Antonio rules Tuguegarao Open, pursues bid to gain RP team slot
by Ed Andaya
Monday, 11 October 2010 18:25
Final standings:
8 points — R. Antonio, W. So
7.5 — O. Barbosa.
7 – A. Milagrosa, J. Gomez, O. Dimakiling, D. Laylo, M. Roque, R. Natividad, C. Lorena
6.5 – R. Llavanes, R. Nolte, B. Nadera, M. Asejo, B. Vehemente
TUGUEGARAO, Cagayan — GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. underscored his billing as the country’s top rapid player when he ruled the first PACE-Tuguegarao Open Chess Festival held at the Paseo Reale Mall here late Sunday.
Antonio, making a final push to be included in the Philippine team to the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China next month, finished with a nine-round total of eight points on seven wins and two draws to capture his first major title in local soil this year.
The multi-awarded campaigner from Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, who is hoping to regain his spot in the team following the suspension slapped on him by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), finished in a two-way tie for the top spot with top seed GM Wesley So with eight points but earned the title by virtue of higher tiebreak score.
Antonio and So, who drew their match in the sixth round, pocketed P17,5000 from the combined first and second cash prizes in this two-day festival organized by the Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence (PACE) in cooperation with Compuserve Land Surveying and Development Company and the Cagayan and Tuguegarao provincial and city governments.
In the ninth and final round, Antonio outduelled NM Rolando Nolte, while So whipped IM Oliver Dimakiling in a pair of keenly-watched matches in this two-day competition held in this historic province in the north known as ‘Fire City’.
“Talagang pinagbutihan ko para manalo dito sa Tuguegarao Open,” said Antonio, who is knocking on the door of NCFP president /chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay to be reinstated in the national team in time for the Asian Games.
“Gusto ko talagang makatulong uli sa national team sa Asian Games, kaya sana ma-consider ‘yung appeal ko to be reinstated to the team,” added Antonio, who was dropped from the national team for his failure to participate in the recent Pichay Cup and Campomanes Memorial held in Manila recently.
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Go Joey! You show em.
Joey could have made a huge difference at the Olympiad. If the “Senator” (kapal!) continues to rule with foolish pride rather than reason, let’s forget about any medal finish at the Asian Games.
You deserve it GM Joey Antonio to be still a part of the RP Team either ASIAN or the Olympiad! Sayang kung nakasali ka pa sa recently-finished Olympiad in Russia this year hindi sana kulilat ang Pilipinas! Ito masasabi ko kay Senador Pichay… “You should have considered GM Antonio in his appeal to be a part of the Olympiad. Joey is still the best chess fighter we have here sa Pinas!”