By Kristel Satumbaga
Past and present stars of Philippine chess come together in an online tournament on Sunday, each one eager to make a statement in the highly-anticipated Battle of the Grandmasters.
Eleven GMs, majority of whom are “semi-retired” or inactive, banner the 16-player cast vying for the total cash pot worth P100,000, including the P25,000 top prize in the event that coincides with the birthday of the association president Rep. Butch Pichay.
Eugene Torre, Julio Catalino Sadorra, Oliver Barbosa, John Paul Gomez, Jayson Gonzales, Richard Bitoon and Roland Salvador are looking for grand comebacks as they try to put one over reigning bullet king Mark Paragua, Banjo Barcenilla, Darwin Laylo, Joey Antonio and Janelle Mae Frayna, the country’s first and only Woman GM.
Also seeing action are International Master Angelo Young, FIDE Master Sander Severino, FM Narquinden Reyes and National Master Giovanni Mejia – who earned berths through a one-day qualifying tournament.
Sadorra, who has temporarily set aside playing after being named University of Texas-Dallas coach last year, is the top seed and faces off Mejia while the second-seeded Paragua tackles Frayna.
The 68-year-old Torre, who hasn’t been active since he took the coaching reins of the national men’s team, clashes with Severino, who crowned himself world rapid champion of IPCA exclusive for chessers with physical disability.
Other pairings pit Laylo with Antonio, Barcenilla with Young, Gomez with Salvador, Bitoon with Gonzales and Barbosa with Reyes.
The one-day tournament will use a knockout format where each will be given two games using time-control of 10 minutes with 10 seconds increment.
The “Armageddon” tiebreaker will be applied in case of a tie.
