RP loses to Dutch team in Chess Olympiad
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/23/2008 3:58 PM
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The RP chess team suffered another loss in the 38th World Chess Olympiad as they bowed to the Netherlands, 3.5 - 0.5, in the eighth round in Dresden, Germany.
SportsNews.ph said that of the four Filipino chessers who competed against the Dutch team, only grandmaster (GM) Wesley survived the onslaught from the Netherlands.
So split the point with GM Jan Smeets in 30 moves of the Petroff defense.
The 15-year-old chess prodigy from Bacoor, Cavite, now has five points on three wins and four draws in seven matches on board two.
GM Buenaventura “Bong” Villamayor, IM John Paul Gomez and GM Darwin Laylo lost to their higher-rated Dutch opponents to complete the Filipinos' worst showing in the tournament.
Laylo lost to GM Jan Werle (ELO 2582) in 39 moves of the English opening while Gomez succumbed to GM Daniel Stelwagen in 47 moves of the French Tarrasch.
Despite the loss, Gomez remains as the Filipinos' highest scorer with 5.5 points on four wins, three draws and one loss.
Villamayor bowed to GM Loek Van Wely in a long fight of 108 moves of the Queen's Gambit Declined.
The Philippines will take on the all-GM squad of Czech Republic in the ninth round.
