DANIEL Quizon battled fellow International Master Jan Emmanuel Garcia to a 30-move standoff in the 10th and penultimate round yesterday to virtually clinch the crown in the 2021 Philippine National Chess Championship at the Solea Hotel and Resort in Mactan, Cebu.
Needing just a draw to clinch the crown, Quizon, 17, did just that by holding his ground against Garcia’s King’s Indian Attack.
Quizon was battling IM Ronald Dableo in the last round at presstime but will still clinch the crown regardless of the result, having amassed eight points, two points ahead of Dableo, Grandmaster Darwin Laylo and IM Ricky de Guzman.
Laylo halved the point with IM Paulo Bersamina in 25 moves of a Petroff Defense while De Guzman drew with Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna in 66 moves of a London System.
Quizon is assured of the top purse of P80,000, a seat to next year’s Hanoi Southeast Asian Games and the 2023 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand and the distinction as the best in the land.
IM John Marvin Miciano posted the only triumph in the round at the expense of Dableo in 39 moves of a Reti Opening that catapulted the former to a share of No. 5 with Garcia with 5.5 points each.
In other games, IM Joel Pimentel split the point with IM Michael Concio Jr. in 30 moves of a Petroff and GM Joey Antonio settled for a 30-move standoff with Allan Pason in a Caro-Kann.
The event is supported by Barkadahan Para sa Bansa partylist, Philippine Sports Commission, CCLEX, Metro Pacific Tollways (MPTC), Alin Cargo, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, POC president Bambol Tolentino, Chess Movement Inc., chair Dr. Ariel Potot, RiChess Masters and Atty. Roel Canobas.
