Wesley gets his 2nd GM Norm in the 10th round of the Worl Junior Chess Championship!
Here's Manny Benitez The Weekender:
So gets 2nd GM norm
FINALLY, Bacoor wonder boy Wesley So (Elo 2531) has captured his second grandmaster’s norm.
Wesley, who celebrated his 14th birthday last Tuesday, October 9, while playing in the World Junior Championship in Yerevan, Armenia, achieved his GM result in the ninth round on Friday when he clobbered Israeli International Master Sasha Kaplan.
In the 10th round yesterday, however, Wesley resumed his rollercoaster ride when he lost to his fellow IM from India, Abhijeet Gupta.
It was Wesley’s third loss. He had also lost twice in a row in the seventh and eighth rounds on Tuesday and Thursday to GMs Ahmed Adly of Egypt and top seed Wang Hao of China, respectively. Wednesday was a rest day for all the players, both boys and girls, in the two-tier event.
Wesley’s latest setback sent him skidding down to 16th place, three slots lower than his rank at the start.
Just behind him on tiebreak was Asia’s youngest GM, Parimarjan Negi of India, his contemporary at 14.
IM So and GM Negi are two of four14-year-old participants in the event. Most of the 80 players in the annual event are in their late teens.
Ironically, two of Wesley’s conquerors had lower ratings than his—GM Adly (2494) and IM Gupta (2470). His other nemesis, Chinese superstar Wang, is the top seed at Elo 2643.
Wang is in a three-way tie at the helm of the 80-player field with IM Averik Grigoryan of the host country Armenia and GM Ivan Popov of Russia. They had 7.5 points each entering the 11th round on Monday.
With only three rounds left to play, it is now statistically impossible for the Filipino child prodigy who only has six points from 10 games to win the world junior title or even just the silver or bronze.
If Wesley wins his last three games, his landing among the top 10 is still possible, although he faces a tough uphill climb
Wesley’s decline started in the second half of the tournament when he lost to GM Adly on his 14th natal day.
As calculated by reader John Manahan after Wesley’s win against IM Kaplan, the lone Filipino bet had achieved a performance rating of 2614 with his new Elo rating standing at 2540. But with his loss in the 10th round to IM Gupta, those figures are sure to fall again.
Meanwhile, in the under-20 girls’ division, national champion Aices Salvador drew her 10th game after losing her ninth.
After 10 rounds, Aices stood at 35th, 14 rungs higher than her original seeding of 49th of 58 participants (see also pages 6-7 for earlier report and games).
In his latest win, Wesley played a near-flawless Scotch Game, a favorite opening of the former world champion, Garry Kasparov, and was on the verge of delivering checkmate when Kaplan resigned.
With this win, IM So bounced back into a tie for seventh to 13th places with six points from five wins, two draws and two losses.
Wesley is a high school sophomore at St. Francis College in Bacoor,. Cavite.
“I’m very happy to win again and earn my second GM norm here,” he told reporters. He earned his first norm over a year ago at the Bad Wiessee Open in Bavaria, Germany.
• So Wesley - Kaplan S
Rd. 9, Scotch, Four Knights (C47)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 Bb4 5.Nxe5 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qe7 7.Nxc6 Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Qxc6 9.0–0 0–0 10.c4 d5 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Bd3 Nb4 13.c4 Nxd3 14.Qxd3 Qg6 14...Qf6 15.Re1 would have equalized 15.Qxg6 hxg6 16.Bf4 c6 17.d5 cxd5 18.cxd5 Bf5 19.d6 Rac8 20.Rad1 Rfd8 21.f3 a6 22.Rfe1 Re8 Fritz suggests 22...Rc4!:23.g3 Kf8! 23.Re7 White takes a quantum leap g5 24.Bg3 Rb8 25.Rc7 Rbd8 26.d7 Re2 27.Rc8! A beauty, forcing the exchanges Rxc8 28.dxc8=Q+ Bxc8 29.Rd8+ Kh7 30.Rxc8 Rxa2 31.h3 31.Rc7! was even stronger b5 32.Rc7 Kg6 33.Rb7 Ra4 34.Kh2 Ra2 35.Rb6+ Kh7 36.Bd6 Ra4 37.Kg3 Ra2 38.Be7 f6 39.Rb7 Kg8 40.Kg4 Rxg2+?? The fatal mistake. Best was 40...Kf7 41.g3 Rc2, and White’s lead is reduced says Fritz 41.Kf5! Kh7 42.Bf8 Rc2 43.Rxg7+ Kh8 44.Kg6 f5 45.Be7!! Total encirclement, and mate cannot be averted. 1–0
In the 11th round to be played Sunday in Yerevan (early Monday in Manila), Wesley would be playing Black against Indian IM Gogineni Rohit (2491).
