MONTESILVANO, Italy — The Philippine age-group chess team opened its campaign in the Fide World Youth Championship on a promising note Monday, November 13, as Fide masters (FMs) Christian Gian Karlo Arca of Panabo City and Mark Jay Bacojo won their respective matches in the first round of the standard events.
Competing at the Pala Dean Martin Centro Congressi, Arca led the way by beating India's Wadhawan Daaevik in the boys under-14 section, while Bacojo beat Albania's Kelvin Kosta in the boys under-18 section.
“The first round is one of the toughest rounds in any tournament. It usually sets the tone of how you’re going to perform,” said Arca.
Bacojo, for his part, said, "We hope to perform well in this event and gain some ELO rating points as well as the coveted IM norms."
Arca and Bacojo, both playing under the guidance of Dasmariñas Mayor Jenny Barzaga, Rep. Elpidio "Pidi" Barzaga Jr., and national coach FM Master Roel Abelgas earned their first of three IM norms during the 18th IGB Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysian Open Chess Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last September.
With the win, Arca will face FM Gustas Morkunas of Lithuania in the second round on Tuesday while Bacojo faces Tymon Ochedzan of Poland.
However, Mark Gabriel Usman and National Master Oscar Joseph Cantela dropped their opening matches against Leo Lin of Canada and John Heinrich of Germany in the Boys under-14 section and Boys under-16 section, respectively.
Jirah Floravie Cutiyog bannered the girl's squad as she outplayed Veronika Lorenz of Germany in the girls under-14 category.
" It was a tough match," said Cutiyog, who used her vast experience in the end game to prevail after 42 pushes of Sicilian Defense, Rossolimo Variation.
Cutiyog's next opponent is Poland's Zuzanna Gaszka.
Woman National Master Kaye Lalaine Regidor (Girls under-16 section) and Woman National Master Franchesca Largo (Girls under-18 section) also opened with wins, while Anica Shey Dimatangihan (Girls under-14 section) split her games. Marlon Bernardino