BUDAPEST, Hungary. – The Philippines battled Aruba in the men’s division and Malawi in the women’s side as action opened last night in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad at the BOK Sports Hall here.
Ranked 51st out of a record 197 participants in the men’s section, the Filipinos were expected to prevail over the 153rd-ranked Aruban side that only has a single FIDE Master and two Candidate Masters against the Philippines’ all-masters squad.
International Masters Daniel Quizon and Paulo Bersamina, Grandmaster John Paul Gomez and IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia received their marching order to go for the kill early while awaiting the team’s top board player, GM Julio Catalino Sadorrra.
Sadorra is scheduled to arrive Friday, in time for the third round.
The women’s side made a surprise move by putting WGM Janelle Mae Frayna on board two and WFM Shania Mae Mendoza to board one from her usual designation at the lower boards to give the team more chances of winning.
That meant it will be Mendoza, Frayna, WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda and teenage sensation Ruelle Canino suiting up with WIM Bernadette Galas as alternate versus their lower ranked African foes
The national team’s participation here is bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission through chairman Richard Bachmann and commissioner Ed Hayco and NCFP chief Butch Pichay.
“The goal is to have more winning chances. Besides, we only need 2.5 points to win a match,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines chief executive officer and national women’s coach GM Jayson Gonzales.
Under tournament rules in the 11-round meet, a victory is worth two points and a draw one point.
Both the country’s squads are eyeing at least a top 20 finish, possibly higher, and eclipse the 32nd-place finish in the men’s and 39th in the women’s class in the last Olympiad in India two years ago.