The games to watch are GM Popov vs IM Avetik Grigoryan of Armenia and GM Wang Hao vs Russian GM Dmitry Andreikon.—With contribution from Marlon Bernardino.
3RD TANAUAN OPEN IN BATANGAS Bancod leads 16 to next KO stage
TOP national team player IM Ronald Bancod topped the preliminaries to lead a field of 12 players who were to join four seeded players in the next knockout stage of the P240,000 Third Tanauan Open in Batangas.
The four were GMs Eugene Torre, Joey Antonio and Mark Paragua along with IM Richard Bitoon.
Besides Bancod, the qualifiers were IMs Ronald Dableo, Oliver Dimakiling, John Paul Gomez, Darwin Laylo and Barlo Nadera, and NMs Oliver Barbosa, David Elora, Merben Roque, Rolando Nolte, Mirabeau Maga and Robert Suelo.
The pairings in the KO round of 16: Paragua vs Suelo, Dimakiling vs Gomez, Antonio vs Roque, Bancod vs Elorta, Bitoon vs Maga, Dableo vs Layo, Torre vs Nolte and Barbosa vs Nadera.
The champion is to receive P100,000, first runner-up P30,000 second runner-up P20,000 and third runner-up P10,000.
In opening rites, NCFP president Prospero Pichay Jr, unwrapped some of his plans to develop Philippine chess further and told the players to rise up to the challenge of joining what he called would be “a new wave of grandmasters.”
The Active Chess Center of Asia organized the festival with the First Asian Institute of Technology and Humanities under its president, Saturnino Belen Jr as the main sponsor.
It also had the support of the Tanauan City government, Darasa Fiesta Resort, Lima Hotel, Diwa Learning Systems. Quickpage Enterprises, KFC Tanauan, and the Bato Balani Foundation.—Marlon Bernardino
WEEKEND ‘WAR OF WITS’ 48 youngsters in Shell Grand Finals
By Marlon Bernardino
FORTY-EIGHT youngsters from all over the country will battle each other in pairs in a two-division “war of wits” over the next weekend, October 20-21, to see who is the best and brightest of them all.
The battlefield will be the fourth-level bridgeway of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
The event will be the Grand Finals of the 2007 Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship, spawning ground of some of the country’s leading players over the past 15 years.
The 48 young gladiators—24 of them aged 20 and younger in the Juniors Division and another 24 aged 14 and younger in the Kiddies Division—are the six survivors (three from either division) of each of the eight stages in the elimination series held over the past four months by Pilipinas Shell Corporation.
Two Letran stalwarts, Stephen Laceste and Givy Bartolome, will lead the 24-player cast in the Junior Division.
Laceste and his two runners-up, three-time Palaro champion Jan Emmanuel Garcia of Ateneo de Manila University and Luffe Magdalaga of Far Eastern University, ruled the second leg in Tuguegarao.
Bartolome and his runners-up, James Fernandez of Nueva Caceres and Arvin Dableo of the Philippine Maritime Institute, topped the Batangas leg.
Joining them in the Junior Division are National Capital Rregion leg representatives Mari Joseph Turqueza of Diliman Prep. School, Jayson Mercado of San Sebastian College and Vic Neil Villanueva of the University of Sto. Tomas;
Dagupan qualifiers John Morazo and Lyndon Sombilon of FEU and Benjie Macoy of San Carlos College, Pangasinan;
Iloilo top finishers Ellan Asuela (Bacolod), Marvin Ting (Bacolod) and Rolly Parondo Jr. (Iloilo);
Cebu leg qualifiers Johnny Carzano (Ozamiz City), Antonio Chavez Jr. (Cagayan de Oro City) and Boris Diez (Davao City);
Davao leg finalists Chito Dimakiling II (Davao City), Jerwell Andoy and Jester Andoy (Davao City); and
Zamboanga leg top finishers Mohamad Sacar (Cotabato City), Patrick Erle Florendo (Zamboanga City) and Bryll John Arellano (Negros Occidental).
Bannering the field in the Kiddies are NCR leg top finishers Christy Lamiel Bernales of the University of the East, Narquingden Reyes of Gen. Licerio Geronimo Memorial National High School – Rizal and Jan Nigel Galan of Children of Mary Immaculate College – Valenzuela.
