PH chessers fall to Croatia in Olympiad

MANILA, Philippines – After two straight wins, the Philippines fell to Croatia in the third round of the 2018 Chess Olympiad Wednesday night, September 26, in Batumi, Georgia. 

Only the top two boards Julio Catalino Sadorra and John Paul Gomez drew against their foes while first-timers Jan Emmanuel Garcia and two-time national champion Haridas Pascua lost for a 1-3 setback that pulled them to 41st place among 150 teams on four matchpoints from two wins and one loss. 

At one point, the match appeared to be going the Filipinos way especially when Sadorra had a superior position against Ivan Saric and Garcia’s game against Ante Brkic was even.  

But Pascua, as later shown by computer analysis, went for Sasa Martinovic’s e-pawn while gave Martinovic a lasting initiative. 

Saric, who is famous for upsetting world champion Magnus Carlsen in the 2014 Tromso Olympiad, attacked Sadorra’s king to compensate for his inferior position.

Sadorra, perhaps confused by Saric’s onslaught, missed a plan to consolidate his position and go into an advantageous ending. This allowed Saric a chance to force a draw by perpetual check. 

A draw by Gomez followed while Garcia lost the thread of the position in his favorite English Opening and succumbed to a mating attack. 

In the women’s side, former national champion Bernadette Galas’ endgame heroics against Maria Josefina Alvarado Arcilla after 79 moves of an Alekhine’s Defense gave the Philippines a 3-1 victory over Venezuela. This gave the Philippines four match points for 38th place in a field of 150 teams. 

Galas sacrificed two pawns to rip open her foe’s kingside to allow her rook to gain a tempo and force the promotion of her a-pawn. Arcilla gave up her rook and chose to do battle with her two pawns against Galas’ rook, which the former La Salle ace repulsed.

Woman grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna won against Sarai Carolina Sanchez Castillo in 45 moves of a Caro-Kan Defense for her third straight win. Draws were earned by Catherine Secopito, now playing in her seventh Olympiad, and Shania Mae Mendoza, the national champion.

Frayna’s form had been erratic during her European and Malaysian campaign but the nearly two-week training by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines for the women’s team in Batangas steadied her game.

The men’s team, captained by chess legend Eugene Torre, honed their games at Alphaland Makati Place. – Rappler.com