Kuzubov top pick as Subic Open unfolds

Rising chess star Julio Catalino Sadorra and Grandmaster Buenaventura "Bong" Villamayor head the local challenge in the first Subic Open International chess championship which opens Saturday at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

Both Sadorra and Villamayor wound up with 8.0 points and shared top spot with Chinese GM Li Chao and Zhou Weiqi and Vietnamese Le Quang Liem in the 2nd Philippine Open international chess championship that ended Tuesday night.

The 19-year-old Li eventually emerged champion after the tie-break, with Zhou coming in second, Le third, Sadorra fourth and Villamayor fifth.

Still, Sadorra's closing four-win run and Villamayor's 5.5 points in the last six rounds indicate that they are ready to challenge top favorite GM Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine in the $30,000 tournament.

Kuzubov, 18, has an Elo rating of 2603.

Also expected to contend for the crown are Dubai Open and Battle of GMs champion Wesley So, who decided to compete at the last minute, Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto, Asia's first GM Eugene Torre and GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. who is aching to bounce back after crashing out of the top 10 in the Philippine Open. By Roy Luarca - Philippine Daily Inquirer