MARIE Antoinette San Diego of Dasmarinas, Cavite became the youngest Filipina titled player while Richelieu Salcedo III of Misamis Oriental will be the country’s newest International Master after both bagged the gold medal in their respective divisions last Friday in Standard event of the 12th ASEAN Age Group Chess Championship in Tarakan, Indonesia.
San Diego topped the Girls 12-Under division while Salcedo dominated the Open 20-Under division.
San Diego clinched the distinction in Friday’s 8th round after dominating her field.
The solo winner in the event automatically earns a Woman Fide Master (WFM) title to be conferred by FIDE, the world governing body for chess. The Open 20-Under division ruler likewise receives an outright IM title.
Fondly called Tonette in local chess circuit, San Diego won the title as early as the 8th round when she settled for a draw with Indon Ummi Fisabilillah to tally 7.0 points which is 1.5 points ahead of her closest pursuer with still one round left. Her final round opponent is Azhar Puteri Rifqah Fahada of Malaysia.
Salcedo, on the other hand, upset IM Ton That Nhu Tung of Vietnam in the 8th round then drew with Nguyen Duc Viet of Vietnam in the final round to give the Philippines its 10th gold medal in the meet. Salcedo finished with 6.5 points.
According to National Master/ International Arbiter Erwin Carag, San Diego will become the youngest Filipina titled player at age 12.
The two golds brought the country’s running total to 10 after it earlier won eight golds in the Blitz competition.
Philippine delegation head and NCFP executive director GM Jayson Gonzales and coaches James Infiesto and NM Wilfredo Neri remain optimistic that the country will win more medals with the Rapid event still to be contested.
The Philippine age group chess team that is backed by NCFP head Prospero Pichay and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), collected 23 medals (eight golds, seven silvers and eight bronzes) in the Blitz event which ended last Wednesday. /Correspondent Marlon Bernardino