Sadorra's 4th Place Finish

Extra!!! The Chess Plaza Weekender
Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007
Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City
Special Edition

SINGAPORE MASTERS OPEN

Sadorra ends up 4th, Dimakiling in 10th!

TWO Filipino International Masters, Julio Catalino Sadorra and Oliver Dimakiling, finished among the top 10 in the 44-player Singapore Masters Open held from December 16 to 22 at the city state’s Royal Park Hotel.

The top three winners were GMs Zurab Azmaiparashvili of Georgia, Zhang Zhong of Singapore and Chanda Sandipan of India, in that order.

Azmaiparashvili took the first place on tiebreak over Zhang with 7.0 points each while Sandipan was in solo third with 6.5. The champion is also vice president of the World Chess Federation (Fide).

GM Zhang, a former champion of China, avenged his loss to IM Sadorra in the Prospero Pichay Cup held earlier this month by beating the Filipino in the seventh round..

It was Sadorra’s only loss, after which he held two other grandmasters to draws—Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia in the eighth and Wu
Shaobin of Singapore in the ninth and final round—to finish in fourth place on tiebreak over three grandmasters and two IMs.

Sadorra who garnered 6.0 points from four wins, four draws and one loss emerged as the only IM to finish among the top five players.

He and Dimakiling were the only Filipinos among the six competing in the event to finish among the top 10.

Dimakiling took the 10th place with 5.5 points on tiebreak over three others—GMs Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam in 11th, Mark Paragua of the Philippines in 12th and Lin Chen of China in 13th places.

Three other Filipinos in the race were IMs Jayson Gonzales and Enrique Paciencia, who took the 17th and 19th slots with 5.0 each, and NM Rolando Andrade in 29th with 4.0. Andrade had finished among the top 10 in the Second President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Cup.

Among those surpassed by Sadorra on tiebreak were GMs Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam, Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia, who ended up in fifth and sixth places, and Wu himself in ninth.

The two IMs who also had 6.0 points each were R.R. Laxman and P.D.S, Girinath, both of India. They finished in sixth and eighth places, respectively.

It was not known whether IM Sadorra, who had earned his first GM norm in the Third Pichay Cup held at the Duty Free Fiesta Mall in Parañaque City early this month, had also achieved a GM result in Singapore.

Sadorra has been picked by NCFP president Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr. to be on the national squad for the Asian Team Championships for men and women. It will get under way on January 2, 2008 in the southern Indian city of Visakhapatnam.

Pichay who is also deputy president of the Asian Chess Federation plans to put the country’s newest and youngest grandmaster, 14-year-old Wesley So, on board one, with the support of veteran GMs Mark Paragua,.Eugenio Torre and Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr, and IM Sadorra.

Sadorra made big waves in both the PGMA Cup where he upset the top seed, GM Ni Hua of China in the first round, and the Pichay Cup, where he also stunned GM Zhang in the second round.

He had fluctuating results in both tournaments, however, and finished 17th in the PGMA and 13th in the Pichay Cup, where he also achieved his first GM result.

In the Asian Team event, Pichay also wants to field the women’s squad that finished high in the 37th World Olympiad in Turin, Italy last year—namely, Sheerie Joy Lomibao, Beverly Mendoza, Sherily Cua and Catherine Pereña.

It is understood that one more female player will be added as reserve.

The event is being hosted by the All India Chess Federation and organized jointly by the East Coast Chess Academy and the Andhra Pradesh Chess Association.

Pichay has also announced three to five international events being lined up for next year in the Philippines, which is now recognized worldwide for its chess renaissance.

IN MEMORY OF THE CHESS-PLAYING NATIONAL HERO

2nd Rizal Day Executive joust set

THE National Chess Federation of the Philippines is set to stage the Second Rizal Day Executive Chess Championship at the Luneta Chess Plaza in Manila’s Rizal Park on Sunday, December 30.

It will be held under the sponsorship of the Tagaytay City government headed by Mayor Abraham N. Tolentino, who is also the NCFP’s secretary general.

The seven-round Swiss tournament will have a time control of 25 minutes per game per player and will get under way soon after the 10 a.m. opening ceremony.

A P23,000 jackpot is up for grabs, as follows: first prize P7,000, second P5,000, third P3,000, fourth P2,000, and fifth to 10th, P1,000 each. The first to third prizewinners will each get a trophy while the fourth to 10th finishers will eace receive a medal.

Entry fee is P600 which will also cover lunch. Due to space limitations, participation in the event would be limited to the first 40 players to register, the organizers said.

Registration is still going on. Interested parties may contact the NCFP office on the second floor of the Philippine Sports Commission office, Administration Building of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, tel. 381-7224 or cellphone No. 09053269576, or email NCFPsecretariat@yahoo.com.

QMC Plaza to host boys & girls joust Dec. 27

CALLING all boys and girls aged 14 and below in Quezon City and its environs!

A Christmas holiday tournament will be held at the Quezon Memorial Circle Chess Plaza on Thursday, December 27, for youngsters of both genders who are 14 years old or younger.

Registration will only be P100 per player and there will be prizes for the winners.

Tournament director will be Alex Dinoy.

Interested parties may contact Alfredo V. Chay at the offices of the Quezon City Parks Development Foundation at the Circle, landline 435-3600 or 924-3395, or cellphone No. 0919-4512384.

They may register with club manager Ray Hipolito at the chess plaza on or before Thursday.

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Although I have not received any announcements from WNM Mila Emperado's Metropolitan Chess Club, I was told by one of my students, that there would be an MCC Tournament from December 29 to 30 2007.

Good luck to all the players and organizers! Most of the tournaments I've watched, organized by MCC has always been successful!

Remember, chess playing strenght is important to win tournaments but Organizational and Managerial Skills the ones one must have to organize and successfully implement a chess tournament.

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Stay away from chess people who poses as someone who knows everything but can't deliver!!! Plus tha fact that all they know is to criticize the only Chess Federation we have in our land. Hay naku!

Congratulations to the people of the NCFP! Be aware thugh that there's a newly formed chess group that knows one thing, that is to discredit the National Chess Federation.

Bye!