Friday, September 29, 2006 Davao's Dimakiling, Gomez to play in Europe events
NATIONAL Master John Paul Gomez was schedule to leave on board Lufthansa Airlines last night to represent the country in the upcoming 2006 World Junior Chess Championship on October 2-17 in Yerevan, Armenia.
This is not the first time that the 20-years-old Gomez, a mechanical engineer student in DLSU-Taft, will be seeing action in th prestigious FIDE rated event.
Five years ago, Gomez had competed in the same event and finished in a tie for 18th-30th place. The winner that time as Hungrarian GM Peter Acse.
"For flag and country I will do my very best," The Binan, Laguna-based Gomez said during a courtesy call at the office of NCFP president and Surigao del Sur representative Prospero 'Butch' Pichay Jr. in Batasan Complex in Quezon City Wednesday.
Gomez was accompanied by GM candidate Oliver Dimakiling of Davao City, who will act his second/trainer in the tournament.
"Kailangan lamang ng big break ng mga bata sa labas ng bansa para makakuha ng GM title norms," said Pichay, who supported the European trip of Gomez and Dimakiling.
In the recently concluded 2006 Malaysian Open, Dimakiling finish in a tie for first with eventual champion Vietnamese GM Dao Thien Hai to en route his first GM norm.
Gomez, on the other hand, secured his coveted IM norm.
After the World Junior Chess Championship, Gomez and Dimakiling will compete in the III Calvia Chess Festival in Calvia, Spain on October 20-29 and 2006 Offene Internationale Bayerishe Schuch Meisterschaft in Bad Wiessee, Germany on November 4-14, before going back to the country to play in the 2006 President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Cup International Chess Championship on November 17-23.
Venue of GMA Cup will be either Pagcor Paranaque or Duty Free NAIA.
The event offers a total p;rize of S$26,000 or P1.3 million.
