Quizon, Laylo lead PH chess bid in Asian Zonal opener

Youngster Daniel Quizon and veteran Darwin Laylo led the Philippine charge as the Asian Zonal 3.3 Chess Championships started Saturday, May 1.

Quizon, 16, overcame compatriot Jerish John Velarde in 56 moves of an irregular King’s Pawn opening while Laylo, the top Filipino bet in this event, drew against Rohan Shan Tze Navaratnam of Malaysia.

Velarde, a rising ace from Cebu, tried to eliminate the Dasmariñas ace’s two remaining pawns with his knight to enter into an endgame where white has two knights, which is a draw as the two pieces cannot deliver mate. But when Quizon began pushing his pawn, Velarde quit as his knight could not stop the pawn.

But the day belonged to 14-year-old Thai Prin Laohawirapap, who upset defending champion Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia in 55 moves of a Benoni Defense.

“I feel very happy,” said Prin, a 9th grade student being coached by Filipino Deniel Causo and Armenian Grandmaster Avetik Grigoryan, in a private Facebook message to Rappler.

Causo, who has been teaching chess in Thailand for eight years, said Prin is the current national champion on standard time control. Prin has won golds in Asian schools rapid events, added Causo.

“[Megaranto] may have underestimated him because he was moving quickly but Prin is a hard worker,” added Causo in a separate Facebook message.

Second-seeded Indonesian Novendra Priasmoro escaped with a win against the hard-fighting Henry Lopez, a member of the celebrated Philippine Paralympics chess squad, in 43 moves of a King’s Indian Defense.

Former Asian Youth Champion John Marvin Miciano outplayed Sebastien Chee Sian Chua of Malaysia in 52 moves of a King’s Indian. 

Michael Concio, the Dasmariñas stalwart who earned his International Master title a few months ago, trounced Edwin Choong Wai Lam of Malaysia in 36 moves of a King’s Indian Defense.

The zonal championship is the first chess event in the region being played under standard time format of 90 minutes with a 30 second increment after a year of playing fast time controls.

The players assemble in a hub where an arbiter watches them as they face their opponents online. In the Philippines’ case, the hubs are in Dasmariñas, San Juan, Cebu, and Davao. – Rappler.com