IM DANIEL QUIZON — FIDE

CALL the 2021 Philippine National Chess Championships a Daniel Quizon show.

Mr. Quizon added training partner and fellow International Master (IM) Michael Concio, Jr. on Sunday to his growing list of victims to continue to show dominance midway through the 12-player tournament being done at the Solea Hotel and Resort in Mactan, Cebu.

In a duel between the tournament’s youngest players and World Cup veterans, it was the 17-year-old Mr. Quizon who outplayed the 16-year-old Mr. Concio in 39 moves of a Benko Gambit as the former zoomed to a perfect six points while keeping his stranglehold of the lead with five rounds to go.

The win, coupled by a 62-move loss by erstwhile No. 2 IM Ricky de Guzman to IM Ronald Dableo in their King’s Indian showdown, further widened Mr. Quizon’s lead to a full two points.

At distant No. 2 were Messrs. De Guzman and Dableo with four points each while IMs Jan Emmanuel Garcia and Paulo Bersamina agreed to a quick draw to share No. 4 with 3.5 points apiece.

And the Asian Juniors blitz champion could further stretch his lead if he could hurdle Mr. De Guzman in their seventh-round duel at press time.

A triumph in this 11-round event would earn Mr. Quizon P80,000 and a seat to the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games next year and the 2023 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand.

Mr. Quizon was also hoping to earn rating points here as he plans to resume his Grandmaster title campaign early next year.

The 12-player event is being bankrolled by PSC chair William Ramirez, POC President Abraham Tolentino, NCFP President Prospero Pichay, Jr, Chess Movement, Inc. chair Ariel Potot, PCSO general manager Royina Garma and Atty. Roel Canobas. — Joey Villar

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