Torre set to make history in Istanbul Olympiad

GRANDMASTER Eugene Torre’s strong finish in the 2012 National Open Chess Championships didn’t go unrewarded.

The 60-year-old brand new grandfather will make a record 21st appearance in the World Chess Olympiad as GM Julio Catalino Sadorra begged off to continue his studies at the Texas Tech University where he is taking B.S. Applied Mathematics.

This year’s Olympiad is slated on August 27 to September 10 in Istanbul, Turkey.

“This is unexpected. I never envisioned myself representing the country in the biggest stage of chess competition as a senior citizen,” said Torre, who will break a tie with Hungarian GM Lajos Portisch for the most number of stints in the Olympiad.

Portisch has played in 20 consecutive Olympiads while Torre has represented the country in 19 straight Olympiads and 20 overall – the first in Siegen, Germany in 1970 and the latest in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia in 2010.

He credited his longevity and durability to a healthy lifestyle that includes regular workout in a popular gym.

“It’s not just about talent anymore. My recent success is a testament of the importance of living a healthy life.”

His amazing fitness is in full display during the tournament dubbed as the “Battle of the Grandmasters.”

Instead of fading in a 15-match marathon, Torre won his last four matches to share third place with International Master Oliver Dimakiling although he missed the last outright seat to the Olympiad via tiebreak.

GM Mark Paragua won the tournament followed by Sadorra and Dimakiling.

Meanwhile, the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) headed by chairman/president Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr. exercised its option to pick the last player in the team on GM Oliver Barbosa.

The country’s top player, GM Wesley So, is seeded in the team and will man the top board followed by Barbosa, Torre, Paragua and Dimakiling.

Woman International Master Catherine Perena will anchor the women’s team followed by Woman FIDE Master Rulp Ylem Jose and Woman National Masters Janelle Mae Frayna, Jedara Docena and Jan Jodilyn Fronda.-Marlon Bernardino-

PINOY GM WESLEY SO WINS TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP; POCKETS $4,000

FILIPINO chess prodigy Wesley Barbasa So clinched another chess title by winning the Crown Section of the 2012 Toronto International Chess Championship. The 17-year-old grandmaster from Bacoor, Cavite formalized his claim to the title at the Annex Chess Club in 918 Bathurst St., Toronto, Canada held last July 15 to 20, 2012.

The tournament was played as a 7-round Swiss with 18 participants in the event organized by the Chess Institute of Canada. So finished with a total of six points on account of five wins and two draws, half point ahead of his closest rival IM Nikolay Noritsyn of Canada.With his latest victory, So top player of National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Chairman/President Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. and Tagaytay City Mayor and Secretary-General Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino Jr. went home the top purse of $4,000.

"The Crown Section, hosted by Chess Institute of Canada is a  FIDE Rated 7-Rounds “Standard” Swiss Event, was participated by 18 rated players (3 GMs, 5 IMs & 2 FMs) from 4 countries (Canada, Lithuania, Israel and Philippines). " said National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Chairman/President Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr.

" Winning the prestigious 2012 Toronto International Chess Championship is another good news for Philippine Sports." added Pichay, a former representative of the first district of Surigao del Sur in the Southern Philippines.

According to Pichay, So continues the Canadian tour in the Quebec Open Chess Championship 2012 which gets underway from July 21 to 28 at the beautiful venue College Brebeuf in Montreal, Canada.