Joining them are Tuguegarao leg qualifiers McDominique Lagula of Bonfal Pilot Elementary School in Nueva Vizcaya, Asean age-group double gold medalist Haridas Pascua of the University of Baguio and Jan Jodilyn Fronda of San Juan de Letran College;
Dagupan leg finalists Prince Mark Aquino of Divine Grace Montessori and High School -Pangasinan, Bernard Nillo Jr. of Baguio City National High School and John Mark Dimalikwat of San Sebastian College - Recoletos;
Batangas leg top finishers Willbert Pilarta of Marist School, Makati, Giovanni Mejia (Letran) and Mark Anthony Trinidad of Gen. Pio del Pilar Elem. School - Makati;
Iloilo City finalists Jerich Cajeras of West Negros College, Paolo Bersamina of La Salle Greenhills and Jan Francis Mirano of Aklan Valley High School;
Cebu leg top finishers Lennon Hart Salgados of Cagayan de Oro City, Jerad Docena of Grace Christian School – Tagbilaran and Felix Balbona of Colegio de la Immaculada Concepcion – Cebu City;
Davao City leg finalists Danilo Engay Jr. of F. Bangoy National High – Davao City, Ruel Bucaling of Gabuyan Elem. School – Davao, and Neptali Batucan of Doña Carmen Denia National High School – Davao City; and
Loren Laceste of the University of the East, Clark Kent Anabieza (Panabo City) and eight-year-old Rhenzi Kyle Sevillano (Cebu City).
Pilipinas Shell’s Grand Finals, an event sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, has the support of Shell V-Power, Shellane, Shell Helix, Shell Rimula and McDonald’s, in cooperation with SM Supermalls, Cebu Pacific, CSI The City Mall–Dagupan, and Brickstone Mall—Tuguegarao.
FOUR PLAYERS REINSTATED IN F.I.D.E. RATINGS ROLL: Laylo, Dableo, Garma & Barbosa
THE World Chess Federation (Fide) has restored the names of four Filipino players in its latest ratings roll following the lifting of their suspension on allegations of game-fixing.
FIDE issued a corrected version of its October 1, 2007, ratings list of Filipino players earlier this week to include the names of International Masters Darwin Laylo, Ronald Dableo and Chito Garma along with National Master Oliver Barbosa.
Reader John Manahan alerted the Weekender to the correction.
In last week’s issue, The Weekender severely criticized their exclusion from the Fide list issued on October 1 as having no basis since the National Chess Federation of the Philippines under former Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. had cleared their names and lifted their suspension.
IM Laylo, the lone Filipino qualifier for the World Cup next month, had his rating raised to Elo 2508 on the basis of his finishing in a tie for third to eighth places in last month’s Asian Individual Championship in Mandaue City.
Laylo now ranks No. 5 in the country, bumping off inactive player IM Rogelio Barcenilla, who slid down to No. 6.
IM Dableo, a former Southeast Asian zonal champion, took the 12th rank with 2451 while IM Garma was in 27-28th places with 2396 and NM Barbosa in 16th with 2420.
Here are the top 30 players in the Philippines: 1. GM Rogelio Antonio Jr,. 2540; 2-3. GM Eugenio Torre and IM Wesley So, 2531; 4. GM Mark Paragua, 2514; 5. IM Darwin Laylo, 2508; 6. IM Rogelio Barcenilla, 2503; 7. IM Joseph Sanchez, 2498; 8. IM John Paul Gomez, 2469; 10. IM Roland Salvador, 2456; 11.IM Jayson Gonzales, 2454; 12. IM Ronald Dableo, 2451; 13-14 IM Rolly Martinez and. GM Nelson Mariano, 2447; 15. GM Buenaventura Villamayor, 2425; 16. NM Oliver Barbosa, 2420; 17. IM Rico Mascariñas, 2516; 18. Julio Catalino Sadorra, 2414; 19. NM Ernesto Fernandez, 2413; 20. IM Barlo Nadera, 2412; 21. FM Virgilio Vuelban, 2410; 22. NM Sander Severino, 2405; 23. NM Hamed Nouri, 2404; 24-25. NM Rolando Nolte and IM Richard Bitoon, 2402; IM Ricardo de Guzman, 2398; 27-28. IM Ronald Bancod and IM Chito Garma, 2396; 29.IM Yves Rañola, 2390; and IM Angelo Young, 2376.
FIDE issues its rating list every quarter of the year. The next listing will be done on January 1, 2008.
Corrections are usually made during the quarter. —With contribution from. Marlon Bernardino
Prizes galore at First Sta. Rosa Non-master Team Rapid
THE First Sta. Rosa Non-master Team Rapid Chess Championship will be held next month with substantial prizes at stake, it was announced earlier this week by Dr. Alfred Paez, president of the Laguna Chess Association (LCA).
