Asian zonal tilt gets going; Vietnamese GM, Sadorra favored

TAGAYTAY CITY—Vietnamese Grandmaster Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son and United States-based Filipino GM Julio Catalino Sadorra are the favorites when the Asian Zonal 3.3 Chess Championships begin Saturday at Tagaytay International Convention Center.

Nguyen is ranked No. 1 among 37 players in the men’s division with an Elo rating of 2629, while Sadorra is seeded second with 2596.
Indonesian star Susanto Megaranto is ranked third with 2527 in the nine-round Swiss System event that will send the top two finishers to the World Cup in September in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Also expected to contend in the tournament sanctioned by the World Chess Federation and the Asian Chess Federation are Filipino GM John Paul Gomez (2481) and Vietnamese GM Dao Thien Hai (2478).

Asia’s first GM, Eugene Torre, board 3 bronze medalist in last year’s Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan, opted not to compete. Instead, Torre will serve as head coach of the PH delegation to the event supported by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and Philippine Sports Commission.

Other strong Filipino bets are GMs Rogelio Antonio (2465), Rogelio Barcenilla (2455), Darwin Laylo (2445) and IMs Jan Emmanuel Garcia (2444), Haridas Pascua (2440), Oliver Dimakiling (2405), and Rolando Nolte (2394).

In the women’s division, Indonesian IM Irine Kharisma Sukanda is the top pick at 2423, followed by Vietnamese IM Nguyen Pham Le Thao, rated 2351. The Philippines will be spearheaded by Janelle Mae Frayna, the country’s first WGM who is ranked fifth at at 2325.

The winner will qualify for the Women’s World Championship cycle.

Also competing in the distaff side are WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda (2158), WIM Catherine Secopito (2106), Christy Lamiel Bernales (2039), WIM Beverly Mendoza (2029) and WFM Shania Mae Mendoza (1983).

They will be up against the powerhouse Vietnamese led by WGM Nguyen Thi Mai Hung (2347), WGM Hoang Thi Bao Tram (2340), WGM Nguyen Thi Thanh An (2283), WGM Le Thanh Tu (2271), WIM Vo Thi Kim Phung (2220) and Luong Phuong Hanh (2148).