Bersamina, Garcia trim Asian Chess foes

TAGAYTAY CITY—Filipino bets International Master Jan Emmanuel Garcia and Fide Master Paulo Bersamina showed their mettle right away yesterday, beating separate rivals and sharing the first round lead in the 2014 Asian Juniors and Girls Championships at Tagaytay International Convention Center.

The second-seeded Garcia trounced countryman John Merill Jacutina while the third-ranked Bersamina tamed Al-Rashedi Mayed of the United Arab Emirates.

The second-seeded Garcia, a third year Management Information Systems student of Ateneo de Manila, won after just 26 moves of a Hedgehog Defense.

Bersamina, a 16-year-old veteran of the 2014 Tromso Chess Olympiad and spearhead of Letran in the NCAA, extracted the full point after 48 moves of a Sicilian Dragon.

They towed fellow first round winners Bibek Thing of Nepal and Haque Siam Ikramul of Bangladesh in the Open division.

Thing bested Filipino Renz Marvin Santos while Ikramul subdued Alzarovni Ahmad of United Arab Emirates.

With an Elo rating of 2396, the 19-year-old Garcia is ranked behind defending champion IM Srinath Narayanan (Elo 2461) of India. Bersamina, who also competed in the recent World Juniors in India, has an Elo of 2391.

Top Philippine hope Marie Antoinette San Diego defeated fellow Woman Fide Master Mozah Al-Moaamari of UAE to set the pace in the girls’ division with Indian PV Nandhidhaa, who disposed of Filipino Gladys Hazelle Romero.

Cavite Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, the World Chess Federation secretary general, graced the opening ceremony that preceded the first round at the new Wisdom Hall.

Joining Tolentino in the inaugural rites were Asian Chess Federation executive director Casto Abundo, Judge Gonzalo Mapili and Red Dumuk, auditor and treasurer, respectively, of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.