So leads young RP team in Olympiad

GM Wesley So gets the chance to showcase his talent and skills when he banners the Philippine team in the World Chess Olympiad slated Nov. 12-25 in Dresden, Germany.

Although the team will be without the likes of GMs Eugene Torre, Joey Antonio and Mark Paragua, NCFP (National Chess Federation of the Phils.) president Butch Pichay remains confident of the team’s chances against the best in the world.

“If we have someone in the team like Wesley, I’m optimistic of our chances in the Olympiad,” said Pichay in yesterday’s Scoop session at the Kamayan-Padre Faura.

So, the world’s youngest GM at 14, is tipped to play the top board in the absence of Torre, who with Antonio opted not to join the recent Olympiad elims.

Joining So in the team are GMs Bong Villamayor, Darwin Laylo and Jayson Gonzales and International Master John Paul Gomez.

So is coming off a series of impressive performances, including a ninth place finish in the World Juniors and a gold medal showing on Board 1 in the World Youth Olympiad, both in Turkey.

According to Pichay, So is now in the top 80 in the world, and at 2646, the highest rating and rank reached by any Filipino since Paragua obtained a 2621 rating in April 2006.

Without Torre, Antonio and Paragua, who had spearheaded the country’s Olympiad campaigns for years, the new RP team is a relatively young, inexperienced squad with only Villamayor playing in more than two Olympiads in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002 teams.

Villamayor, however, will be a bit rusty since he has just returned to big-time chess early this year after giving up a lucrative teaching job in Singapore.

“I’ve missed two Olympiads because I focused my energy in coaching,” said Villamayor. “Now that I’ve decided to return, I want to help the team finish big in the Olympiad.”

Meanwhile, Catherine Perena, Shercila Cua, Christy Bernales, Cheradee Camacho and Daisy Rivera compose the RP women’s squad. – Joey Villar