Barce may finally attain GM status
MANILA, Philippines - US-based grandmaster Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla may finally gain his long-overdue GM title after 17 years when the International Chess Federation (FIDE) congress meets during the World Chess Olympiad next month in Russia.
FIDE delegate Casto “Toti” Abundo assured Barcenilla that he would endorse the application for his GM title during the 81st FIDE congress which will coincide with the 39th World Chess Olympiad set in Khanty, Mansiyk, Russia Sept. 21-Oct.3.
Barcenilla achieved his first GM norm in 1993 in Jakarta and picked up his second norm five years later in Subic. He gained his third GM norm in 2000 in New York and his fourth in 2009 in Phoenix.
The former Asian junior champion, who is now based in Chandler, Arizona, has an Elo rating of 2518, which ranks him fifth in the RP-FIDE list.
Barcenilla could have become the fourth Filipino GM after Eugene Torre, the late Rosendo Balinas and Rogelio Antonio, Jr. when he obtained the third and final GM result in the Marshall Chess Club GM Invitational in New York in June 2000.
However, the FIDE did not confirm Barcenilla’s GM status since his third norm was a result of a tournament which used the Marshall system. The tournament format was not included among those cited in FIDE’s guidelines that could bestow GM norms.
If the former San Sebastian stalwart gets his title he joins the ranks of RP’s elite circle of GMs which include Torre, Balinas, Antonio, Buenaventura “Bong” Villamayor, Nelson Mariano II, Mark Paragua, Jayson Gonzales,Wesley So, Darwin Laylo, John Paul Gomez and Joseph Sanchez.
Meanwhile, former Asian Zonal champion Ronald Dableo needs to raise his 2448 Elo to 2500 to complete his GM title status.
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