Amper halved a point with Samuel Mateo in a quiet Reti Opening, which later transposed into a Four Knights Square game in round 6.
In the final round, Amper, playing with the white pieces, started his E3 pet opening move against fellow chessboard gladiator Pong Mandap, who replied with E5 and Nf3 Sicilian defensive bookline.
Mandap was going all out for a win in a last-ditch bid for the championship. But then Mandap having a bishop and rook piece against Amper’s two bishops accepted a draw offered by Amper in the end game. The game lasted in a grueling 36 moves in an inevitable drawish position as there was no clear advantage on both camps.
The draw left Mandap at the second runner-up position.
Omar Dading easily crushed Yahya Manonguring in round 6 and equalized with Samuel Mateo in the dying seconds of their time control in the final round. Dading claimed 1st runner-up via a tiebreak “Median Buchols” system. Mateo settled for third runner-up.
Renato Camartin won all his final two rounds against Nasser Sharief and Jose Erwin Manalo, but fell short by half a point in the tiebreak and missed out on a top four finish .
Bong Marquez failed to convert his winning game due to obvious blunder against Librado Lacsado Jr. in the last round.
Al-Jeddani, the lone Saudi player, outwitted all his opponents and was declared winner in the Group A-Student category.
(6 points) Rick Amper, (5 points) Omar Dading, Pong “Vladimir” Mandap, Samuel Mateo, and Renato Camartin (4 points) Leo Tito Ausan Jr., Bong Marquez, Librado Lacsado Jr. Joseph Cayabyab, Allan Decipeda (3.5 points) Jose Erwin Manalo (3 points) Ariel Espina, Yahya Manonguiring, Linar Abdrakhimov, Abubakar Linog (2.5 points) Nasser Sharief (1 point) Y.B. Prithviraj, Rafat Tabet (0.5 point) Nebossa Zivkobic
