Filipino bets eye GM titles at World Senior Chess Championships

IMs Chito Garma and Efren Bagamasbad, and Marlon Bernardino during the PSA Forum on Tuesday. Garma and Bagamasbad will compete in the FIDE World Senior Chess Championships next month.  –HANDOUT PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines– For senior players Chito Garma and Efren Bagamasbad, it’s never too late to become a grand master.

The two Filipinos will try to achieve the remarkable feat as they represent the country in the upcoming 32nd FIDE World Senior Chess Championships in Porto, Portugal from Nov. 16-29.

A two-time Olympian, Garma is competing in the 50-above category, Bagamasbad in the 65-plus, and another member in Mario Mangubat is also entered in the 50-plus division.

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Garma, Bagamasbad, and Philippine delegation member Marlon Bernardino appeared in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum and gauged the country’s chances of competing against the world’s best senior chess players next month.

Topping the tournament meant outright grand master title for the Filipinos.

“It feels great to be called a world senior champion because it comes with the grand master title,” said Garma, who represented the country in the 1990 and 1992 Chess Olympiad held in Yugoslavia and Manila, in Filipino.

“That’s why this is also an inspiration for the younger players, because if we older ones can still do it, then even more so for the young ones,” added the International Master, who just turned 60 last July.

The two elder players will try to become the Philippine’s latest GM after 20-year-old Daniel Quizon, who earned the title after beating GM Igor Efimov of Georgia in the last World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.

Both Garma and Bagamasbad earned the right to represent the country in the two-week meet after topping their respective categories in the 12th Asian Senior Chess Championships held in Tagaytay City last year.

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During the same meet, both International Masters earned their second GM norms.

Mangubat, a National Master who is based in Cebu, finished third behind Bagamasbad in the same tournament – with IM Aitkazy Baimurzin of Kazakhstan placing runner up – to complete the three-man Philippine team to the annual world competition first played in Germany back in 1991.

“Chito and I will do our best to get the best finish. Definitely, we will go out there and give our all. As I said, forget about the pressure and just stay focused,” said Bagamasbad.

GM John Nunn of England won the 65-and-above category in last year’s event in Terrasini, Italy, while his countryman GM Michael Adams dominated the 50-and-above category.

“We have a big chance. I hope we’ll be fortunate when we get there,” added Garma.