39th World Chess Olympiad: Team RP opens bid vs Korea

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines hopes to get past lowly-ranked South Korea and set in motion its campaign in the 39th World Chess Olympiad Tuesday at the Khanty-Mansiysk Sports Development Center in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

The Philippines, seeded 37th with an average rating of 2552, is heavily favored to beat Korea, ranked only No. 112 in the biennial team tournament.

GM Wesley So, with a 2668 rating, banners the RP team out to improve its 46th-place finish in the Dresden Olympiad in 2008.

Joining So in the squad are GMs John Paul Gomez, Darwin Laylo and Eugene Torre and IM Richard Bitoon.

Korea is made up of Munkbat Chogdov, Sanghoon Lee, Kiyul Lee, Junil Choi and reserve Yougn Hoon Jung.

The No. 50 RP women’s team also goes for a good start against No. 110 seed Netherlands Antilles.

WFMs Chardine Camacho and Catherine Perena head the squad that includes Shercila Cua, Rulp Ylem Jose and Jedara Docena. Netherlands Antilles will field in unrated players in Maria Elisabeth Delemarre, Arzy Zahia Salim, Nadiniela Coffie, Seydi Zalim and Benigna Coffie.

The tournament drew a total of 1,380 men’s and women’s players from 159 countries, including 247 GMs, 63 WGMs, 160 IMs, 87 WIMs, 81 FMs and 80 WFMs.

In the men’s section alone, there are 35 players with over 2700 rating and 117 players with over 2600 rating.

Top seed Russia, bannered by GMs Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Grischuk, Sergey Karjakin, Peter Svidler and Vladimir Malakhov, will open its campaign against Ireland.

Former champion and second seed Ukraine, backstopped by GM Vassily Ivanchuk, Pavel Eljanov and Ruslan Ponomariov, will play Iraq, while Asian champion and third seed China, led by GMs Wang Hao, Wang Yue, Bu Xiangzhi, Zhou Jianchao and Li Chao, will meet Kyrgystan.