TAGAYTAY City — In the bag for IM Chito Garma and IM Efren Bagamasbad.

Garma out classed CM Helen Milligan of New Zealand in the 50-year-old and above category, while Bagamasbad drew with top seed Randolph Schain of Cambodia in the 65-above class to assure themselves of the champions in the 12th Asian Seniors Chess Championships at the Knights Templar Hotel here Friday.

Both Garma and Bagamasbad are already out of reach with still one round left in this prestigious nine-round competition hosted by the Tagaytay City government, headed by Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, and sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), led by Chairman/President Prospero “Butch” Pichay.

GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. and IM Rudy Hamdani of Indonesia agreed to a draw with Edgardo Garma and Barlo Nadera, respectively, to share second to third places with six points.

Nadera is fourth with five points.

The total cash prize pool is $3,000, with the champion receiving the lion’s share of $500. The runner-up and third-place finisher will earn $400 and $300, respectively. The top three players will also be awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Mike Lapitan is the tournament director, while Casto “Toti” Abundo serves as the supervising arbiter.

Standings after eight rounds

50-above

7 points– C. Garma
6 — R. Antonio, R. Hamdani (Indonesia)
5 — B. Nadera
4.5 — G. Ibrayev, E. Paciencia (Singapore), R. Navalta, A. Young
4 — E. Garma, A. Ismail (Malaysia)
3.5 — H. Milligan (New Zealand), I. Bulanova (Kazakhstan), J. Ebenezer (India)
3 — Y. Gaichenya (Kazakhstan), G. Ulsano, F. Olivares
2.5 — D. Reyes

60-above

7 — E. Bagamasbad
5.5 — A. Baimurzin, A. Pacis, M. Mangubat
5 — R. Schain (Cambodia)
4.5 — T. Weller (Australia), J. Dormitorio
4 — M. Patterson (Australia), Q. Sagario, A. Molina
3.5 — K. H. Lim, T. Demezhanov (Kazakhstan)
3 — P. Srivatanakul (Thailand) 2.5 — B. Zharokov (Kazakhstan)

AUTHOR PROFILE

Robert Andaya