LOSING Filipino wunderkind Wesley So to the US, the Philippines can now look forward to pinning its hope on a resurging youngster for worldwide chess prominence in the future.

This, after the 17-year-old International Master Daniel Quizon unleashed his fury in the ongoing 2021 Philippine National Chess Championship Grand Finals at the Solea Hotel and Resort in Mactan, Cebu.

Halfway through the 12-player round-robin contest, the ‘new kid in town’ Quizon wiped out all the Grandmasters in the field ― Darwin Laylo, Janelle Mae Frayna, and Rogelio Antonio, Jr ― to stay unbeaten after five rounds.

As of yesterday, the hot-streaking Quizon was expected to even pad the lead as he faced the winless IM Michael Concio Jr (three draws, two losses) and the non-titled Allan Pason (one draw, four losses) in another double-header.

Handling white, the youngest qualifier Quizon conquered the oldest campaigner Antonio, who at 59, is also the winningest with a record-breaking 13 championship wins in his 38th appearance in the national championship.

The Dasmariñas City, Cavite pride Quizon, who is groomed to be the country’s next Wesley So, destroyed Antonio’s reliable Caro-Kann defense.

Playing the opening well into the middlegame, Quizon reached a favorable three pawns versus one pawn endgame position in the queenside that forced Antonio’s resignation after the teen sensation’s solid Rd3 deployment on the 40th move.

“Brilliant in all his wins, Quizon may seem very well-prepared coming into this year’s national championship,” commented chess journalist US Master Marlon Bernardino.

Veteran Ricardo de Guzman held fellow IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia to a draw with black to stay at solo second with a four-point total.

Garcia shared the third spot with IMs Paulo Bersamina and Ronald Dableo at three points.

Bersamina drew with IM Joel Pimentel, while Dableo notched his third win at the expense of the cellar-dweller Pason in this 11-round tourney that stakes a berth to the national squad bound for the 2023 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand, plus a P80,000 top purse.

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Standings after Round 5:
5 points ― IM Daniel Quizon
4 points ― IM Ricardo de Guzman
3 points ― IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia, IM Paulo Bersamina, IM Ronald Dableo
2.5 points ― GM Darwin Laylo
2 points ― GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr., M Joel Pimentel, IM John Marvin Miciano
1.5 point ― WGM Janelle Mae Frayna, IM Michael Concio Jr.
0.5 point ― Allan Pason