By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
The Philippines was granted one outright berth to the FIDE World Cup 2021 where the top two finishers will qualify directly to the World Candidates matches leading to the 2022 World Championship.
National Chess Federation of the Philippines Executive Director Cliburn Orbe said they would give that slot to the eventual winner of the national championship it is planning to hold before the deadline for submission of entry on June 5.
“Good news, FIDE has given the Philippines an automatic seed to the World Cup. Our national champion is automatically entered,” said Orbe in a post in the NCFP’s official Facebook page.
The wild card seat was granted after FIDE decided to expand its participation to 206 from 128 participants in the last edition topped by Azerbaijan’s Grandmaster Teimour Radjabov in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia two years ago.
Expected to battle it out for that spot are the country’s top chessers headed by Grandmasters Mark Paragua, Banjo Barcenilla, Julio Catalino Sadorra, Joey Antonio, Darwin Laylo, and John Paul Gomez.
For those who couldn’t clinch the lone spot, there is still one other possible path, the Continental qualifying tournament.
Several Filipinos have qualified for the World Cup in the past, among them Antonio, Paragua, Laylo, Sadorra, International Master Ronald Dableo, and Grandmaster Wesley So, who now represents the United States.