LCA, the Laguna United Sports Federation and the Sta. Rosa City Sports Office have joined forces to organize the province’s premier chess event, which will be held in Sta. Rosa City on November 11.
Registration is now open as the competition, which will be held at Sta. Rosa City Hall, will be limited to the first 40 teams to pay the registration fee of P3,000 before November 5. Teams that pay on or after the deadline will have to fork over P3,500..
Each team is allowed to have a maximum of five players—four regular and one reserve.
Time control will be 30 minutes per game per player.
The champion team will receive P30,000, second P20,000, third P7,500 and fourth P5,000. Each winning team will also get a trophy.
A special prize of P5,000 each will be awarded to the Top Laguna Team, Top Junior Team, Top Lady Team, Top Kiddie Team and the team with the Best Uniform.
Board medalists will each receive P1,200.
Members of each team will be required to wear its uniform when entering the tournament hall. The average rating of each team should not exceed Elo 2050, the LCA flier said.
A FAMILIAR SIGHT IN OUR MIDST ‘Homeless man is chess king’
HE sleeps on a bench, but he is king of chess during the day at Washington’s Dupont Circle, where he dazzles beginners and masters alike with his winning moves on the park’s stone chessboards.
Thus does an Agence France Presse news feature lead off about a 49-year-old former mathematics and science major by the name of Tom Murphy who makes what little money he has from teaching his prodigious knowledge of the game to passersby for a few dollars.
Sounds familiar, right? Substitute “Washington’s Dupont Circle” with “Quezon Memorial Circle” and you can imagine how some Filipino players try to eke out a living by hustling for the few pesos they can earn each day through wagers they offer against all comers to a game of chess.
The plight of Filipino chess players was dramatized lately when a group of leading masters headed by GMs Eugene Torre and Mark Paragua turned out in force at the QMC Chess Plaza to help raise funds through a simultaneous display for the hospitalization of veteran campaigner Fred Chay’s two kids, Chessander, 16, and Chessandra, 13, who were sideswiped by a van in a dimly lighted Malolos street recently.
Chay, in fact, is one of those rare exceptions because he has a regular job as board secretary of the Quezon City Parks Development Foundation, Inc., that administers the Quezon Memorial Circle, now one of the most popular family parks in Metro Manila.
In a country where well-funded tournaments are too few and far between, how can so-called professional chess players make a decent living?
Not so with Murphy, the mathematician-subject of the AFP article picked up by journalist Ignacio Dee from Yahoo News and sent to The Weekender.
“The mathematical equation has always been fascinating to me, then when you add the camaraderie, the ambience, the open air, it’s almost irresistible,” said Murphy, peering over a park chessboard that draws players from all walks of life—students, lawyers, doctors, drunkards.
Like his Pinoy counterparts, Murphy specializes in blitz.
“The appeal of blitz is that, maybe in two or five minutes, I may put together a work of art that might last a lifetime,” Murphy said in his inimitable style of explaining chess basics.
The game, he said, consists of “few guiding principles: king safety, fight for the center, give every piece a job.”
The article goes on to say that Murphy has won several tournaments and finished 15th in the 2005 world blitz championship. He’s not always down and out but his addiction to booze often lands him on the street.
“The pursuit of the ego versus the pursuit of the spirit are in conflict sometimes,” he explained. “I enjoy alcohol a little too much.”
He attends Alcoholic Anonymous meetings and admits, “when I don’t drink my chess is better.”
Like many of our players who are getting on in years, Murphy aims to get better at chess and then rise to the title of master.
“I would dearly love to go on and make my master’s rating because through that I get a credibility to increase my teaching fee,” he said.
Unlike many of our stronger players who shy away from a national master title so that they can continue competing in non-masters tournaments where they have a good chance of winning the major cash prizes—a kind of hustling or even cheating in a sense, any way you look at it.
For now, the homeless chess teacher charges 20 to 30 dollars an hour and will match his wits with any rival for two to five dollars per game.
I know of players in our midst who bet P500 to P1,000 pesos per game in what has become clearly a gambling habit.
“Grandmasters are teaching 100 or 200 bucks (dollars) an hour, masters can get at least 50, that’s not bad,” he said.
The bigger problem in the context of Philippine life and living is that many masters have not really studied chess theory and cannot teach the game even if they do play it like a wizard.
When they grow too old to play that well, who will then pay the bills for the basic necessities of life like shelter, food, water, clothing and medicine?
Sorry guys, this one's incomplete.
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