Chess team tempers expectations

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar—With a lone gold two years ago, the Philippine chess team would rather keep its projections in check.

“It’s difficult to predict especially when the host introduced events that we don’t usually play,” said chess federation secretary general Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino on the eve of competitions in the 27th Southeast Asian Games at Zabuthiri Hotel here.

Burma organizers have offered 18 gold medals, including six events entirely unfamiliar to Filipino chessers.

Headed by Grandmasters Eugene Torre and Rogelio Antonio Jr., they are entered in the men’s and women’s blitz and rapid events in Asean, international and transfer chess.

GM Wesley So, whose golden effort in the individual blitz back in 2011 Indonesia averted a shutout, wouldn’t be around to defend his title.

Tolentino, however, is confident with the team, which includes GMs John Paul Gomez, Mark Paragua, Darwin Laylo, Oliver Barbosa and women international masters Janelle Mae Frayna and Catherine Perena.

The men’s Asean chess (individual rapid and standard) starts today at 9 a.m. (10:30 a.m. Manila time) but Filipino officials were appealing for the revision of the entry list they submitted earlier to the organizers.

Head coach Jason Gonzales said Antonio and Paragua are entered in the rapid while Torre and Laylo are vying in the standard.

Barbosa and Gomez will now play in the individual blitz, replacing original entries Paragua and Antonio.