, GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly and GM Sethuraman SP of India, compatriot GM John Paul Gomez, GM Wen Yang of China, GM Anuar Ismagambetov of Kazakhstan, GM Cao Sang of Vietnam and former world champion and top seed GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan.

Barbosa collected a total performance rating (TPR) of 2606.

GM Wesley So, country's top player with an ELO rating of 2667, drew his final round match with GM Parimarjan Negi of India to tally 5.5 points and share 9th to 12th spots with Negi, GM Zhao Jun and GM Zhou Weiqi of China.

More here.

Barbosa near GM norm

Barbosa beats Iranian, nears GM norm
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 05/08/2011 5:57 PM | Updated as of 05/08/2011 5:57 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino International Master (IM) Oliver Barbosa defeated Iranian IM Alavi Sayed Javad in the 6th round to boost his chance to gain a first Grandmaster (GM) norm in the Asian Continental Individual chess championship in Mashhad, Iran on Saturday.

With the win, Barbosa maintained a share of the 13th place with 3.5 points along with compatriot GMs Wesley So, Mark Paragua and John Paul Gomez.

Other 13th placers are GM Anuar Ismagambetov of Kazakhstan, GM Zhou Weiqi of China, IM Yang Kaiqi and Lu Shanglei of China and GM Rustam Kasimdhanov of Uzbekistan.

So split the point with IM Shyam Sundar M of India, while Paragua settled a truce with IM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi of India. Gomez toppled FM Pourramezanali Amirreza of Iran.

Barbosa needed to score at least 5.5 points in 9 outings to get his first GM norm, according to National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) chairman Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr.

Meanwhile, the NCFP mourns the death of its executive director Wilfredo "Kuya Willy" Abalos.

Abalos passed away on Sunday, according to his best friend Ilann Perez.

His body lies in state at St. Peter’s Chapel in Quezon City. – By Marlon Bernardino

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com

Barbosa shined at ASEAN

Pinoy IM Barbosa shares top honors in Asean chess tilt
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 09:15:00 12/31/2010

FILIPINO International Master (IM) Oliver Barbosa defeated Singaporean Fide Master (FM) Timothy Chan in the final round yesterday to finish in a two-way tie for first place with topseed Grandmaster (GM) Zurab Azmaiparashvili of Georgia at the conclusion of the 1st ASEAN Chess Championships in Singapore.

However, Barbosa had to settle for second place after losing the title to the Georgian GM in the tiebreak.

Barbosa and Azmaiparashvili both tallied 6.5 points in the nine-round Swiss system tournament, but the latter was awarded the championship with a superior quotient of 48.5 points against the Filipino’s 46.5 points.

Azmaiparashvili, the tournament favorite who is playing under the Singaporean flag, drew his last match against Vietnamese GM Sang Cao.

Indon GM Susanto Megaranto took solo third place with 6.0 points after settling for a draw with another Filipino GM John Paul Gomez.

Gomez, the pride of Binan, Laguna, collected 5.5 points, the same output of countryman IM Richard Bitoon, Cao, GM Dao Thien Hai, IM Nguyen Van Huy, and FM Nguyen Doc Hoa of Vietnam.

The Filipinos’ campaign here in Singapore is bankrolled by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) President/ Chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr.

Correspondent MARLON BERNARDINO

Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net

Gomez, Barbosa among leaders at ASEAN

RP's Gomez, Barbosa leading in 1st ASEAN Open Chess
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 12/27/2010 4:28 PM Updated as of 12/27/2010 8:48 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino Grandmaster (GM) John Paul Gomez brought down countryman and International Master (IM) Kim Steven Yap to forge a 5-way tie for the lead with 4 others in the third round of the 1st ASEAN Chess Championship in Singapore Sunday.

Gomez, a De La Salle University mechanical engineering graduate student, is tied with compatriot IM Oliver Barbosa, GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili of Georgia, GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia and GM Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam.

As one of the top Filipino bets in the tough 32-player field, Gomez outwitted Cebu's Yap in a tense battle to gain a share of the limelight with Barbosa, Azmaiparashvili, Megaranto and Dao with perfect 3 points each.

To attain the tie, Barbosa drew with Dao, Azmaiparashvili crushed FIDE Master Anjas Novita of India, and Megaranto toppled Jarred Neubronner of Singapore. -- Marlon Bernardino

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com