WORLD JR. CHESS + CHESS FOR A CAUSE

WORLD JR CHESS: WESLEY SO IN HOT START

RP WHIZ KID Wesley So got off to a hot start in the 2007 World Juniors and Girls Chess Championships at the T. Petrosian Chess House in Yerevan , Armenia, on Wednesday.

It's the only major chess tournament which is open to all boy's and girl's ages 20-year-old and below. According to FIDE regulations, eligible to participate are chess players born on and after January 1, 1987.

The No. 14 seed So dubbed as "The brightest hope of Philippine Chess" prevailed using the white pieces against No.52 Emilis Pileckis of Lithuania after 40 moves of a Sicilian-Pelikan which attracted 78 woodpushers.

With the win, the 13-year-old Bacoor, Cavite campaigner, currently No.3 in RP-FIDE October rating list who holds an Elo rating of 2531 will meet No.37 Krzysztof Bulski of Poland, winner over No.75 Ostebo Lasse Lovik of Norway.

This year's field, according to official website, is once again stacked with the world's best players, including 15 (GM) grandmasters, 19 (IM) international masters, and 7 (FM) fide masters applying a 13 round Swiss-system tournament.

Eugene Torre, Asia's First Grandmaster and also the founding president of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) gave advice to Wesley yesterday.

"Matagal pa yan eh. Hope huwag sana 'syang matalo para laging naka striking distance o naka umang. Pag black pieces siya at medyo mabigat ang kalaban ay draw ay ok lamang total 13 round Swiss-system yan para ma preserve ang kanyang energy." Said the 55-year-old Torre, head of the NCFP player's council.

In 1969 World Junior Chess Championships was held in Stockholm, Sweden, Torre dominated the Group B bracket while Anatoly Karpov ruled Group A.

"Noong panahon ko ay may elimination pa. Maraming qualifying event at pag hindi ka nakapasok sa Group A ay may group B at C pa." He recalled.

In 1971 World Junior Chess Championships in Athens Greece, the Filipino chess icon and Philippine Sportswriter Association (PSA) hall of famer settled in a tie for fourth place. Dark Horse Werner Hug of Switzerland won the said event. That time, Torre, Vaganian and Ribli were the heavy favorites to win the Group A bracket.

Meanwhile here in Yerevan, top seed GM Wang Hao of China was in awesome form against No.39 IM Hrair Simonian clustered a 37 moves victory using disadvantageous black pieces in their Sicilian Grand Prix clash.

Currently No.4 in China who possessed an Elo rating of 2643, the 18-year-old Hao will play the white pieces against No. 28 IM Tornike Sanikidze of Georgia, who beat Alexi Ter-Karapetian of Georgia.

Other notable winners in the Boy's 20 and under section were No.2 GM Daniel Stellwagen, No.3 GM Maxim Rodshtein, No.5 Gawain C.B. Jones, No.7 GM Bassem Amin, No.9 GM Georg Mejer and No.10 GM Dmitry Andreikin.


CHESS FOR A CAUSE

THE chess community in Metro Manila and nearby provinces is passing the hat around to help in the hospitalization of two children of veteran player Alfredo V. Chay who were seriously injured in a traffic accident at about 9:20 p.m. last Sunday in Malolos, Bulacan.

Chessander Chay, 16, and his sister, Chessandra, 13, were hit by a Starex van allegedly driven by Enrique Manlapaz of Malolos while they were walking to a bus stop. They had just come from a chess tournament for non-masters organized by the Plaridel Chess Club at the Bulacan State University when they met the accident.

Chessander was thrown several feet away while Chessandra was flung into the air on impact with her head hitting the windshield of the vehicle. Both were declared in critical condition on arrival at the Malolos City Hospital.

Chessander has been declared out of danger but his sister is still under close observation because of a fractured skull near the right temple. She has been moved to Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital, which has facilities for neurosurgery.

A CIT scan showed that she had swollen tissues beneath the fracture and would likely need neurosurgery to ease the pressure on her skull.

Among the first to offer help in raising funds for the Chay children's hospitalization were Grandmasters Eugene Torre and Mark Paragua.

Plans are afoot for Torre and Paragua along with GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. and GM-elect Darwin Laylo to hold a simultaneous exhibition at Quezon Memorial Circle Chess Plaza on Saturday, the proceeds of which will go to the Chays.

A veteran player, the elder Chay is the board secretary of the Quezon City Parks Development Foundation, Inc. and vice president of the QMC Chess Club as well as an officer of the QMC Chess Plaza management committee. He is also a board director and public relations officer of the Chess Arbiters Association of the Philippines.

Chessander is a first year education student and plans to major in mathematics at BSU. He is the junior chess champion of San Jose del Monte and a BSU team member.

Chessandra is a first year high school student at the Lord's Grace Integrated School, also in San Jose del Monte, where the family lives.

According to their father, last Sunday's competition at BSU was Chessandra's first-ever tournament.

Donations may be given to Alfredo V. Chay, c/o office of Atty, Charito Planas, chair of QCPDI, Quezon Memorial Circle, Elliptical Road, Quezon City, tel. No. 924-3395.

(Reports from MARLON BERNARDINO)