GENERAL SANTOS CITY —International Master Kim Steven Yap scored back-to-back wins and kept a perfect score for a share of the lead with two others in Round Three of the rich Manny Pacquiao International Open chess championship Tuesday at the Family Country Hotel here.

Yap, the pride of Cebu City and seeded 19th, upset fifth seed GM Timur Gareyev in the third round, and drew level with GM Arkadij Naiditsch and GM Novendra Priasmoro with three points.

In a field that attracted 16 grandmasters from 13 countries, including the hosts, the 37-year-old Yap remained focused ahead of the tougher grind.

“I’m very happy with my performance thus far, but I should not let it get in my head. The end is so far away,” Yap said. “There’s still six rounds left.”

Against the fifth seed Gareyev, popular for holding the world record holder for the most number of simultaneous blind matches at 48 boards, Yap showed mastery of the Greco gambit lines of the Guioco Piano. His correct handling netted him a whole piece in exchange for two pawns which he nursed for the win.

The fourth seed Naiditsch, the No. 2 player of Bulgaria, remains as the highest ranked player who dodged the upset ax. Priasmoro, Indonesia’s sixth highest ranked player and seeded 16th here, brought down Christiansen also in the third round.

Naiditsch was playing the white pieces against Priasmoro in fourth round action on Wednesday morning while second seed Indian GM Pa Iniyan faced Yap.

Iniyan was held to a draw in the third round by Vietnamese GM Nguyen Duc Hoa. They both have 2.5 points, towing an eight-man group which includes sixth seed GM N.R. Visakh of India, seventh seed GM Lee Min Peng of Switzerland and Filipinos GM Daniel Quizon, IM Chito Garma and unheralded Alexis Emil Maribao.

Maribao drew with Quizon in a Sicilian Dragon encounter in the third round. He also scored upset wins over local IM Christian Gian Arca in the second round and GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia.

Other fourth round matchups include Maribao playing black against Peng; Quizon playing white against Garma and Nguyen taking on Visakh.

Before losing in the third round, FIDE master David Elorta upset eighth seed Vitaly Sivuk of Sweden.

Also with two points were Christiansen, Arca, Sivuk and GM John Paul Gomez, GM Platon Galperin of Sweden, IM Nguyen Quoc Hy and locals IM Ricky de Guzman, NM Carlo Lorena and Phil Martin Casiguran.