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Thursday, July 4, 2013

Elwin Retanal Wins Al Riyadh International Chess Open

12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013

Hi everyone, 

National Master (NM) Elwin Retanal, who hails from Malita, Davao del Sur, emerged champion in the recently-concluded Al Riyadh International Chess Open Tournament at Al Riyadh Saladin Hotel in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Retanal finished with 10 points in the 11-round Swiss System format competition to pocket the champion's prize of 5,000 Riyal, around P58,000. Retanal, with an ELO Rating of 2350, bested international master (IM) Tissir Mohamed of Morocco (9.5 points) and Fide master (FM) Ayyad Husain of Bahrain (8.5) who settled for second and third, respectively.

Alvin Alcala of the Philippines was fourth, leading other eight-pointers Abdel Ghani Wael of Egypt, Yassin Ahmed Ismail of Egypt, FM Ayya Maher of Bahrain and FM Samhouri A. of Jordan via superior tiebreaks.

Saudi-based Retanal, in a Facebook chat with Sun.Star Davao, said he is set to claim his FM title after one month.

"I'm just waiting for my title from Fide," said Retanal who crowned himself back-to-back champion after also bagging the title of the Riyadh Chess Open. The 84th-ranked Retanal posted 10 wins, including a stunning upset over top-seed IM Tissir Mohamed and second-seed FM Samhouri A. in the sixth and ninth rounds, respectively, and one loss to ninth-ranked Gaafar Hassan of Egypt in the seventh round.

He also obtained victories over Al Roki Mansour of KSA, Nimer Mohammad of Jordan, FM Janahi Zeyaad and Ayyad Husain of Bahrain, Al-Hajiri Bader of Kuwait, Alcala, Gamal Abdel Hakam of Egypt and Al Ghamdi Ahmed M. of KSA. He is set to compete in the Al Khobar International Chess Open slated today, hoping for another victory.

The Cebu City-born Retanal, 1997 Philippine Junior Open champion, works at Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University in KSA.

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