Joey on top!

From The Weekender:

Joey now No. 1 in RP as Torre, Paragua tie for second & third. Wesley climbs to No. 4 on Fide list for second quarter even as ratings of four GMs slide down. Veteran Grandmaster Joey Antonio has climbed to the top of the Fide list of 100 active Filipino players despite a 12-point drop in his rating, bumping off GM Mark Paragua from the premier post.

IM Wesley So made the sharpest climb, from No 12 with 2418 on January 1 to No. 4 with 2519, or a rise of 101 points

Paragua who has lost 41 points since January 1 tied for the second and third spots with Eugene Torre whose rating also fell from 2547 to 2532 during the first quarter.

Antonio’s rating dropped from 2551 to 2539 on the basis of 17 games.

The World Chess Federation (Fide) issued the list for the second quarter covering games played over the three months ending mid-February.

The top 30 players: 1. GM Antonio (2539), 2-3. GMs Torre and Paragua (2532) 4. IM So (2510), 5.Rogelio Barcenilla (2503) 6. IM Joseph Sanchez (2497) 7. IM Oliver Dimakiling (2491) 8. IM Darwin Laylo (2486) 9. John Paul Gomez ((2476) 10. IM Jayson Gonzales (2461) 11. NM Hamed Nouri (2454) 12. IM Roland Salvador (2452) 13. IM Ronald Dableo (2451) 14.GM Nelson Mariano (2447) 15. IM Enrique Paciencia (2431);
16. GM Bong Villamayor (2425) 17. IM Rolly Martinez (2422) 18. NM Oliver Barbosa (2420) 19.IM Rico Mascariñas (2416) 20. IM Richard Bitoon (2412) 21. IM Yves Rañola (2409) 22. FM Julio Catalino Sadorra (2407) 23-24. NMs Rolando Nolte (2405) and Sander Severino (2405) 25 IM Barlo Nadera (2399) 26 IM Ricardo de Guzman (2398) 27. IM Chito Garma (2396) 28. FM Fernie Donguines (2387 29. NM Emanuel Senador (2381) 30.NM Ernesto Fernandez (2376).

Exactly 100 names were listed.

Arguelles wins QMC plum

NON-MASTER Efren Arguelles upset National Master Andrew Vasquez in the penultimate fourth round and outwitted upcoming young star Mari Joseph “MJ” Turqueza in the final to make a clean sweep of the inaugural tournament of the Quezon Memorial Circle Chess Plaza Club yesterday.

Arguelles, who takes care of the plaza, won the trophy on a tiebreak over another high-rated non-master, Christopher Megina. Both finished with a perfect 5.0 points from five games to lead a of 44 players who took part in the “chess is fun” event held for prospective members of the club.

Arguelles and Megina shared the cash prize at P400 each from the P2,000 jackpot donated by the club president, lawyer Gene Turqueza.

The third prize was shared by NM Vasquez, candidate-master Julius Sinangote, Louie Salvador and Joseph Carpio at P100 each. The four had 4.0 points apiece.

Special category prizes of P150 plus trophy each also went to the best performers.

Nine-year-old Mervince Yanzon won the top kiddie award, Mari Joseph “MJ” Turqueza the top junior, Rolando Elcano the top senior, and Myra Carla Aguilar of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines the top lady.

Board chairman Manny Benitez and director Ray Hipolito awarded the prizes in a ceremony led by Turqueza, the father of MJ.

Alfredo V. Pichay, a member of the board, served as tournament director and NM Erwin Carag and Jun Tapel as arbiters. Carag volunteered to be the arbiter while Tapel played in the “chess for fun” tournament.

A membership meeting presided over by Turqueza, the lawyer-father of MJ, followed the tournament to formalize the registration of the club as a non-stock, non-profit corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The meeting, however, turned into a stormy session when plaza habitué Joey Carinan complained that he was left out as an incorporator of the club although it was he who had prepared the SEC registration papers.

Pending resolution of the issue and the possible amendment of the incorporation papers, Turqueza suspended the implementation of the P50 monthly dues and adjourned the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Pichay Chess Caravan will stop over at the QMC Chess Plaza on Easter Sunday to hold a clinic, rapid tournament and a simultaneous exhibition.
Winners will receive cash prizes, chess sets and reading materials.

The caravan has been visiting barangays in Metro Manila and outlying provinces and cities to help propagate the game in the grassroots.

It is a nationwide project launched by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines under Rep. Prospero Pichay of Surigao del Sur.

IM Datu holds clinic for jail inmates

ATENEO head coach IM Idelfonso Datu held a chess clinic and tournament for the Manila City Jail inmates last Monday under the joint auspices of the Rotary Club of Manila San Miguel and the Philippine College of Criminology.

The outreach project was designed to teach the inmates a wholesome and educational way of passing the time by playing the game of kings.

The one-day chess clinic included basic as well as intermediate instructions on how to play the game.

A five-round blitz tournament followed the clinic.

Erwin San Jose of D#8 won the event with a 36-move win from a Queen’s Pawn opening over M. Djambangan in the last round.

Jerry Macacua of D#7 finished in second place after beating Emmanuel Manggaya of D#6 in 45 moves of a Caro-Kann game. Manggaya ended up in third.

The fourth to sixth places went to Jaime Castillo of D#11, Glenn Peña of D#1 and Aldin Bautista of D#9.

Special problem-solving awards were given to Abel Cruz and Lindon.

IM Datu conducted the clinic with the help of the Ateneo women’s chess team and in coordination with the jail warden, Supt, Allen Sullano Iral.

The Rotary Club of Manila San Miguel under its president, Gregory Alan Bautista, donated 30 chess sets to the Manila City Jail.

P220,000 Iligan Open kicks off

THE annual Illigan-NCFP Open Chess Tournament kicked off yesterday with a big field of players from all over the country competing for cash prizes totaling a whopping P220,000.

The champion is to receive P75,000 plus trophy—a prize more than three times that of last year’s event. The other big winners will also receive both cash and trophies.

Most of the participants came from Lanao del Norte and nearby provinces.

The event, which is being be held at the Lanao Chung Hua School‘s gym in Patau, Iligan city, is a joint project of the city government and the National Chess Federation.

MCC tourney today for 1900 and below

THE Metropolitan Chess Club is holding an active chess tournament today for non-masters rated 1900 and below at St. Francis Square (behind SM Megamall) in Mandaluyong City.

At stake is a total pot of P10,000 with P3,000 going to the champion.

A consolation prize of P500 will also go to the top unrated player as well as to the top under-12 kiddie.

The six-round Swiss event will have a time control of 25 minutes per player per game.

Cam Norte leg of Bicol series under way

THE three-day Camarines Norte leg of the Region V (Bicol) Championship gets under way today at the Provincial Capitol in Daet.

The series, held under the auspices of NCFP president and Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero “Butch” Pichay and NCFP secretary general and Tagaytay Mayor Abraham “Bembol” Tolentino, kicked off at the Albay Provincial Capitol with a three-day Swiss on March 17-19.

This was followed by the Camarines Sur leg, which was held from March 24 to 26 at the LCC Shopping Mall in Naga City.

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Philippine Chess is alive and kicking! Thanks to all of you!