Oro’s Balquin remains as Mindanao’s top chess combatant

By Lynde Salgados
Contributor

STRUGGLING father Johnnel Balquin, the pride and sorrow of Mindanao chess, is not getting any younger. But whether offline and online competition in this most difficult time of the pandemic, the sole breadwinner in a family of five, had never rested on his laurel in giving Mindanao something to cheer in the 64-square-board game challenge for some decades already.

“Chess ra gyod akong gibuhi sa pamilya pero dili ko ga inarte. Bisan gamay ra premyo monster field kakusog ang labanan dili ko makurat moaway kay pila ka sako na sab kana atong mga tropeyo sa balay,” said Balquin who just turned 43 on June 5.

Just recently, Balquin stunned the grapevines in Philippine chess when he emerged as the only untitled player to make it to the top 6 of the Mayor Inday Sara Online Chess Tournament.

According to Mindanao’s banking great Rey Urbiztondo who sponsored the tournament alongside James Infiesto, the Davao region coordinator of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), Balquin’s latest accomplishment is such a tough act to follow.

“Kay siya ra ang non-titled player nga nakasulod sa top 6 in a star-studded field which drew a total of 418 participants including those from outside the Philippines,” said Urbiztondo.

While listing International Master (IM) Jan Emmanuel Garcia, last year’s champion of the AIM Rey Orbiztondo Open, and overseas IM Cris Ramayrat among his casualties, Balquin also drew with now US-based Grandmaster Mark Paragua who ran away with the title.

Paragua received the P5,000 top purse on 10 of 11 performance, followed by GM Joey Antonio Jr., GM Roland Salvador, Canadian National Master Zulfikar Dali, and Fide Master Robert Suelo Jr. with similar nine (9) points in the 11-round Swiss system tourney officiated by National Arbiter (NA) Ely Acas.

Also had identical 9 points but with lower tiebreaker are 6th placer Johnnel Balquin and 7th placer in Woman National Master Francois Marie Magpily.

The Arena International Master Urbiztondo, who competed himself and was adjudged as best Caraga region performer, said Balquin’s solitary loss in the seventh round was questionable and probably aided by an engine as his username was marked by a red flag while he is not using his real name also. They suspect about one or two engine-backed players were able to join or “nakalusot.”

“Pwede pa unta ko mo champion but when Makmak (Paragua) offered a draw right in the opening of our crucial match..akong gi-accept iyang offer,” Balquin added.