Indian IM opens Asian jr chess title defense

MANILA, Philippines - The Asian Junior Chess Championships unfolds today with Filipino IMs Jan Emmanuel Garcia and Paulo Bersamina seeking to foil Indian IM Narayanan Srinath’s title-retention drive at the Tagaytay International Convention Center in Tagaytay City.

The second-seeded Garcia, winner of the Asian Under-18 crown last year, and the No. 3 Bersamina, an Olympiad veteran, hope to come out strong against a field that includes Fide Master Sumiya Bilguun of Mongolia, Haque Siam Ikramul of Bangladesh, Bibek Thing of Nepal, Al Rashedi Mayed and Ahmad Al Zarouni of the United Arab Emirates and Radcliffe Paras.

But Srinath remains the player to beat with the talented Indian, boasting of a 2461 rating, out to duplicate his victory in the region’s premier 20-and-under tournament in Sharjah, UAE last year.

Meanwhile, Fide sec-gen and Rep. Abraham Tolentino will grace the opener of the event at 1 p.m. along with DepEd assistant secretary Tonisito Umali and Asian Chess Federation executive director Casto Abundo.

Other Filipino bets competing are Shell active chess campaigners Marc Christian Nazario, Daryl Unix Samantila, John Merill Jacutina and Istraelito Rilloraza.