Then So will head to Webster University - SPICE for his full time study, with a brief two week interruption to represent the Philippines in the  2012 World Chess Olympiad on August 27 to September 10 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Final standings:
1 GM So Wesley PHI 2650 – 6
2 IM Noritsyn Nikolay CAN 2460 – 5.5
3 IM Samsonkin Artiom CAN 2390 – 4.5
4 IM Calugar Arthur CAN 2273 – 4.5
5 GM Rozentalis Eduardas LTU 2600 – 4.5
6 WCM Peng Jackie CAN 1968 – 4
7 IM Gerzhoy Leonid CAN 2459 – 4
8 GM Sambuev Bator CAN 2542 – 3.5
9 Birarov Vladimir ISR 2169 – 3.5
10 Song Michael CAN 2142 – 3.5
11 Martchenko Alexander CAN 2245 – 3.5
12 Preotu Razvan CAN 2058 – 3
13 Ivanov Mike CAN 2035 – 3
14 FM Plotkin Victor CAN 2249 – 2.5
15 FM Campbell Brett CAN 2181 – 2.5
16 IM Panjwani Raja CAN 2392 – 2
17 Southam David CAN 2112 – 2
18 Yee Lorne CAN 2222 – 2

Here’s GM Wesley So’s round-by-round results:

R1:  15Jul :  GM Wesley So PHI (2650)  Vs  Michael Song CAN (2142) : 1-0
R2:  15Jul :  IM Raja Panjwani CAN (2392) Vs  GM Wesley So PHI (2650) : 0-1
R3:  16Jul :  GM Wesley So PHI (2650)  Vs    IM Nikolay Noritsyn (2460) : 1-0
R4:  17Jul : IM Samsonkin Artiom CAN(2390) Vs GM Wesley So PHI(2650) : ½-½
R5:  18Jul :  GM Wesley So PHI (2650)  Vs    Preotu Razvan CAN(2058) :  1-0
R6:  19Jul : GM Sambuev Bator CAN(2542) Vs GM Wesley So PHI(2650):  0-1
R7:  20Jul :  IM Arthur Calugar CAN (2273)  Vs GM Wesley So PHI(2650) : ½-½


By: Marlon Bernardino

GM WESLEY SO REMAINS BLITZ CHESS MAESTRO; GRABS GOLD IN ASIAN CHESS

FILIPINO Grandmaster (GM) Wesley So lived up to his billing as the Asia's No. 1 blitz chess player after winning the 11th Asian Continental Individual Chess Championships Blitz competition on Sunday at First Hotel, Tan Binh in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He went undefeated en route to his another successful victory in the Blitz competition. He scored 6 wins and 3 draws (total 7.5 points out of nine games of play) against 7 GMs and 2 IMs to clinch first place. GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son and IM Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam and GM Ding Liren of China finished second to fourth placers with 7.0 points each. Other Filipino woodpushers who participated in the Blitz chess competition of the Asian chess meet are GM Mark Paragua (6.0 pts., 10th place), GM Oliver Barbosa (5.5 pts., 22nd place) GM John Paul Gomez (5.0 pts., 29th place), GM Darwin Laylo (4.5 pts., 35th place), GM Eugene Torre (4.5 pts., 37th place) and IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia (4.0 pts., 40th place). It shall be recalled that the Bacoor, Cavite pride So tallied perfect score enroute the gold medal in the last year's Southeast Asian Games blitz tournament in Indonesia. "Blitz is a very exciting form of chess, with every player getting a mere 5 minutes to complete the game. This somehow leveled the playing field, resulting in a high rate of upsets!" said former Olympian GM Jayson Gonzales, Executive Director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) headed by Chairman/ President Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. -Marlon Bernardino-

GM PARAGUA TRIES TO CONQUER STA. MARIA IN SIMUL CHESS ON SUNDAY

MARK PARAGUA, the first Filipino to reach super grandmaster status, once again tries to showcase his talent in the 64 square board when he goes up against top Sta. Maria players in a rare simultaneous chess exhibition on Sunday, February 5 at the Sta. Maria Church yard (Patio) in Sta. Maria, Bulacan.

Organized by Sta. Maria Chess Club in close cooperation with Paragua Chess Academy, the one-day event aims to promote chess in the grassroots level coincide the celebration of Sta. Maria Town Fiesta 2012.

“We’re doing this to promote chess in the grassroots level,” said tournament director Engineer Norben De Jesus, president of Sta. Maria Chess Club.

