Chess: Antonio, Laylo and Dableo bid for Asian Indoor Games crown

MANILA, Sept. 8 (PNA) -- The best and the brightest in local chess, led by World Chess Cup-bound GMs Rogelio Antonio Jr. and Darwin Laylo and GM-elect Ronald Dableo, are vying in the grand finals for the 2009 Asian Indoor Games that get underway Wednesday at the Employees’ Lounge of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) Bldg. in Diliman, Quezon City.

Antonio and Laylo, who will represent the country in the World Chess Cup scheduled in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia later this year, and Dableo, who nailed his third and last GM norm during the Malaysian Open chess championship last month, will lead the cast in the 17-player men’s division.

“With most of the country’s top players competing, we expect another battle royale in the next four days,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay.

Pichay, also the chairman of the LWUA, is expected to grace the opening ceremony, along with NCFP secretary-general and Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and NCFP executive/events director Willie Abalos.

Also seeing action in the single-round robin tournament are GMs John Paul Gomez, Mark Paragua, Jayson Gonzales and Buenaventura “Bong” Villamayor, IMs Rolando Nolte, Barlo Nadera, NMs Emmanuel Senador, Rhobel Legaspi, Haridas Pascua, Julius Joseph de Ramos, Ali Branzuela and Christopher Castellano, Belsar Valencia and newly-crowned national 18-under champion Mari Joseph Turqueza.

Only GM Wesley So is scheduled to represent the country in the World Junior chess championship in Argentina next month.

And GM Eugene Torre begged off from participation in this four-day tournament being held to determine the country’s representatives to the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam on Oct. 30-Nov. 8.

In the women’s division, WFM Sherily Cua and Dresden Olympiad veterans WFM Shercila Cua head the 14-player field.

Also seeing action are WFM Catherine Perena, WNM Daisy Rivera, WIM Beverly Mendoza, WIM Cristine Rose Mariano, WNM Jedara Docena, Bernadette Galas, Shevalyn Peque, Josephne Berago, Ria Tunguia, Gore Malbog, Jessa Marie Balbona and Lovelyn Medina.

The prestigious tournament is the culmination of the year-long, nation-wide search for the country‘s representatives to the Asian Indoor Games.