By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
International Master Daniel Quizon trounced Woman IM Marie Antoinette San Diego in the seventh round Wednesday, Jan. 3, to stretch his lead to a full point over his closest pursuers in the Philippine National Chess Championships at the Marikina Community Convention Center.
The 19-year-old Dasmariñas bet needed 52 moves of a King’s Indian Defense to outplay San Diego and improve his tally to six points.
That gave him a one point cushion over IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia and Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna in this 13-round event presented by Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro and Congresswoman Maan Teodoro.
Garcia drew with GM John Paul Gomez in 29 moves of an English Opening while Frayna outlasted veteran IM Barlo Nadera in a marathon 68-move win of a Torre Attack to share No. 2 with five points apiece.
For Frayna, she’s closing in on becoming the first Filipina to ever play in the men’s national team in the Olympiad assuming she could sustain her sensational showing and stay on course in claiming the three berths staked to the World Chess Olympiad in September in Budapest, Hungary.
Half a point behind Garcia and Frayna were Gomez, FIDE Master Mark Jay Bacojo and unheralded Vince Angelo Medina, who stunned GM Darwin Laylo in 62 moves of an English duel.
Bacojo, who is also chasing an IM title, split the point with Samson Chiu Chin Lim III in 58 moves of a Scandinavian encounter.
Still in the hunt with four points apiece where IM Paulo Bersamina, who smashed John Jerish Velarde in 35 moves of a Nimzo-Indian Defense, and 14-year-old wunderkind FM Christian Gian Karlo Arca, who eked out a 46-move draw with GM Joey Antonio in 46 moves of a Modern Defense.
Apart from Olympiad seats, the event also hands out P120,000 to the champion courtesy of Marikina City, NCFP chairman president Prospero Pichay, Jr., POC president Abraham Tolentino, PSC chair Richard Bachmann, the Eugene Torre Chess Foundation and Pan de Amerikana’s Jundio Salvador.