Paragua, De Jesus and Chief Arbiter Alfredo Chay of the Chess Arbiters Association of the Philippines (CAAP) are expected to grace the affair.

The registration of Sta. Maria Town Fiesta 2012 Chess Challenge on Sunday is now on full swing. The champion in the 15 years old and below (Open age category) will get P5,000 plus trophy while the kiddies 14 years old and below pocketed the top prize of P2,500 plus trophy.

Registration fee for the Sta. Maria Town Fiesta 2012 Chess Challenge is P150 for kiddies division, P250 for 15 years old and below (Open age category) while free registration fee for Sta. Maria Players. For details, call or text 0922-838-6729 and 0908-754-0888.Marlon Bernardino

Barbosa is Philippines' Third Super Grandmaster

OLIVER BARBOSA become the third Super Grandmaster in Philippine History after he won the overall title in the 10th Parsvnath International Grandmasters Chess Tournament at Ludlow Castle Sports Complex, Civil Lines in New Delhi, India on Monday.

The Taytay, Rizal native finished the eleven round Swiss system tournament with 9.5 points on account of eight wins and three draws enroute the coveted chess title.

This victory enabled the former University of the Philippines (UP) mainstay Barbosa to raise his Elo live rating to 2627 from 2573 points.

The undefeated Filipino gain plus 53.8 Elo rating points (rounding off 54 points) plus a Tournament Rating Performance (TPR) 2710.

"WE (NCFP) are honored to present Oliver Barbosa, our newest Super Grandmaster in Philippine History," said National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) chair-president Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr., who is is fully supporting the players' overseas campaign as part of the Philippine Team preparation for this year's 38th World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey in close cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee.

Mark Paragua become the first super Grandmaster (to reach 2600 mark) in Philippine history after he placed second in the 2006 Asian Zonal 3.3 Chess Championships.

The Bulacan based Paragua, on the other hand scored 8.5 points to finished over-all fourth in the 10th Parsvnath International Grandmasters Chess Tournament. He has a live Elo rating 2546 points after gaining a plus 24 points with a TPR 2550.

The Bacoor, Cavite whiz kid Wesley So, on the other hand achieved a rating of 2627 in 2009, a Philippine national record, surpassing the Elo 2621 rating of GM Paragua in April 2006. So, who is currently considered as the strongest chess player from the Philippines, achieved the GM title at the age of 14 years, 1 month and 28 days, making him the 7th youngest person to achieve the Grandmaster title in the history of chess.

Meanwhile, GM John Paul Gomez who beat fellow nine pointers Ma Qun of China in a tie break points in the 10th Parsvnath International Grandmasters Chess Tournament, has a live rating of 2553 after a plus 46.5 (rounding off 47 points) with a TPR 2601.The Binan, Laguna bet finished over-all second in the 10th Parsvnath International Grandmasters Chess Tournament.

The Filipino woodpushers who successfull in their India chess campaign is schedule to arrive Wednesday (January 25, 2012) via Malaysian Airlines at 2 pm at the Ninoy International Airport (formerly called the Manila International Airport, MIA). Marlon Bernardino

Final rankings after tie break points was applied:

9.5 points---GM Oliver Barbosa (PHILIPPINES)
9 points---GM John Paul Gomez (PHILIPPINES)
9 points---IM Lalith Babu M R (India)
8.5 points---GM Mark Paragua (PHILIPPINES)
8.5 points---Ma Qun (China)
8 points---GM Andrei Deviatkin (Russia)
8 points---Zeng Chongsheng (China)
8 points--- IM Vaibhav Suri (India)
8 points---IM Shyam Nikil (India)
8 points--- GM Abhijit Kunte (India)
8 points---IM Rathnakaran K (India)
8 points---IM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (India)
8 points---IM Thejkumar M S (India)
8 points---GM Martyn Kravtsiv (Ukraine)
8 points---GM Laxman RR (India)

Reported for Chess News Philippines by Marlon Bernardino