Youths Making Waves in Asian Continental Championship

All the buzz in the Asian Continental Chess Championship is about two young teenagers, Lye Lik Zang of Malaysia and Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan even as Grandmasters Surya Shekhar Ganguly and S.P. Sethuraman of India and GM Wei Yi of China share the lead with 3.5 points each after four rounds in Makati City, Philippines.

FM Lye and GM Abdusattorov, both only 14, have kept pace with their seasoned elders to stay within striking distance at 3 points each. Lye beat GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran and GM Abhimanyu Puranik of India then held third seed GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi and ninth seed GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam to fighting draws. Abdusattorov beat IMs Chito Garma and Paulo Bersamina, both of the Phiippines then drew with GM S.P. Sethuraman and GM Lu Shanglei of China. The two teenagers face each other in the exciting fifth round.

Tied at 3 points each are Truong Son, Lu, GM Rinat Jumabayev of Kazakhstan and GM Ni Hua of China. Twenty two players are in the running at 2.5 points each. Visit chess-results.com for standings and round by round results and to download games.

In the women’s division, 16-year-old WFM Turmunkh Munkhzul of Mongolia shares the lead with veterans IM Rout Padmini of India and IM Phan Le Than Nguyen and WGM Hoang with 3.5 points each. Munkhzul crushed 4th seed WGM Wang Jue of China and then upset 2nd seed IM Guliskhan Nakgbayeva of Kazakhstan then drew with 6th seed Phan Le Thao Nguyen of Vietnam.

Top seed WIM Zhu Jiner of China is in a tie with six others at 2.5 points each, namely compatriot Li Yunshan, WFM Bach Ngoc Thuy Duong and Vo Thi KimPhung of Vietnam, WIM Citra Dewi Ardhiani Anastasia of Indonesia and Allaney Jia Doroy of the Philippines.

The tournament is organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines on behalf of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE. The top five from the Open qualify to the World Cup while the winner of the women’s qualifies to the Women’s World Championship. At stake is a total of $53,000 in cash prizes with a top prize of $10,000 for the Open and $6,000 for the Women.



National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero Pichay (left) making the ceremonial moves with top seed Wang Hao of China. Looking on are, from left, Asian Chess Federation Executive Director Casto Abundo, NCFP Vice President Neri Colmenares, GM Eugene Torre, GM Jayson Gonzales, IA Husan Turdialiev of Uzbekistan and NCFP Director Judge Gonzalo Mapili.