Dimakiling plays Viet GM to a draw, stays at helm

MANILA, Philippines — International Master Oliver Dimakiling held second seed Grandmaster Nguyen Duc Hoa to a draw and remained tied for the lead with seven others after four rounds of the fourth Johor International Chess Open in Johor, Malaysia Tuesday.

The sixth-seeded Dimakiling, 37, swept his first three matches against Malaysia’s Kaushal Khandhar, Singapore’s FIDE Master Ashvin Sivakumar and Indonesia’s Jaykumar Shete Sammed before forcing the fancied Nguyen to a standoff.

They both hiked the totals to 3.5 points for joint lead with top seed Karen Grigoryan of Armenia, GM R.R. Laxman and FM Novendra Priasmoro of Indonesia, IM Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan, GM M.R. Venkatesh of India and IM Yeoh Li Tian of Malaysia.

Dimakiling was playing Grigoryan, the 2010 European U-16 and 2011 Armenian champion who topped the Penang Open last week, in the fifth round at presstime.

Far Eastern U standout John Miciano, who secured an IM result after finishing 17th in a field of over 100 in the Penang Open, defeated Indonesian Jaykumar Shete Sammed for three points.

IM Enrique Pacencia, a Filipino now representing Singapore, was part of that group with a reversal over fourth pick GM Tair Vahidov of Uzbekistan.