FILIPINO National Master (NM) Elwin H. Retanal clinched the title at the 2nd Only Move International Fide Rated Rapid Chess Tournament, held on June 30, 2025, at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Retanal finished with a perfect 7.0 score, outplaying several top-seeded contenders, including Egyptian Grandmaster (GM) Abdelrahman Hesham in Round 6—his toughest match of the tournament.
“He beat me in our first encounter, and he was the second seed in this tournament, so winning that round felt great,” Retanal said.
The 46-year-old chess master from Malita, Davao Occidental, admitted he hadn’t expected to win.
“In the final round, I was ready to settle for a draw, but my opponent made a mistake in the middle game. He was out to beat me after I defeated his fellow Egyptian GM in the previous round—it felt personal,” he shared.
With just a week’s notice before the tournament, Retanal had little time to prepare.
"My chess friends here in Riyadh informed me about the tournament just a week before. So I just played online tournaments as short training for myself,” he said.
Now based in Riyadh, Retanal works as a captain waiter at an Italian restaurant. He represents the Malita Chess Club and the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP). As champion, he received SAR 6,000 (around ₱90,500), while the top 10 finishers also earned cash prizes ranging from SAR 6,000 to SAR 200.
Asked for advice to aspiring players, Retanal said, “Train consistently through online games and join tournaments. That’s the only secret. Stay disciplined—and always pray.” Dia Mae M. Pandolo, Spamast Intern