Antonio wants to re-invent self
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/
JOEY Antonio will be 46 years old next month. He has spent his 16 years as a chess grandmaster fighting off challenges, especially from Father Time in the last few years.
The January ELO ratings showed Antonio as the country’s top player by only three points over Wesley So, who became a grandmaster at the age of 14 last month.
But Antonio has lost 22 ELO points since hitting his peak of 2551 in January 2007. How long will he continue to remain on top?
Antonio said he will yield the no. 1 throne to So inevitably, but not after trying to overhaul his game this year.
“I have to change certain aspects of my game. It’s a different game now, and I am facing younger foes,” said Antonio in a phone interview Thursday night.
He will not say what these changes are since he and chess legend Eugene Torre are preparing for one big payday, a match that is to take place in April.
Their first and only match took place 10 years ago and was drawn after 12 games. Now, as one expert commented: “It is a match among players who have to yield to Time.”
Antonio admits that So will pass him one day, because Wesley is talented and studies the game.
“There are many players, who are talented but don’t work at their game while there are others who work but don’t have the talent. Wesley is an exception,” said Antonio.
Antonio said seeing So play in front of him in international team events, like the Olympiad, won’t be any problem. “I never had ambitions to play Board 1, although I have replaced Eugene in some games abroad,” Antonio pointed out.
Noting the swift emergence of grandmasters like So and Darwin Laylo last year, Antonio said this serves as good competition.
“We can form a strong national team, all grandmasters, and there are players who can step up when needed,” he explained.
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Good for him! Age is not a barrier!