Pinoy GMs duel with Poland aces

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will field an all-Grandmaster lineup as it seeks a reversal against a loaded fifth seed Poland in the seventh round of the 44th World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India.

Mark Paragua, Banjo Barcenilla, John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo will try to come through with perhaps a mother of all upsets as they clash with Jan Krzysztof Duda, Kacper Piorun, Wojciech Moranda and Mateusz Bartel, whose average rating of 2654 makes them the overwhelming favorites against the Filipinos who have an average norm of 2451.

The Filipinos hope to sustain their giant-slaying ways after bringing down Sweden, 2.5-1.5, in the fifth round, then holding Israel to a 2-2 deadlock.