RUSSIAN GM GREBNEV TO GRAB THE CROWN, BEST SHOW BY PH IM CONCIO

Standings after eight rounds:

Boys

7 points -- A. Grebnev (Russia)

6 -- M. Amilal (Mongolia), S. Aswath (India)

5.5 -- A. Uskov (Russia). Rohith (India), M. Concio (Philippines)

5 -- I. Akhilbay (Kazakhstan), G. Arca (Philippines),, K. D. Dau (Vietnam), P. Casiguran (Philippines),

4.5 -- A.Addireddy (India), A.Dolorosa (Philippines), K. Kodithuwakku (Sri Lanka), Y. Paraguya (Philippines)

Girls

7 -- A. Shukhman ((Russia)

6.5 -- G. Tejaswini (India)

6 -- H. Sneha (India)

5 -- K. Popandopolu (Kazakhstan),

4.5 - V. Rindhiya (India), D. Khairmode (India), D. Gunawardhana (Sri Lanka), A.Sapuan (Philippins)

4 -- A. Mohd (Malaysia), H. T. Luong (Vietnam),Z, Sultanbek (Kazakhstan), J. Mendoza (Philippines), G. Shubhi (India), T. Singgih (Indonesia), M. Bristy (India).

TAGAYTAY -- IM Michael Concio drew and FM Gian Karlo Arca and Phil Martin Casiguran won as Filipino players battled long and hard to keep local hopes alive in the penultimate round of the 2024 Asian Juniors and Girls Chess Championships at the Knights Templar Hotel here Friday.

Concio, whose biggest claim to fame is representing the country in the 2021 World Cup in Sochi, Russia, redeemed himself from a sorry setback in the previous round by drawing with No. 2 seed IM Krishna Rohith of India in 69 moves of the Nimzo-Indian.

The tense bishop and pawn draw enabled the 19-year-old Concio to share fourth to sixth places with 5.5 points, one and a half points behind top seed and defending champion GM Aleksey Grebnev of Russia with only one round left.

The pride of Damarinas, Cavite, who is seeded No. .8 with an ELO of 2368, had four wins, three draws and only one loss in the tournament hosted by Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president and Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

Arca overwhelmed No. 15 AFM Sureka Akshat of India, while Casiguran trounced No. 24 C. Y. Yu of Taipei to remain in contention in seventh to 10th places with five points.

Two other Filipino campaigners -- No. 13 AFM Andrei Ainsley Dolorosa and No. 19 Yuri Lei Paraguya -- also moved up the overall standings in the 32-player field with 4.5 points.

It was a different story in the girls division, however.

World Youth-bound Jemaicah Yap Mendoza gave her best before dropping her match against top seed G. Tejaswini of India.

Mendoza, at 12 one of the country’s brightest new female players, skidded to a share of ninth to 15th places with four points on three wuns, two draws and three losses.

Arleah Cassandra Sapuan whipped Natalia Gu of Hong Kong, and Apple Rubin clobbered WCM Carmina Jasmine Rams of Guam to improve to 4.5 and 3.5 points, respectively.

Leading the girls division is WIM Anna Shukhman of Russia, who bested No. .3 Zeinep Sultanbek of Kazakhstan to keep the solo lead with seven points.

Tejaswini is second with 6.5 points.

Supporting the tournament are th Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP).

Concio (right)