Salgados makes it to top 10 list
-A A +ASaturday, June 2, 2012
GETTING the chance to face at least three Grandmasters, Cagayan de Oro ace Lennon Hart Salgados nearly succeeded in scoring an upset in the POC-PSC National Games Open Chess tournament which ended Friday in Dumaguete City.
The FEU Tamaraws standout, who refused an offer for a draw in a slight advantage position, apparently lost to GM Darwin Laylo and split the points in his later matches with GMs Richard Bitoon and Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr.
Still, the 19-year-old Salgados with his 4-win, 2-draw and 1-loss slate eventually made it to top-10 and the right to advance in the semifinal round of the country's qualifying games for this year's World Chess Olympiad.
"Sayang, na-winning ko kay GM Laylo ug GM Joey. Kung naay laptop maka-away gyod diay ko sa mga GMs," said the young chess whiz who was a pawn up against GM Laylo in a Catalan encounter when he blundered away in panic time scramble.
Against GM Antonio, Salgados reached a theoretically "won endgame" wherein he had a Bishop and two scattered pawns against the Knight of his top-seeded rival.
Each of them had only barely 30 seconds left on the clock when Salgados missed the winning Bb3 move.
"Cover lang ang Bishop sa light square para ma-promote ang pawn. Ayha pa nako nakita after nga nakatira na ko. Wala man gud ko nagkaon before sa final round," said Salgados, even as he's already guaranteed to up his elo ratings based on his solid performance against GM foes.
The top 20 finishers who will slug it out in Manila with the rest of the country's best titled players were GM Darwin Laylo, IMs Jan Emmanuel Garcia, Rolando Nolte and FM Paulo Bersamina at 5.5 points each; GM Rogelio Antonio Jr., Michael Joseph Pagaran, GM Eugenio Torre, Lennon Hart Salgados, NM Joey Albert Florendo and Ted Ian Montoyo at 5 points apiece; GM Richard Bitoon, Junaico Segismar, Rudell Siglos, NM Paulo James Florendo, Jose Mu¤oz, Cris Jose, NM Rolzon Roullo, Johnny Torralba, Ahmad Morsalim and NM Alexander Milagrosa at 4.5 points each and Lanao Norte pride Ben Polao who led a big group of 4 pointers. (LLS)
Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on June 02, 2012.
Sports
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