Antonio shares lead

Grandmaster Joey Antonio outlasted Fide Master Pavel Certek late Saturday to gain the share of the lead in the Open 50+ division of the 27th World Senior Chess Championships in Acqui Terme, Italy.

The 55-year-old Antonio needed 79 moves of a Queen’s Pawn game to edge his Slovakian rival and improve to 4.5 points on four wins and one draw.

He prevailed over Andres Belmont Hernandez of Mexico, Karl-Heinz Kannenberg of Germany and International Master Alexander Reprintsev of Ukraine. His only draw came in the third round against Indian IM Devaki Prasad.

Antonio will collide with fellow leader GM Zuniga Julio Granda next after the Peruvian split the point with Georgian GM Zurab Sturua following four straight victories.

In the Open 65+ class, GM Eugene Torre toppled FM Peter Hohler of Switzerland in the fifth round to jump from 37th to 25th place.

The veteran woodpusher improved to 3.5 points on three wins, one draw and one loss, one point behind leaders GM Vladimir Okhotnik of France, GM Vlastimil Jansa of Czech Republic and FM Boris Gutkin of Israel.

Torre will next face Matthias Kierzek of Germany, who also has 3.5 points after settling for a draw with Alexander Yakimenko.