Laylo draws with Romanian GM, drops out of lead

Guangzhou Asian Games silver medalist Grandmaster Darwin Laylo agreed to a draw with four-time Moldova junior champion GM Dorian Rogozenko of Romania in their eighth and penultimate round encounter in the 2011 Aeroflot Open Group B chess championships at the Hotel Gamma-Delta in Moscow, Russia on Tuesday. Laylo, who dropped out of the lead but is still in the hunt for a major prize, played solidly with the disadvantageous black pieces against the higher-rated and more experienced Rodozenko (ELO 2534). He now holds six points behind four wins and four draws to lead the seven-man Filipino delegation suddenly orphaned by GM Wesley So’s withdrawal in Group A. He will face Russian GM Alexei Gavrilov in the ninth and final round. Both Laylo and Rodozenko are tied for third to sixth places with Gavrilov and FIDE Master Pogos Nakhapetiane of Russia. Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad veteran IM Richard Bitoon made short work of GM Mikhail Ulibin of Russia to emerge as the second highest-placed Filipino player with five points. The Medellin, Cebu-born Bitoon, who improved to a 4-2-2 win-draw-loss record, is now tied for 14th to 28th places. The rest of the Filipino players, however, went back to their hotel rooms with only sad stories to tell. Gomez, the highest-rated Filipino player in Group B with an ELO of 2527, absorbed his third straight loss, this time against GM David Petrosian of Armenia. He now has 4.5 points after eight games. International Master and 2011 Moscow Open runner-up Oliver Barbosa also had 4.5 points after a draw with GM Evgeny Shaposnikov of Russia, while IM Oliver Dimakiling lost to GM Arseny Alavkin of Russia to remain with 3.5 points. Reigning national junior champion Paulo Bersamina halved the point with Eduard Khatoev of Russia to improve to 5.5 points behind four wins, three draws and one loss in Group C. – JVP, KY, GMA News