INTERNATIONAL Master Michael Concio Jr. humbled former leader Gabriel Ryan Paradero in 55 moves of a King’s Indian Attack to rule the Philippine National Juniors Chess Championships for the second straight year at the PACE last Monday night.
Concio outplayed Paradero right in the opening phase, sacrificing a piece for a vicious kingside attack and extracted the full point to seize the crown with 6.5 points.
It also gave the Dasmarinas bet a ticket to the World Juniors Championships in February next year in Petrovac, Montenegro where he would have a chance to seize a dream Grandmaster title should he end up ruling that tournament.
He also went home with the top purse of P20,000 in the tilt organized by the National Chess Federation and backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Lexie Hernandez, who topped the girls’ section earlier, is joining Concio in Petrovac.
Paradero dropped into a three-man logjam for second with Cedric Khalel Abris and FIDE Master Mark Jay Bacojo with six points each but wound up fourth because he had the lowest tiebreak score.
Abis, who shocked former national juniors’ titlist FM Alekhine Nouri, took second while Bacojo, who turned back Phil Martin Casiguran, claimed third.
