FILIPINO FIDE Master Mari Joseph Turqueza scored the biggest upset in the 12th round of the 50th World Junior and 29th Junior Girls Chess Championships by beating the world’s youngest grandmaster Jorge Cori of Peru late Sunday in Chennai, India.
Cori got his third and final GM norm at 14 years and two months in the International Marcel Duchamp Championship in Argentina.
The win pushed Turqueza to a share of 42nd to 54th places with 6.5 points. He will next face Sharma Hemant of India in the 13th and final round.
Meanwhile, Filipina Woman National Master Janelle Mae Frayna bowed to WIM Jovana Eric of Serbia to drop to a tie for 22nd to 30th places with 6.5 points.
Frayna will try to end her campaign on a rousing note as she takes on WIM Carla Heredia Serrano of Ecuador who nipped (WIM) Kazimova Narmin Nizami Qizi of Azerbaijan.
Grandmaster Robert Hovhannishyan of Armenia crushed GM Ray Robson of the United States to pad his lead to 10.0 points in the open division while Woman Grandmaster Olga Girya of Russia routed WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili of Georgia to grab the solo lead in the girls’ class with 10.5 points, half a point ahead of WGM Cori T Deysi of Peru who drew with WGM Rout Padmini of India.
The country’s best finish in the event was recorded by GM Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla Jr. who won the bronze medal during the 1991 event in Mamaia, Romania.