Sadorra pulls off chess stunner in Philippines’ upset of Slovenia

Julio Catalino Sadorra —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

BUDAPEST—When people use the phrase “snatching victory from the jaws of defeat” from now on, it better be to describe a feat similar to the one Grandmaster (GM) Julio Catalino Sadorra just pulled off.

In perhaps one of the more dramatic reversals ever pulled off, Sadorra somehow turned a cornered position into a furious attack late in the game to stun super GM Vladimir Fedoseev—and not a few observers—in the 45th Fide (International Chess Federation) Chess Olympiad on Sunday at BOK Sports Hall.

“I just improved my preparation,” Sadorra said of his fifth-round triumph.

The 38-year-old Sadorra certainly had no business winning that match. He had underdeveloped pieces midway, he was pushed into a tough position in their Queen’s Gambit Declined duel and he was battling a foe the likes of which he’d never faced before—at least, on paper.

“He’s the highest-rated player I’ve ever beaten,” Sadorra, a coach at University of Texas at Dallas, said.

Sadorra was at a losing position through 20 moves when Fedoseev gave the Filipino an opening with a questionable knight retreat (ND2) in the 22nd move. Sadorra pounced hard and Fedoseev fell into a series of mistakes including one on the 26th when the Slovenian was reeled in by the Filipino’s bishop sacrifice (Qxb7) that left his king naked.

Fedoseev, reeling after that exchange, was on the back foot from thereon, needing to sacrifice his queen to defuse a mating threat and allowing Sadorra to coast to the shock victory that spurred the underdog men’s squad to a 2.5-1.5 victory over the Slovenians.

The Filipino men are now tied with 21 other countries at No. 7 and face an even tougher task in the sixth round when they face 17th seed Armenia.

Sadorra’s win was coupled by draws forged by newly minted GM Daniel Quizon, International Master (IM) Paulo Bersamina and IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia in the lower boards.

The men’s win blunted the hurt of the women’s defeat to Italy, where Shania Mae Mendoza’s dream run at board one ground to a halt.

The Filipino women’s 2.5-1.5 defeat to the fancied Italians dropped them to No. 37.

The Philippine team, supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, is coached by GMs Eugene Torre and Jayson Gonzales.