GMs So, Antonio lose crucial Elo rating points

THE country’s top chess players Wesley So and Rogelio Antonio Jr. dropped their Elo rating points based in the latest World Chess Federation (FIDE) ratings list for July.

The 17-year-old So lost nine Elo rating points while Antonio gave up 24 Elo points.

From his previous 2667, GM So, the No. 6 junior player in the world dropped to 2658. He is ranked No. 89 among the world’s players. Antonio on the other hand, dropped from 2589 to 2565.

However, So and Antonio who are both members of the Philippine Chess Team that won silver in last year’s Asian Games in Guangzhou, China are expecting to increase their Elo rating points when the 2011 Battle of the Grandmasters unreels on July 16 to 23.

“Kumpiyansa ako muling aangat ang rating nina Wesley (So) at Joey (Antonio). Marami pa naman silang naka line up na chess events,” said International Arbiter and National Master Erwin Carag.

Rounding up the Top 15 FIDE-RP list are No. 3 GM Mark Paragua (Elo 2545), No. 4 GM Joseph Sanchez (Elo 2534), No. 5 GM John Paul Gomez (Elo 2529), No. 6 GM Darwin Laylo (Elo 2528), No. 7 GM Roland Salvador (Elo 2527), No. 8 IM Oliver Barbosa (Elo 2514), No. 9 GM Julio Catalino Sadorra (Elo 2495), No. 10-11 IM Richard Bitoon (Elo 2491) and GM Eugene Torre (Elo 2491), No. 12 IM Ronald Dableo (Elo 2445), No. 13 GM Buenaventura Villamayor (Elo 2440), No. 14 IM Rolando Nolte and No. 15 IM Rolly Martinez (Elo 2419)

Meanwhile, GM Magnus Carlsen of Norway (Elo 2821) is the top men’s player in the world while GM Judith Polgar of Hungrary (Elo 2699) is the top women’s player.

GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam (Elo 2715) and GM Hou Yifan of China (Elo 2575), topped the 20 Juniors and 20 Girls, respectively while Russia is still the top chess country in the world with an average rating of 2734 with 205 GMs, 477 IMs and 2032 titled  players.

The Philippines remains at No. 29 with an average rating of 2543 with 13 GMs, 22 IMs and 64 titled  players. /Correspondent MARLON BERNARDINO