I have various people coming forward to help pay for this fee. IM-elect Pacua, please contact me ASAP so we can take care of your title. – Susan 

Baguio’s chess wizard needs funds to fully claim IM title
Harley F. Palangchao

With funds already exhausted in his series of travels to represent Baguio, a 20-year-old international master is raising funds to fully claim the IM title.

Newly installed IM Haridas Pascua, the chess wizard from the University of Baguio, needs at least 165 Euros (close to P10,000) to be fully conferred the title.

If conferred the IM title, Pascua, a third year Information Technology student at UB, will be the second IM from Baguio, after 25 years next to the late Andronico Yap, who died in 1990.

Pascua’s enthronement to IM came after he acquired his third and final norm and Elo rating of 2418 last month.

“Harry is not eager to get the formal title since they do not have the money to pay. His father is jobless,” said UB chess coach Joseph Codiaman.

“We are sending the SOS already but it appears that we can’t get the amount since we also need to send two young UB students to the Macau age group chess championships next month,” Codiaman said.

Pascua has been actively pursuing the lofty IM title after earning his FIDE Master title in 2009 and second to super Grand Master Wesley So in many junior championships internationally.

In August 2010, he took his first norm by playing good in the 6th Pichay Cup in Manila where he earned 4.5 points in the nine-round tournament where he drew with three GMs and with then IM Ronald Dableo, who is now a GM candidate after getting three GM norms.

In Oct. 17, 2011, the 20-year-old capped his second norm when he made 5.5 points in nine rounds of the 2nd Indonesian Open Chess Championship where he beat two GMs, Cao Sang of Vietnam and compatriot Mark Paragua.

Last month, Pascua took his third norm by finishing strong and within the top five in the Dyth Raja Dr. Nazrin KL International Open where he scored 6.5 points of a possible nine.

Pascua had five wins, three draws, and a single loss to India’s RR Laxman. He registered a win over Bangladeshi GM Murshed Naz and drew with Indian Neelophal Das.

The other week, 12-year-old chess wizard Bea Mendoza, a UB high school student, also asked for support to be able to continue to represent Baguio and the country in international games.

Bea has excelled in her studies and in chess and has represented the Philippines abroad several times in the age-group category but received zero support from possible private sponsors.

Last year, she represented the Philippines in the under-12 age group in Iran and in Thailand in the under-14 age ASEAN group chess where she won a gold.

Source: http://baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Susan Polgar May 21, 2014 General News 8 Comments
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