ABSENT. International Master Haridas Pascua to miss Sunday’s Battle of Grandmasters or the Cong. Pichay Birthday Cup that offers PHP25,000-top purse and PHP100,000 in total prizes. It will feature 10 Grandmasters, two International Masters, two FIDE Masters, a National Master, and a Woman GM. (Photo courtesy of Haridas Pascua)
BAGUIO CITY – The chess pride of Baguio and Pangasinan will miss this Sunday’s Battle of Grand Masters.
“I was busy with my online teaching,” said International Master (IM) Haridas Pascua as he will not be part of the most important chess tournament online that features all the Filipino Grand masters (GM).
“Sayang, dami po kasi turo (It’s a waste, have a lot of tutorials),” Pascua told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) through a private message.
The University of Baguio alumnus and two-time national champion Pascua will not be playing against Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre, the country’s top ranked player Julio Catalino Sadorra in the event dubbed as Cong. Pichay Birthday Cup.
The event offers a total pot of PHP100,000 with a PHP25,000-top purse.
“I missed the semis and so I won’t be playing this Sunday,” said Pascua, 25, who is qualified for the second straight time to the World Chess Olympiad in Russia August next year.
The World Olympiad was originally slated at the same time this year but was moved due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Torre, at 68, is semi-retired and now coaches the national men’s team that includes Pascua, who is still chasing the GM title if he reaches the Elo rating of 2500.
“It is now a low 2418,” said Pascua, who earns from it to finance his campaign for GMship when regular competition resumes.
GM Richard Bitoon will also come out of inactivity.
Bitoon and Sadorra are Texas-based.
Sadorra is the highest rated Filipino player with Elo rating of 2564.
The three will join GM Mark Paragua, the reigning Filipino bullet king, and at one time the highest-rated Filipino player when he breached the 2600 mark. That is now broken by US-based Wesley So, who peaked at 2824.5, the seventh-best in the world.
The other GMs are Joey Antonio, John Paul Gomez, Darwin Laylo, Banjo Barcenilla, and national women’s team coach Jayson Gonzales.
GMs Oliver Barbosa and Bong Villamayor have been invited but have yet to confirm their participation.
The country’s lone Woman GM, Janelle Mae Frayna, and six other titled players – two IMs, two FIDE (Federation International d’Excheques) Masters, and a lone National Master in what could be the strongest all Filipino tournament in years. (PNA)
