Ronald, Wesley aim for GM titles
Two more Filipino-International Masters Wesley So and Ronald Dableo – will shoot for the last of the three required results to become a full-pledge Grandmaster when the
So, 14, and Dableo, 28, hope to join the elite group of Filipino GMs Eugene Torre, Joey Antonio, Mark Paragua, Bong Villamayor, Nelson Mariano II and newly minted GM Darwin Laylo as they lead the RP charge in the GMA Cup slated Nov. 22-28 at the Duty Free Fiesta Mall in
If they can’t accomplish the feat there, So, who notched his second GM norm in the World Juniors in
“The reason why we’re holding these tournaments is for us to produce more GMs,” said Pichay, who heads the National Chess Federation of the
No less than GM Nigel Short of England, Torre’s contemporary, was invited to join the weeklong, nine-round Swiss System format tournament along with the strong foreign challenge headed by the tough Chinese delegation spearheaded by GM Ni Hua, ranked 78th in the world and fifth back home with a 2641 rating.
Other foreign participants eyeing a piece of the total $70,000 being staked in the two events sanctioned by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and supported by Duty Free Philippines and Pagcor are from Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Iraq, Iran and Indonesia.
Aside from So and Dableo, Torre, Paragua and Antonio, IMs Barlo Nadera, Chito Garma and Richard Bitoon, FIDE Master Mirabeau Maga and Fernie Donguines, John Paul Gomez and Oliver Barbosa are also joining the GMA Cup staking $6,000 to champion, $5,000 to the runner-up and $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,500 to the third to sixth placers.
The champion of the Pichay Cup takes home $5,000 while the second to fifth placers will pocket $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000, respectively.
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