GM Oliver Barbosa, Jr., the lone Filipino qualifier to the World Chess Cup, will enter the Philippine Sports Commission Cup International Chess Championship as top seed when the tournament begins today, Monday (Jan. 14 to 20, 2013) at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
The Taytay, Rizal native Barbosa possessed an ELO rating of 2574. It shall be recalled that Barbosa finished fifth overall in the 11th Asian Continental Individual Chess Championships last May 2012 at the First Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a qualifying event to the prestigious World Chess Cup slated in Tromso, Norway later this year.
Barbosa, who earned a slot to the World Chess Cup, won via superior tiebreak over fellow six pointers that include sixth-placer GM Ding Liren, seventh-placer GM Ni Hua of China, eighth-placer GM Wesley So of the Philippines (who won the blitz side event), ninth-placer GM Wen Yang and 10th-placer GM Lu Shanglei of China. Also with 6.0 points is fourth-placer IM Liu Qingnan of China. GM Parimarjan Negi of India defeated fellow 7.0 pointer GM Yu Yangyi of China to bag the coveted title.
12-time national open champion GM Rogelio 'Joey' Antonio Jr. is seeded second with an ELO of 2541 while former Southeast Asian Games most bemedalled athlete GM Mark Paragua is ranked third with an ELO of 2533.
Other notable players seeing action in Philippine Sports Commission Cup International Chess Championship are IM Bayarsaikhan Gundavaa of Mongolia, fourth with an ELO of 2522; GM John Paul Gomez, fifth with an ELO of 2520; IM Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam, sixth with an ELO of 2500; GM Cao Sang of Vietnam, seventh with an ELO of 2498; GM Tejas Bakre of India, eighth with an ELO of 2492; GM Darwin Laylo, ninth with an ELO of 2491; Asia's First GM Eugene Torre, tenth with an ELO of 2485; IM Nguyen Doc Hoa of Vietnam, eleventh with an ELO of 2481; IM Oliver Dimakiling, twelve with an ELO of 2453; IM Rolando Nolte, thirteen with an ELO of 2453; GM Tahir Vakhidov of Uzbekistan, fourteen with an ELO of 2452 and IM Richard Bitoon, fifteen with an ELO of 2437.
The tournament, which offers a guaranteed cash prize of US$30,000 with the champion getting the lion share of lion share US$6,000, will using a nine Round Swiss-system competition, organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines headed by it's Chairman/President Prospero 'Butch' Pichay Jr., Secretary-General and Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham 'Bambol' Tolentino Jr. in close cooperation with PSC Chairman Ricardo Garcia and POC president Peping Cojuangco Jr.
No less than National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Chairman/President Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr., Secretary-General and Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino Jr., Executive Director GM Jayson Gonzales, Committee chairman on Grassroots development and promotions and Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares, PSC Chairman Ricardo Garcia and POC president Peping Cojuangco Jr. will led the opening rites today, at 1pm. -Marlon Bernardino-
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