Chess: GM Antonio reinstated by NCFP, attends 5-day LWUA tourney

MANILA – With GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. finally back in the line-up, the five-man Philippine chess team to the coming 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China swings back into action with a five-day, round-robin tournament at the Local Water and Utilities Administration (LWUA) headquarters in Quezon City beginning Friday.

Antonio, who was reinstated to the team by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay Wednesday, will join fellow national team standouts GM Wesley So, John Paul Gomez, Darwin Laylo and Eugene Torre in the tournament which starts at 1 p.m.

“All’s well that ends well. The National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) decided to reinstate Antonio to the team to bolster the country’s chances in next month’s Asian Games,” said Pichay
“Admittedly, he (Antonio) is our second strongest player next to Wesley and he will be a good addition to the Guangzhou-bound national team. We pulled him out of the team for disciplinary action, but he already promised to follow the federation and make himself available every time he’s needed to represent the country,” explained Pichay.

Pichay also took note of Antonio’s triumph in the recent PACE-Tuguegarao Open Chess Festival held in Tuguegarao City last October 9 to 10 where he finished in a tie with So for the top spot and clinched the title by virtue of higher tie-break score.

Pichay, who was the guest speaker during the two-day tournament organized by Torre and GM Jayson Gonzales of the Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence (PACE), even challenged Antonio to perform well in Tuguegarao to prove his readiness for the Asiad.

“I am grateful to NCFP under the leadership of Cong. Pichay, Mayor Bambol (Tolentino) and executive director Willie (Abalos) for the trust they have given me. I really want to be of help to the national team at the Asian Games,” said Antonio.

Torre, the country’s most-experienced player, welcomed Antonio’s reinstatement to the national team, saying the “country will benefit a lot with Antonio in the line-up.”

“We need Joey on the team because the opposition is strong in Guangzhou, especially China, India and Vietnam,” said Torre, who will turn 59 next month.

Meanwhile, Pichay said the five-day tournament which starts Friday at LWUA will serve as part of the training program prepared by the NCFP for the five-man national team.

The sixth player invited in the short tournament will be IM Oliver Barbosa, who finished third behind Antonio and So in Tuguegarao.

Aside from Antonio and So, who shared the top spot with eight points on seven wins and two draws apiece, Barbosa is the only other player with an unbeaten record in the two-day competition
Barbosa finished in third place with 7.5 points on six wins and three draws.

Abalos said the five-day, six-player tournament will adopt the format being used in the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) in Texas, the United States which gives three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero for a loss.

The SPICE-inspired format is designed to encourage players to always go for a win and avoid quick and safe draws.

Cash prizes will also be given by Pichay to the winners to encourage the six participants to play well.

In the Asian Games scheduled Nov. 12-27, chess is one of the few sports where the Philippines is expected to win medals – be it gold, silver or bronze.

Being the host country, China is expected to field its strongest players, led by GMs Wang Yue (ELO 2732), Wang Hao (ELO 2724) and Bu Xiangzhi (ELO 2695).