Antonio cops Millennium Grand Prix title, P1-M purse

GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. wanted to make a statement and he dramatized this by whipping NM Enrique Paciencia for the third straight time to cop the Chess Pambansa Millennium Grand Prix championship worth P1 million at the PNB Finance Center in Pasay yesterday.

Needing only a draw to clinch their best-of-four match, Antonio went for the victory just the same as Paciencia, who needed no less than a victory to stay alive in the series, made a sacrifice on the 30th move in his desperate bid to expose black's king and create some play.

But Antonio easily crushed the attack with accurate defensive moves to essay a 42-move triumph in their Reti game and prove beyond doubt that he remains the country's No. 1 chesser.

"Sa unang tingin mukhang malakas 'yung atake niya pero nung nakita ko na 'yung tamang depensa, wala rin pala," said the Quezon City-based Antonio, whose three-game sweep of Paciencia provided an anti-climactic ending to a tournament that started with a stunning defeat of top seed GM Eugene Torre.

Although there were other reversals that stirred the month-long championship, including Paciencia's romp in the elims through the semis where he shocked third seed IM Buenaventura Villamayor, Antonio played true to form, disposing of two of the best talents in the field -- IM Nelson Mariano II in the round of 16 and NM Richard Bitoon in the semis.

"Sa totoo lang, tabla lang talaga 'yung habol ko pero 'yung nakita kong nagpipilit siyang manalo, tinuluyan ko na rin siya," said Antonio, whose next tournament is the Invitational Open tournament in Bali, Indonesia early next month before proceeding to Vietnam to defend his Asian Zonals crown.

"Sa seryeng ito, pinakita lang ni Joey (Antonio) na mas superior siya sa akin. Ginawa ko nang lahat ang aking makakaya pero hindi pa rin umubra. Pero okay lang, masaya naman ako sa performance ko dahil isa nang achievement ang makapasok sa finals," said Paciencia, who settled for the runner-up prize of P144,000. --