Pascua eyes IM status in int’l chess tilt

BARELY needing 14 points to formalize his International Masters (IM) title, University of Baguio’s Haridas Pascua sets his sight on the 1st Chairman’s Cup International Chess Championship to be held at the Teachers Camp.

Slated from January 13 to 21, the international competition marks the return of international; chess competition in Baguio City and the FIDE Master Pascua will be among the top contenders in the tournament which is expected to draw top wood pushers all over the world.

Roughly P1.3 million in cash prizes will be at stake in the 9-round Swiss System -- which has a time control of 90 minutes for the whole game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one.

The country’s reigning National Juniors Chess Champion Pascua, has an Elo rating of 2386 and is just 14 points from formalizing his IM title which will be his target in the Teacher’s Camp event.

Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess.

The Mangatarem, Pangasinan native earned his third and final International Master norm during the 2nd Indonesia Chess Championship held in Jakarta, Indonesia on Oct. 9-17 where he defeated GMs Michael Paragau, a compatriot, and Vietnam’s Cao Sang.

A norm in chess is a high level of performance in a tournament. Several norms are one of the requirements to receive a title such as Grandmaster — the highest title a chess player can attain — from the international organization Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), also known as the World Chess Federation.

Pascua has earlier nailed his first norm during the 4th Prospero Pichay International Cup in Paranaque in 2008 and his second at the sixth edition of the same cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in 2010

The Pichay Cup, which will give free board and lodging to the first 15 GMs with Elo rating of 2500 or more is giving US$6,000 to the winner, US$ 4,000 for the runner up and US$ 3,000 for the third place.

The 4th placer gets US$ 2,000, US$ 1,500 for fifth and US$1,000 to the 6th-13th finishers. Prizes will be given up to the 24th placer.