Filipino Chess Icon Eugene Torre Upbeat About National Chess Team
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Filipino chess icon GM Eugene Torre has said that while the Filipinos finished 21st in the recent Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, they proved that they can slug it out with the world’s elite, beating top teams Bulgaria and England. The Filipinos even moved to joint second in a field of 143 after a draw with No. 4 Hungary and victories over the Bulgarians and the Englishmen. But defeats to China and Romania in the closing rounds spoiled their remarkable run, according to an article in The Philippine Star.
“It was an eye-opener that we could slug it out with the elite teams,” said Torre, Asia’s first grandmaster who at 60 remains as sharp as ever.
Read more »Labels: eugene torre, mark paragua, oliver barbosa, oliver dimakiling, Wesley So
Philippines Chess: Dimakiling in Sole Lead after 11 Rounds
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
The 2012 National Chess Open is being played in Manila to select the Philippines' teams for the upcoming Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey. International Master (IM) Oliver Dimakiling defeated National Master (NM) Giovanni Mejia late Sunday to maintain sole lead after 11 rounds.
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| IM Oliver Dimakiling |
Dimakiling, who earned his second Grand Master (GM) norm last Saturday, improved his total to 17.0 points after 11 rounds. GM Mark Paragua remained in second place with 16.0 points following his victory over fellow GM Roland Salvador.
Meanwhile, the battle for the third spot – and the final outright slot in the men’s team for this year’s World Chess Olympiad – heated up after the top contenders settled for draws.
GM Darwin Laylo split the point with GM Eugene Torre, while GM Rogelio 'Joey' Antonio also drew with GM John Paul Gomez. Laylo and Antonio hiked their total to 14.0 points. Meanwhile, GM Julio Catalino Sadorra was just half a point behind after beating Fide Master Haridas Pascua. Torre and Gomez remain in the hunt with 12.0 points each.
The event is scored using the Torre-Pichay system, a method formulated by Torre and National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president and chairman Prospero 'Butch' Pichay Jr.
In this system, a win equals two points, a draw is one point, a loss is zero, and a stalemate counts as 1.5 points for the last player to make a move and 0.5 for the player who can no longer make a move. Top Filipino player Wesley So is already assured of a slot in the Olympiad. The NCFP also has the option of picking up a fifth player for the team.
Meanwhile, in the women’s division, IM Catherine Perena toppled Eden Tumbos to raise her total of 17.0 points and keep the lead. NM Janelle Mae Frayna remained in second place with 15.0 points after a draw against Krizza Lyn Abasolo, while NM Jedara Docena climbed into third with 14.5 points after a stalemate against Shania Mae Mendoza.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Labels: eugene torre, giovanni mejia, mark paraguay, oliver dimakiling, philippines chess
Philippines National Chess Semifinals - Dimakiling, Pascua, Roderick in Joint Lead
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
The chess playing style of Philippines is so different from the rest of the world. We wonder about the nice games being played at the Philippine National Chess Championship semifinals that are on in Manila at present.
Six men and eight women chess players would be selected from these semi-finals to advance to the finals. Twelve Filipino grandmasters and six top women chess players from last year’s chess championship have already qualified for the final. The final would also help select the Philippines national chess teams for the 2012 World Chess Olympiad to be held in Istanbul, Turkey in August. The three leaders after six rounds with 5 points each are IM Oliver Dimakiling and FMs Haridas Pascua and Roderick Nava.
In the women's section, WNM Jan Jodilyn Fronda leads with 5.5 points. She is followed by WFM Marie Antoinette San Diego and Bernadette Galas.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Also see her personal blog at
Labels: haridas pascua, oliver dimakiling, philippines chess, roderick nava
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