Pascua to get IM title with assistance from BMC reader
Harley F. Palangchao

After 25 years of drought, Baguio will have an international master in chess by August this year.

Thanks to 20-year-old Haridas Pascua for putting back Baguio in the world map of chess after the late Andronico Yap. Pascua was able to pay his fee for the IM title in Manila last week.

Pascua’s father, Bert, said they already wired P10,000 to the Switzerland-based FIDE office before the June 5 deadline.

“We hope that by August, we will receive the IM title for Haridas, who will be training for an incoming international competition to be able to get the grand master norm,” the older Pascua said.

This was made possible after Filipino architect Wenceslao Coderes immediately responded to the appeal of the chess wizard for kindred souls to help him raise the much-needed fund for him to be conferred the IM title.

Coderes, a senior engineering manager of Afrina Est. for Construction & Urban Dev. based in Saudi Arabia, corresponded with the Baguio Midland Courier and informed of his desire to help Pascua.

After series of communications with the Courier, Coderes wired P11,180 directly to Pascua through Western Union.

Coderes expressed hope that Pascua will get GM norms in the future.

Pascua, the chess wiz from the University of Baguio, has recently acquired his third and final norm and ELO rating of 2418 last month, but he did not have the 165 Euros required to formalize his title until Coderes responded to his plea.

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.


Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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