FIDE set to take up Barcenilla’s GM application
Cebu Daily News First
Posted 06:09:00 08/08/2010
US-BASED Filipino Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla’s dream of finally claiming his long-overdue grandmaster title, got a major boost yesterday after FIDE, the chess governing body, decided to take up his application next month during the FIDE Congress which will coincide with the 2010 World Chess Olympiad.
The 39th Olympiad and 81st FIDE Congress will be held in Khanty, Mansiyk, Russia from Sept. 21 to Oct. 3.
Barcenilla achieved his 1st GM norm in 1993 in Jakarta and picked up his 2nd norm five years later in Subic. He earned his 3rd GM norm in 2000 in New York and his 4th in 2009 in Phoenix. Barcenilla’s best ELO rating is 2518.
Barcenilla became the fourth Filipino GM after Eugene Torre, the late Rosendo Balinas and Rogelio Antonio, Jr. when he obtained his mandatory third norm in the Marshall Chess Club GM Invitational in New York in June 2000.
However, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) did not confirm Barcenilla’s GM status since his third norm was a earned in a tournament that employs the Marshall system, which is not one of those included in the FIDE guidelines.
If the former Asian Junior champion Barcenilla, will finally receive his GM title next month, he will join the ranks of RP’s elite group of GMs that includes Torre, Balinas, Antonio, Buenaventura “Bong” Villamayor, Nelson Mariano II, Mark Paragua, Jayson Gonzales, Wesley So, Darwin Laylo, John Paul Gomez and Joseph Sanchez.
Barcenilla is currently No. 5 in the FIDE-RP list with an ELO of 2518 points.
Meanwhile, another Filipino, Ronald Dableo, the former Asian Zonal champion must raise his Elo of 2448 to 2500 to complete his GM title status.
Correspondent MARLON BERNARDINO
Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net
He should get his GM title.