Phenom and Veteran head RP team

So, Torre head RP team for Chess Olympiad
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 09/21/2010 4:03 PM Updated as of 09/21/2010 8:28 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Teenage grandmaster (GM) Wesley So and Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre will head a young Philippine chess team to the 39th World Chess Olympiad at the Complex “Arena Ugra” of Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

Joining So and Torre are GMs Darwin Laylo, John Paul Gomez and International Master (IM) Richard Bitoon, who is seeking his third and final GM norm.

“It’s a young but talented team led by the country’s top player (So) and most-experienced player (Torre). We’re confident we will do well in this tournament,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president-chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay.

“With Wesley playing his best games so far and Eugene providing the much-needed leadership in the team, the Filipinos are capable of surpassing our 46th-place finish in Germany two years ago,” added Pichay.

The Chess Olympiad starts on Tuesday.

The Philippine team will have Team Korea as its first assignment.

So, Gomez, Laylo and Bitoon will face Koreans Lee Sanghoon, Lee Kiyul, Chogdov Munkhbat and Jung Young Moon.

The women’s squad, meanwhile, is made up of veteran campaigners Cheradee Chardine Camacho, Catherine Perena, Shercila Cua, Rulp Ylem Jose and Jedara Docena.

Accompanying the 10-man Filipino delegation are NCFP executive Willie Abalos and coaches Atty. Edmundo Legaspi (men’s team) and former Olympian NM Cesar Caturla (women’s team).

Here is the full article.