I think Bitoon also have 2 norms so far? How about Dimakiling? Sadorra has at least 1, I think?

Well, maybe Dabling got his fire lighted by the new fire displayed by his good friend Darwin.

In turn, may this fire up the 7 other GM candidates to get theirs soon!

IM Dableo snatches final GM norm
IM Ronald Dableo saved the best for last, pulled the trigger with all might, and crashed the fancied Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto in the final round of DATMO 2009 to pile up 7.0 points to tie for first to second spot with eventual champion GM Negi Parimarjan of India. However, Dableo settled for 2nd overall due to lower tie break points.

With the win over Megaranto, Dableo snatched his third and final GM norm but still has to improve his Elo rating to 2500 to be awarded the elusive GM title. Entering the DATMO 2009 event, Dableo paraded an Elo rating of 2417.

Compatriot Senador Emmanuel, who was leading the pack going into the final round, blinked against GM Parimarjan and settled for 4th overall. It wasn't sorry for Senador, though, as he earned a GM norm in the event.

Not far is GM Darwin Laylo who had the same output as Senador with 6.5 points to settle at No.6.

See? Having three Filipinos in Top 6 finishers tells a lot about the power of Philippine chess.

Top 15

Negi captures DATMO 2009.

Dableo maybe the next Filipino GM (but there should be a lot more work need to be done). The 2nd youngest GM in history, 16 year old Indian GM, Parimarjan Negi, receiving his trophy . Photo from Malaysian Open Blog

Almost but not quite for Emmanuel Senador as he lost to Indian GM, 16 year old Parimarjan Negi in the 9th and final round. There's never any shame in losing to a player as strong as Negi, the second youngest grandmaster in the history of chess. Senador was in fine form throughout the tournament and played a nice steady game against Yu Yangyi in the 8th round. With the victory against Senador, Negi wins the 6th Dato Arthur Tan Malaysian Open 2009 via superior tie break over Filipino IM Ronald Dableo who upsets Indonesia's number one, GM Susanto Megaranto. Both Negi and Dableo finished the tourney with identical score of 7.0 points out of 9. GM Darwin Laylo halve the point with Iranian number one GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami to finished tie for 3rd to 11th place. In the last past two editions of DATMO, Chinese GM Li Chao dominated this event. Now it belongs to a young Indian GM in the name of Parimarjan Negi. He could be staying there for quite sometime.

Prior to the final round, reports circulating around chess communities that Dableo needs to win his game against Megaranto to secure his third and final grandmaster norm. Let us see if Dableo breached the 2500 points barrier needed to become a full pledge grandmaster. Dableo's current FIDE rating is just 2417 (pardon me, I don't know his current live rating). Surely, this will improve after DATMO but there should be a lot more work need to be done. CH will thoroughly clarify this development first after the smoke of the tourney completely cleared. Emmanuel Senador on the other hand may finally get the title of International Master after his great performance and his first GM norm in the process. All this need final clarification, though.

On the other side of the tournament, Filipinos dominated the AmBank Chess Challenge by occupying the top three spot. Samson Lim Jr, Rodolfo Panopio Jr and Roel Ablegas all finished the challenge with 7.0 points but going down to superior tie break points, it was Samson Lim who emerges the champion.

Final standings is HERE

DATMO 2009 top 15 finishers

1. GM Negi Parimarjan (IND) (2590) - 7 points (BH=49.5) 2. IM Dableo Ronald (PHI) (2417) - 7 points (BH=48)
3. GM Ghaem Maghami, Ehsan (IRI) (2589) - 6.5 points
4. Senador Emmanuel (PHI) (2372) - 6.5 points
5. GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (VIE) (2592) - 6.5 points 6. GM Laylo Darwin (PHI) (2494) - 6.5 points
7. GM Schebler, Gerhard (GER) (2486) - 6.5 points
8. Yu Yangyi (CHN) (2510) - 6.5 points
9. GM Iuldachev Saidali (UZB) (2518) - 6.5 points
10. Xiu Deshun (CHN) (2515) - 6.5 points
11. GM Li Chao b (CHN) (2634) - 6.5 points
12 GM Megaranto Susanto (INA) (2534) - 6 points
13. GM Nguyen Anh Dung (VIE) (2474) - 6 points
14. FM Mok Tze-Meng (MAS) (2343) - 6 points
15. Yu Lie (CHN) (2340) - 6 points

AmBank Chess Challenge 2009

Champion - Samson Lim Jr (PHI) - 7 points
Second - Rodolfo Panopio Jr (PHI) - 7 Points
Third - Roel Abelgas (PHI) - 7 points
Fourth - Jax Tham (MAS) - 6.5 points
Fifth - Tan Kok Liang (MAS) - 6.5 points
Sixth - Nor Ilhamuddin (MAS) - 6 points
Seventh - Izz Saifuddin (MAS) - 6 points
Eighth - Cheah Cheok Fung (MAS) - 6 points
Ninth - Fadli Zakaria (MAS) - 6 points
Tenth - Ooi Li Tao (MAS) - 6 points

For Calamba City teams, malamang andun Panopio and Abelgas...

