Pinoy chessers set up gold medal match with China

GUANGZHOU, China – In a performance worthy of the gold medal, the Philippines brought down India, 2.5-1.5, to set up a much-awaited showdown against host China in the 16th Asian Games chess competitions at the Guangzhou Chess Institute. GMs Rogelio Antonio Jr. and Eugene Torre pulled off similar hard-earned triumphs, while GM John Paul Gomez came through with the much-needed draw to clinch the victory that mattered most for the Filipinos on the penultimate day of competitions in this quadrennial meet. The win enabled the sixth-seeded Filipinos to arrange a gold medal match against China, which edged Iran, 2.5-1.5, on the lone victory by GM Wang Yue over GM Morteza Mahjoob. India and Iran will dispute the bronze medal. Antonio, who was reinstated in the team at the last minute to bolster the country’s chances for the gold medal, came through with an inspiring victory over GM Krishan Sasikiran in 75 moves of the Sicilian defense Torre, the most recognizable figure in local chess since becoming Asia’s first-ever GM in Nice, France in 1974, capped the Flipinos’ day of triumph by humbling GM G.N. Gopal in 50 moves of the King’s Indian defense. Gomez agreed to a draw with GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly in 66 moves of the French defense. The smashing victories by Antonio and Torre and the draw by Gomez came after GM Wesley So lost his top-board match to GM Pentalah Harikrishna in only 31 moves of another King’s Indian. Antonio, who played white, turned a slight initiative into a crushing victory over the higher-rated Sasikiran in their thrilling board-two encounter. The 48-year-old pride of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro forced the Indian champion to give up his rook for a knight on the 35th move and steered the match into an endgame where he had a rook, bishop and four pawns against his opponent’s two bishops and five pawns. When the end came, Antonio captured Sasikiran’s remaining pawn to set the stage for an unstoppable advance of his two pawns on the fourth and fifth ranks. It was a fitting vindication for Antonio, who was nearly stripped of his place in the team following a misunderstanding with the national federation. But he was immediately reinstated after a heart-to-heart talk with officials of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. Equally impressive was Torre, who was inserted as the fifth member of the team. The 59-year-old veteran campaigner from Quezon City kept Gopal on the edge of his seat for most of the match and capitalized on the Indian’s horrendous blunder on the 48th move where he lost his queen on a discovered check. The higher-rated Gopal (ELO 2609) resigned immediately. - KY/RCJ, GMANews.TV