THE PHILIPPINES’ Ashzley Aya Nicole Paquinol downed Vietnam’s Tran Le Vy yesterday to remain perfect and alone on top after four rounds in the girls’ Under-12 class rapid event in the ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.
In premier Open U20 category, standard titlist Daniel Quizon stayed in the title hunt after he whipped Vietnam’s Pham Tran Gia Phuc and zoomed to solo second with 3.5 points.
The Filipino 19-year-old World Cup veteran was playing solo leader Prin Laohawirapap, who turned back Michael Concio, Jr. to stay unscathed with four points, in the fifth round at press time.
It was the fourth straight victory for the 11-year-old Ms. Paquinol, who hopes to sustain her momentum and improve on a 15th-place finish in the standard section the day before.
Ruelle Canino, fresh from her girls U16 triumph in standard, drew with Vietnam’s Nguyen Le Cam Hien to stay at joint first with the latter in the same division and on course of claiming her second crown.
Filipinos Mar Aviel Carredo split the point with Vietnamese Dau Khuong Duy while and Phil Martin Casiguran waylaid Indonesian Keenan Aldrich Kristianto to jump into a four-way logjam at first in the Open U12 division with Dau and another Vietnam bet Nguyen Quang Minh. — Joey Villar