Oliver B. or Richard B.? Maybe both of them!

Anyways, they're both former King of England.

Agree with <spawn2>... GM Ronald looks more like an Athletics Coach rather than a Chess Grand Master.

Ala kasi sa chess-results na madali makita agad mga kalaban, and TPR and many other infos. Pinagtiyagaan mo siguro tignan each round's matches.

Dableo now RP’s 13th GM

By Marlon Bernardino
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 18:31:00 08/30/2009

Filed Under: Chess

Filipino International Master (IM) Ronald Dableo beat Indon GM Susanto Megaranto with black in the ninth and final round on Friday to earn his third and final GM norm in the 2009 Malaysian Open (Dato’ Arthur Tan Malaysian Open 2009) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Dableo and Indian GM Parimarjan Negi, both tallied 7.0 points in the tough nine round Swiss-System tournament. But GM Negi won the title after edging Dableo in the tie break, 49.5 points against the 48.0 points of the Filipino.

GM Negi, defeated erstwhile tournament leader Filipino IM Emmanuel Senador also with black in the final round.

Dableo earned his first GM norm when he won the 3.2a Asian zonal qualifying round in Vungtau, Vietnam in 2003, then obtained his second GM result in the 2006 PGMA Cup, where he won 6 out of the possible 9 points.

Dableo though, needs to increase his 2417 Fide Elo rating points to 2500 to become the country’s 13th grandmaster and join the elite GM group composed of Eugene Torre, Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr., Buenaventura “Bong” Villamayor, Nelson Mariano II, Mark Paragua, Wesley So, Darwin Laylo, Jayson Gonzales, John Paul Gomez, Joseph Sanchez, Rogelio Barcenilla and the late Rosendo Balinas Jr.

SENADOR FALTERS

Senador who earned his first GM norm in the penultimate round, was stuck at 6.5 points, and tied for 3rd to 11th places alongside GM Ghaem Maghami Ehsan of Iran, GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam, countryman GM Darwin Laylo, GM Schebler Gerhard of Germany, Yu Yangyi of China, GM Iuldachev Saidali of Uzbekistan, Deshun Xiu of China and GM Li Chao of China.

Laylo drew with Maghami, Li drew with Iuldachev, Yu halved the point with Ngoc Truong Son and Deshun beat WIM Zhang Xiaowen.

Put Sporean master Wong back to earth in your 4th round match tom am!!

0 CORDERO Angel 0 Win
+7 GAGUNASHVILI Merab 2564 Win
+6.4 GOMEZ John Paul 2521 Win
-5.2 WONG Meng Kong 2403 Lose
+1.5 DAO Thien Hai 2542 Draw
-2.6 NAYANAN Getha Gopal 2598 Lose
+6.6 LI Shilong 2531 Win
+0.2 DIMAKILING Oliver 2434 Draw
-3.1 ANTONIO Rogelio Jr.2557 Lose

DATMO 2009/Malaysian Open 2009

+0.8 INOUE Sho 2024 Win
0 PITRA Andika 0 Win
+1 SCHEBLER Gerhard 2486 Draw
+6.1 LAYLO Darwin 2494 Win
-3.4 DZHUMAEZ MARAT 2535 Lose
+1.4 IULDACHEV Saidali 2518 Draw
+3.2 LIM Chuing Hoong Ronnie 2281 Win
+6.6 RAHMAN Ziaur 2538 Win
+6.6 MEGARANTo Susanto 2534 Win

+22.3
-----
2439.3

4th President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Cup International Chess Challenge

0 CORDERO Angel 0 Win
+7 GAGUNASHVILI Merab 2564 Win
+6.4 GOMEZ John Paul 2521 Win
-5.2 WONG Meng Kong 2403 Lose
+1.5 DAO Thien Hai 2542 Draw
-2.6 NAYANAN Getha Gopal 2598 Lose
+6.6 LI Shilong 2531 Win
+0.2 DIMAKILING Oliver 2434 Draw
-3.1 ANTONIO Rogelio Jr.2557 Lose

+10.8
-----
2427.8

total rating gained

Sayang lang on his 4th round default to GM Wong because of the floods.