Barcenilla to banner PHL chess team after ruling qualifier

Grandmaster Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla Jr. did it again.

The 48-year-old Barcenilla, who is now based in Arizona in the United States, collected six points on two wins and eight draws to win the qualifying tournament for a Philippine chess Olympiad team organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) on Sunday.

By topping the tournament, Barcenilla will lead the country’s team to the first FIDE Online Olympiad slated from July 22 to Aug. 30.

Other members of the team are GMs Mark Paragua and Darwin Laylo for the men’s, Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna, WIM’s Jan Jodilyn Fronda, Catherine Secopito and Bernadette Galas for the women, IMs Daniel Quizon and Michael Concio for the boys Under-20 and WIM Kylen Joy Mordido and WFM Jerlyn San Diego for girls U-20.

The win was the second time that Barcenilla, a two-time Asian Junior champion (1989 and 1990), won an Olympiad qualifier as he ruled the 2019 Philippines National Chess Championship, dubbed “Battle of the Grandmasters,” in impressive fashion last November.

Since the traditional over-the-board Olympiad was displaced by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) decided to use a unique format of allowing a maximum of six boards consisting of two men, two women, one U-20 boy and girl per game. — Marlon Bernardino