Concio finishes 2nd in Asian Juniors Chess Championships

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino International Master Michael Concio, Jr. repeated over IM Saha Neelash in the ninth and final round Friday to end up second behind eventual champion IM G B Harshavardhan in the Asian Juniors Chess Championships at the Knights Templar Hotel in Tagaytay.

Concio, 17, finished undefeated with 6.5 points on four victories and five draws, or half a point behind Harshavardhan, who needed just a draw with Mongolian IM Sugar Gan-Erdene to complete the title conquest.

The Dasmarinas bet also won over Harshavardhan in copping the rapid title early this week of this event sponsored by Philippine Olympic Committee president and Tagaytay Mayor Abraham Tolentino and National Chess Federation of the Philippines vice president and Cavite Vice Governor Athena Tolentino.

Also sharing some of the spotlight was Eric Labog, Jr., who shocked FIDE Master Daniel Hermawan of Indonesia to wind up at fifth spot with six points while clinching the IM title.

Labog made the 2200-rating cut to become an IM after earning 124.8 rating points in this event.

Concio’s title bid was stalled by early draws — five straight from the second to the sixth round — and had to string together three triumphs in row in the final rounds to snatch No. 2.

Another local bet, Mark Jay Bacojo, barged into the top 10 by halving the point with Indian IM Ramesh Avinash for a 5.5-point output.