Pinoy GMs go for glory in World Chess Cup

MANILA, Philippines – The road to the 2013 World Chess Cup in Tromso, Norway starts Tuesday for Filipino Grandmasters Wesley So, Mark Paragua and Oliver Barbosa.

So, Paragua and Barbosa will represent the Philippines in the prestigious tournament slated Aug. 10 to September 5 eyeing no less than eyeing to clinch one, if not both, of the two spots staked in the 2014 Candidates Matches, a tournament which determines who will fight for the World Chess Championship.

"Our training starts as soon as we go home because the World Cup is just a few months away," said Paragua in Filipino moments after finishing third in the recently concluded Asian Continental Chess Championship dubbed "Manny Pacquiao Cup" at the Midas Hotel and Casino.

It will be the 29-year-old Paragua's fourth World Cup appearance, the most number of stints by any Filipinos in the event, after making it there in the 2004 edition in Libya and 2006 and 2010 in Khanty Minsk, Russia.

This time, Paragua hopes to perform better.

"The farthest I got in the World Cup was the second round, I hope to improve on my performance," he said.

So, who skipped the Pacquiao Cup to join a tournament he topped in Calgary, Canada, have made it to the World Cup via a strong performance in the Asian Zone 3.3 Championship last year while Barbosa joined the event and finished second but he already booked a slot in an Asian event also a year back.

Barbosa, who made his Olympiad debut last year, said he will prepare hard in his first World Cup appearance.

"I hope to do well in Norway and not disappoint my countrymen," said the 26-year-old Barbosa, the second highest ranked Filipino with an ELO rating of 2566 behind only So who has 2705.

The Chess World Cup 2013 is a 128-player single-elimination tournament.