INTERNATIONAL Master Daniel Quizon is leading the field by 1.5 points, the same output the 17-year-old sensation made yesterday after besting IM Michael Concio Jr and holding to a draw the beleaguered tail-ender Allan Pason.
The Dasmariñas City, Cavite pride Quizon annihilated the three Grandmasters in the field ― Darwin Laylo, Janelle May Frayna, Rogelio Antonio Jr ― midway of the 2021 Philippine National Chess Championship Grandfinals at the Solea Hotel and Resort in Mactan, Cebu.
But the real test of might will be up in the remainder of the 12-player round-robin affair where Quizon tangles with a mixture of veteran IMs hungry for elite-class recognition and the current face of Philippine chess.
On Monday morning, Quizon pitted wits with the grizzled IM Ricardo de Guzman, who alternated from occupying second and third places, before his much-awaited face-off with the 23-year-old IM Paulo Bersamina late in the afternoon.
In the last two rounds today, December 14, Quizon tackles the other youthful IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia, 26 before capping the 11-round tourney opposite the experienced and resurgent IM Ronald Dableo, who came from three-straight wins against Pason, De Guzman, and Bersamina to grab the solo second spot after seven rounds with five-point total.
GM Antonio, 59, the winningest National Open combatant with 13 titles to show under his name, had cited earlier the Philippine Team stalwarts Bersamina and Garcia as the players to beat in this year’s edition.
But not until the much younger Quizon came to surprise them all.
“We look up to Cuizon’s performance on the other side of the playing hall because he’s young and talented and is full of promises. We’re very excited about this little boy,” remarked candidate Fide Master Jaime Joshua Frias II, who is competing in the 2021 Philippine National Mactan Chess Championship held at same venue.
After demolishing the GMs en route to a perfect six-zero roll, Quizon’s seventh-round struggle with the winless Pason was both shocking and amusing.
Quizon had to dig deeper into his endgame resolve to neutralize Pason’s dangerous passed pawn and forced a draw after a marathon 62 moves of a double fianchetto Modern defense.
Quizon crushed Concio earlier after 39 pushes with Black of the doubled-edge Benko Gambit Accepted variation.
The Fide-rated event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) stakes a slot to the national team bound for the 2023 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand, plus the lion’s share of P80,000 to the champion.
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Standings after Round 7:
6.5 pts ― IM Daniel Quizon
5 pts ― IM Ronald Dableo
4.5 pts ― IM Ricardo de Guzman
4 pts ― GM Darwin Laylo, IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia
3.5 pts ― IM Joel Pimentel, IM Paulo Bersamina, IM John Marvin Miciano
3 pts ― GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr.
2 pts ― WGM Janelle Mae Frayna
1.5 pts ― IM Michael Concio Jr.
1 pt ― Allan Pason
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