PH chessers get going against lowly foes

TROMSO, Norway—Team Philippines hopes to rev up its campaign in the 41st Chess Olympiad when it tackles lightweight opponents starting at 3 p.m. (9 p.m. in Manila) at Mackhallen Hall here.

The Filipinos, hard hit by late player withdrawals, tangle with the Afghans in the Open division of the biennial event that lured nearly 2,000 bets from a record 180 nations to this quaint, peaceful city north of the Arctic Circle.

The PH girls, playing at full strength, take on the bets from Palau, which is composed mostly of expatriate compatriots, in the Women division featuring 136 teams.

Forced to play one rung higher than their original board assignments are Grandmasters Julio Catalino Sadorra, John Paul Gomez and Eugene Torre and International Master Paulo Bersamina.

They will battle Fide Masters Mahbuboollah Koshani and Zaheerudden Asefi and untitled Hamidullah Sarwary and Zabiullah Ahmadi in that order.

GM Jayson Gonzales, the National Chess Federation of the Philippines executive director and team captain of both teams, will also serve as alternate following the transfer of Super GM Wesley So to the United States Chess Federation and the withdrawal of GM Oliver Barbosa, due to difficulty in acquiring a Schengen visa, and GM Rogelio Barcenilla, due to his family’s fears of terrorist attacks.

Without  So, ranked No. 12 in the world with his Elo of 2755, and Barbosa, 2551, the Filipinos, with an average rating of 2490, are ranked a lowly 52nd in the 177-team Open division led by Russia, which has an average Elo of 2773. Ukraine (2723 average) is ranked second followed by France (2719).

The Filipinos, who placed 21st in the 2012 Istanbul Olympiad, are predicted to sweep the Afghans who are rated 138th.