A pair of sweeps for Philippines chessers

BUDAPEST – There was really no surprise when the Philippines had trouble-free opening round victories over Aruba in the men’s division and Malawi in the women’s side of the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad at the BOK Sports Hall here Wednesday night.

For the Filipinos, the round was calm before the storm as they are aware that the real battle is just about to begin.

And it will be when the men’s team faces an all-super Grandmaster German side and the women’s tangles with the powerhouse US team.

That is why it was important the Filipinos, whose trip was financed by the Philippine Sports Commission through chair Richard Bachmann and commissioner Ed Hayco and backed by National Chess Federation of the Philippines chief Butch Pichay, got the needed boost and confidence from their 4-0 decimation of the Arubans and Malawians to jumpstart their ambitious campaign.

Olympiad debutants Daniel Quizon and Ruelle Canino provided the spark by delivering contrasting wins with the former surviving Juan Pablo de Mey in 35 moves of a Sicilian on board one and the latter swatting Anne Simwabe like a fly on board four in an English duel also in 35 moves.

John Paul Gomez, Janelle Mae Frayna, Shania Mae Mendoza, Jan Emmanuel Garcia, and then Quizon all swooped down on their helpless foes one by one, leaving Paulo Bersamina as the lone Filipino sitting and battling for a win.

Despite being time-troubled, Bersamina eventually prevailed to complete the great start for the Philippine team coached by GMs Eugene Torre and Jayson Gonzales with Atty. Roel Canobas as delegation head.

“Simula na laban bukas (Thursday),” said Gonzales.

The seventh-seeded Germans, composed of GMs Dmitrij Kollars, Matthias Bluebaum, Alexander Donchenko and Frederik Svane, sank Madagascar, 3.5-.5, while Americans IM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova, IM Carissa Yip, GM Irina Krush and IM Anna Zatonskih, also seeded No. 7, pounded Jordan, 4-0.