Sadorra pulls off upset win as Filipinos gain share of 7th place in Chess Olympiad

BUDAPEST, Hungary — The Philippines’ Julio Catalino Sadorra, busy with work and responsibilities back home, knew his time with the national team was ticking.

That is one reason the 38-year-old United States-based Filipino Grandmaster is making every game in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad here counts as if it is his last wearing the national colors.

It showed in Sadorra’s spectacular 53-move shocker over super GM Vladimir Fedoseev that sealed a 2.5-1.5 upset of the mighty Slovenians and sent the Filipinos leapfrogging from obscurity to a share of seventh place after five rounds on this cold, rainy Sunday night at the sprawling BOK Sports Hall in the Hungarian capital.

Sadorra’s recent magnificence reverberated back home, being one of the biggest, if not the biggest, victory of his life and one of the most fantastic triumphs in recent times for Philippine chess.

It reflected a quality that Filipinos are known for — resiliency — as Sadorra battled back from what appeared like a hopelessly losing position and into a winning one when he pounced on the series of blunders from Fedoseev, a Russian émigré.

When he got the chance, he unloaded a flurry, sacrificing almost everything at his disposal like a typhoon leaving a trail of devastation behind him.

The attack was so fierce he left Fedoseev’s scampering king widowed.

Newly minted GM Danuel Quizon, who will be rewarded P100,000 by National Chess Federation of the Philippines head Butch Pichay for his GM feat on top of the P1 million bonus from Dasmarinas, Cavite, and International Masters Pau Bersamina and Jem Garcia drew their matches in the lower boards to complete one of the most sensational wins of the round.

That sent the Filipinos in a 22-nation tie at No. 7 with eight match points apiece, or just two behind leaders India, China, host Hungary and Southeast Asian rival Vietnam with perfect 10 points.

The Filipinos, whose trip is being financed by the Philippine Sports Commission through chair Richard Bachmann and commissioner Ed Hayco, will take on the 17th ranked Armenians, who boast four super GMs on their roster, in the sixth round hoping for more glory.

The win also soothed the broken hearts of the Filipinas, who fell to the fancied Italians, 2.5-1.5, that was exacerbated by the end of Shania Mae Mendoza’s fairytale run at board one following a stinging defeat to IM Marina Brunello.

The games of Janelle Mae Frayna, Ja Jodilyn Fronda and Ruelle Canino all ended up with draws.

India, Mongolia and Armenia were pacing the women’s section with pristine 10 points apiece.