SEVERAL years ago, I wrote about my love affair with chess before sportswriting swept me off my feet.

You see, I always wanted to become a chess player. I was barely 10 years old when Eugene Torre made history by becoming Asia’s first chess grandmaster and the “Poster Boy” of Philippine chess in 1974 and even starring in a 1975 blockbuster movie “Basta’t Isipin Mong Mahal Kita” with superstar Vilma Santos.

So while most kids in our neighborhood wanted to follow the footsteps of Robert “Big J” Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez and other now basketball legends, I simply wanted to be like Torre.

Although they were too few to mention, I had my share of memorable wins as student representative of Ramon Magsaysay Elementary School and Eulogio Rodriguez Jr. High School in several district and division meets in Quezon City in the mid-70s up to the early 80s.

And even after I became a full-time sportswriter for the widely-read Journal Group of Publications in 1985, chess remains closest to my heart so much so that the late Sim Sotto and Barry Pascua prodded me to write a weekly chess column, Checkmate, in the now-defunct Sports

Weekly Magazine. My kumpares, Rickie Santos and Willie Caballes, also asked me to write chess columns for Champ Magazine and Weekly Sports Digest, respectively.

Why, I even played for the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) team which participated in the Manila International chess team tournament, a side event of the 1992 World Chess Olympiad at the PICC in Manila.

Fellow sportswriters Ignacio Dee, Rey Bancod of Daily Tribune and Joey Villar of Philippine Star are surely the better players, but I still hold winning records in one-on-one duels against Roy Luarca and the late Arman Armero and Orlando Primo.

Why am I suddenly talking about chess?

It’s because the new year — 2025 — put me in the nostalgic mood to look back at some of my favorite moments in Philippine chess in 2024.

Here are some of them:

1. Daniel Quizon becomes the country’s 17th grandmaster.

Quizon finally achieved his life-long dream of becoming a grandmaster by leading the Philippines to an inspiring 4-0 win over Monaco in the fourth round of the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary in September, 2024.

Quizon, at 20 the country’s newest “Poster Boy” of chess, outwitted Geogian emigre GM Igor Efimov of Monaco in only 37 moves of the King’s Indian to finally earn the two rating points needed to breach the ELO 2500 plateau.

Additionally, the pride of Dasmariñas, Cavite made history by becoming only the country’s 17th GM — and 11th under the leadership of National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero “Butch” Pichay.

Quizon joins the elite company of Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre (1974), Rosendo Balinas (1976), Rogelio Antonio, Jr. (1993), Buenaventura “Bong” Villamayor (2000), Nelson Mariano (2004), Mark Paragua (2005), Darwin Laylo (2007), Wesley So (2008), Jayson Gonzales (2008), John Paul Gomez (2009), Joseph Sanchez (2009), Rogelio Barcenilla Jr. (2010), Roland Salvador (2010), Oliver Barbosa (2011), Julio Catalino Sadorra (2011) and Richard Bitoon (2011).

2.The Philippines makes history in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.

Led by Janelle Mae Frayna, Jan Jodilyn Fronda, Shania Mae Mendoza, Bernadette Galas and Ruelle Canino, the Filipinas made heads turn by finishing 24th overall in the women’s division of the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest last September 22.

It was the highest finish for the FiIipinas in nearly four decades.

The Philippine Sports Commission- supported women’s team garnered 14 match points to share 22nd place with 14 others and ended up at 24th overall after tiebreaks were applied — its best placing since Girme Fontanilla, Mila Emperado, and Cristina Santos-Fidaer took 22nd place in the 1988 edition in Thessaloniki, Greece.

“This is a milestone in Philippine chess history, a legacy that will not be forgotten for the generations to come,” said GM Jayson Gonzales, the coach of the national women’s team.

Also surpassing their 36th-place finish two years ago in Chennai, India, the Filipinas bagged the gold medal in Group B, which consists of the 35th to 70th ranked countries in the 181-country field.

It was the first mint for the country since the women’s squad of Sheerie Joey Lomibao, Catherine Pereña, Sherily Cua, and Beverly Mendoza struck gold in Group C in the 2006 edition in Turin, Italy.

