Filipino chess players secure key wins in Bangkok Open

International Master Michael Concio Jr. and Pau Bersamina secured crucial victories in the eighth round of the Bangkok Chess Club Open on Sunday night, April 20.

Concio defeated Australian IM James Morris in a Bogo-Indian Defense while Bersamina outlasted Latvian Arsens Batashevs in an English duel, jumping into a tie for third place with Indian Grandmaster Babu Lalit at 6.5 points each.

The two Filipinos are now half a point behind co-leaders GM Evgeny Romanov of Macedonia and Malaysian FIDE Master Ang Ern Jie Anderson who share identical seven points in this nine-round meet.

In the same round, 16-year-old FIDE Master Christian Gian Carlo Arca drew with Indian Grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly in a Queen's Gambit Declined, securing his third IM norm and moving closer to earning the International Master title.

Arca needs to achieve a live rating of at least 2400 to fully earn the IM title.