BUDAPEST. – The Philippines got off to an amazing start in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad at the BOK Sports Hall here on Wednesday, blanking Aruba in the men’s division and Malawi in the women’s side.
Living up to the hype, International Master Daniel Quizon and Ruelle Canino shone in their debut in the tourney, with the former humbling FIDE Master Juan Pablo De Mey in 35 moves of a Sicilian Dragon on board one and the latter weaving the English Opening like a magic wand with a 35-move win over Anne Simwabe on board four.
Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda scored the first victory for the country here by smashing Tupokiwe Msukwa in 35 moves of an English on board three, barely edging the 16-year-old Canino by a few seconds in doing it.
Grandmaster John Paul Gomez, WGM Janelle Mae Frayna, WIM Shania Mae Mendoza, IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia and Quizon, whose trip is bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission through chairman Richard Bachmann and commissioner Ed Hayco and by NCFP chief Butch Pichay, then posted victories one after the other.
IM Paulo Bersamina, not knowing he was in deep time trouble, capped what was a momentous day by sending stubborn Ilya Stetsenko on his knees on board two.
“Great start,” said national women’s coach GM Jayson Gonzales, whose charges then went into the chess exhibitions in the next building and bought some discounted chess books.
But the celebration is expected to be short-lived as the Filipinos face tougher foes from here, the heavily favored Germans in the men’s class and the Americans waiting for them in the second round Thursday night.
The seventh-seeded Germans, consisting of an all-super GM squad of Dmitrij Kollars, Matthias Bluebaum, Alexander Donchenko and Frederik Svane, flattened Madagascar 3.5-.5, while the powerhouse No. 7 Americans, composed of IM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova, IM Carissa Yip, GM Irina Krush and IM Anna Zatonskih, grounded Jordan 4-0 to set in motion their respective medal bids.
The Filipinos are expected to field the same set of rosters in the second round of the 11-round tournament in their bid to stay on track for a potential top 20, possibly better, finish.