3.The Philippines wraps up its campaign in the 32nd World Senior Chess Championships with two gold and one bronze medals in Porto Santo Island, Portugal.

International master Chito Garma of Sampaloc, Manila captured the gold in the 50+ category with an impressive 8-1 record in the competition held at the Hotel Villa Baleirae.

FIDE Master Mario Mangubat of Minglanilla town in Cebu, topped the rapid event in the 65 + category with 4.5 points out of six games.
Mangubat also secured the bronze medal in the 65+category blitz competition with 5.5 points.

In the standard time control format, Garma finished 24th among 80 players in the 50 and above category. International Master Jose Efren Bagamasbad placed No. 46 while Mangubat was No. 48 among 89 entries in the 65 over category.

4.Team Philippines shines at the 18th Asian Schools Chess Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bannered by FM Christian Gian Karlo Arca, the FIlipinos showcased their exceptional chess talent by competing against the best young players in Asia and bringing home five gold, 14 silver, and seven bronze medals in various age categories and events.

Arca, the 15-year-old student at Panabo City National High School in Davao del Norte, was the best of them all by bagging three golds in the individual rapid and blitz and team blitz competitions and three silver medals in the individual standard event, and team standard and rapid events.

NM Oscar Joseph Cantela also contributed to the team’s success with:one gold in the team blitz and two silvers in the team standard and rapid categories.

Lemmuel Jay Adena added to the medal tally:with one gold in team blitz and two silvers in the team standard and team rapid.

Other medalists were the girls’ team of WNM Nicole Kate Ordizo, Arleah Cassandra Sapuan, and Beatrice Ann Bombales, who each secured two silver medals in standard and rapid events; Marius Constante, who showed great potential with a silver in the individual blitz event; NM Al-Basher Buto and ACM Joemel Narzabal, who earned one brozne medal each in the team blitz event; NM Mar Aviel Carredo, who stood out with one bronze medal in the individual rapid event and one bronze in the team blitz; and under-11 girls’ team of WNM Millery Gen Subia, Elle Castronuevo, and Mary Janelle Tan, who each earned bronze medal.

5. Manila Load Manna complete a stunning reversal in the 2024 PCAP-GM Wesley So Cup chess championships by pulling off a three-game sweep of top favorite Toledo Trojans in their three-game playoffs.

Three playoff wins by IM Yoseph Taher (over GM Aleksey Sorokin), IM Paulo Bersamina (over IM Michael Concio, Jr.) and GM Oliver Barbosa (over IM Joel Pimentel) did the trick as Manila captured its second straight championship.

Last May, Manila defeated Toledo, 11-10 and 14-7 in their tensely-fought two-game battle to clinch its first PCAP championship.

6. World Cup veteran IM Michael Concio, Jr. salvages some measure of pride for the country by taking the blitz bronze in the Asian Juniors Chess Championships at the Knights Templar Hotel in Tagaytay City last October.

The 19-year-old Conciotallied seven points on six wins, two draws and only one loss to clinch third place behind IM Artem Uskov of Russia and IM Kuong Duy Dau of Vietnam, in the 32-player tournament organized by the Asian Chess Federation and hosted by the Tagaytay City government.

7. University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University dominate men’s and women’s chess tournaments in the UAAP Season 87, and San Beda University captures NCAA Season 100 chess crown.

The Tigers of coach IM Ronald Dableo made history by completing a four-peat and securing their 11th title overall after dominating with 17 match points om eight wins, one draw, and one loss.

Equally impressive were the Lady Tamaraws , who went undefeated throughout the season to secure their s second consecutive title with 10 wins and two draws.

In the NCAA, San Beda clinched the seniors division title after a thrilling win over Lyceum of the Philippines University in the finals.

Jose Rizal University finished third for its first podium finish in the tournament.

There were many other notable achievements by both young and experienced Filipino players in the wonderful world of chess in 2024.

What are your favorite and memorable moments in Philippine chess in 2024?

Tell us.

For comments and suggestions, e-mail to [email protected]

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ed Andaya