Grandmaster Joey Antonio remains the highest-rated Filipino chesser for now.
Antonio, 46, kept his place on top in the recent rankings released quarterly by the International Chess Federation or FIDE with a 2529 rating despite the emergence of new GMs Wesley So and Darwin Laylo.
So, currently the youngest GM in the world at 14, failed to zoom past Antonio at the helm after losing five points and would have to wait another three months at second place with a 2526 rating.
Antonio actually lost 11 points but his present rating kept him at No. 1, ahead of the fast-improving So.
So, who secured the last of three results required to become a full-fledged GM in the World Juniors in Yerevan, Armenia, is expected to overtake Antonio soon since he is playing top board for the first time for the RP team competing in the Asian Team Championship set Jan. 2 in India.
Former RP No. 1 GM Mark Paragua was at No. 3 with 2521, barely ahead of former RP top board player GM Eugene Torre, who has slipped to No. 4 with a 2519 rating.
Laylo, 27, stagnated at No. 5 with a 2508 after playing just two games in the last three months against French No. 1 GM Etienne Bacrot in the prestigious World Cup last November in Russia.
The two-time RP Open champion drew his first game against Bacrot in a match he should have won before losing their second game to crash out of the tournament early.
Rounding up the top 10 were International Masters Rogelio Barcenilla Jr. (2503), Joseph Sanchez (2492), Oliver Dimakiling (2484), John Paul Gomez (2469) and Europe-based Roland Salvador (2462).
IM Ronald Dableo, back from a shortened suspension, is fast climbing his way back into the top 10 as he is currently at No. 12 with 2452.
Dableo, 29, is being tipped to become the country’s eighth GM since he already has two of the required three norms.
Catherine Perena overtook Shercila Cua as the highest rated lady chesser in the land with a 2234 rating against the 2203 of the latter.