PHL men's team rolls to 3rd straight win in World Chess Olympiad

THE Philippine men’s team kept their winning streak alive with a 4-0 sweep of Kazakhstan in the third round of the 40^th FIDE World Chess Olympiad late Thursday at the WOW Convention Center in Istanbul, Turkey.

Grandmaster Mark Paragua, playing with the black pieces on board 3, sacrificed a knight to ignite a swift and fatal attack that caught GM Petr Kostenko off-guard.

The match ended after 28 moves of Caro-Kann Defense.

GM Oliver Barbosa, manning board 2 with aplomb, proved his mastery of complicated game, taking the scalp of GM Anuar Ismagambetov after 61 moves of Queens Indian Defense.

International Master Oliver Dimakiling also made a brilliant sacrifice in the middle game to beat fellow IM Kiril Kuderinov after 38 moves of Reti Opening on board 4.

GM Wesley So, playing on Board 1, crushed GM Rinat Jumabayev after 63 moves of Gruenfeld Defense in their rook and pawn end game to complete the shut-out.

The men’s team earlier downed Libya, 4-0, and Moldova, 2.5-1.5.

In the distaff side, Woman International Master Catherine Perena celebrated her birthday with a win over Woman FIDE Master Bahar Hallaeva after 37 moves of Nimzo Indian Defense on board 1 as the Philippine women’s team dealt Turkmenistan a 3-1 beating.

Woman National Master Janelle Mae Frayna remained undefeated in three games after defeating Aknur Isaeva in 39 moves of King’s Indian Defense on board 2 while WNM Jan Jodilyn Fronda (2022) waylaid Ogulgerek Atabaeva after 50 moves of Sicilian Defense on board 4.

WNM Jedara Docena (2061) failed to convert her winning game and bowed to WFM Gozel Atabaeva after 56 moves of closed Sicilian Defense on Board 3. Noli Cruz