RP chess in '07: Two grandmasters in one year

Sun.Star: MANILA—The year 2007 was a little bit tougher for Philippine sports but not for chess. In fact, never has the country produced two full-pledged grandmasters in just one year. Darwin Laylo and 14-year-old Wesley So fulfilled their dreams of joining the elite circle of Filipino GMs composed of Eugene Torre (1974), Rosendo Balinas (1976), Joey Antonio Jr. (1998), Buenaventura “Bong" Villamayor (2000), Nelson Mariano II (2004) and Mark Paragua (2005). “This was a very memorable year for Philippine chess. We produced not only one but two GMs in just a span of three months. It’s great for the country because at least we already have seven active GMs," said National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president and former Surigao congressman Prospero Pichay. The seventh Filipino GM was Laylo, who secured his third and last norm by placing third in the 2007 Asian Chess Championship, which attracted five super GMs with a rating of more than 2600 and 27 GMs at the Cebu International Convention Center from Sept. 18 to 31. Laylo, a Business Management graduate at the San Sebastian College-Recoletos, finished with 7.5 points, just half a point behind co-champions and super GMs Zhang Pengxiang and Wang Hao of China. “It’s really my long time dream and I did it at the time when I was trying to prove myself before some people, who tried to put me down by involving me in an alleged game-fixing scandal," said Laylo. The youngest of five children of former tricycle driver Efren and sari-sari store owner Liwayway of Lipa City, Batan-gas, obtained his first norm at the 2006 Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur and second norm at the 2006 Bad Wiesse International Open in Germany. His best finish in a major caliber international tournaments did not only earned him the full GM status but he also became the only Filipino to qualify to the 2007 World Chess Cup in Khanty-Mansysky, Russia where he lost to France champion and super GM Etienne Bacrot (2695) in the second round. “That is why I prefer to host international tournaments rather than sending players abroad because by hosting, many Filipino players can benefit," said Pichay. Just three months after Laylo fulfilled his dream, the young So of Bacoor, Cavite followed suit when he finished with six points in the star-studded 3rd Prospero Pichay International Open at the Duty Free Fiesta Mall in Paranaque City on Dec. 7. So’s feat, which he did at the age of 14 years, one month and 28 days, did not only make him the country’s eighth GM but also the seventh-youngest in the history of chess. The legendary genius, Robert ‘Bobby" Fischer, of the US got his GM title at 15 in 1958. The former Promil Whiz kid, who is a sophomore high school student at the St. Francis of Assisi College System in Bacoor, Cavite got his first norm in the 2006 Bad Wiesse International Open in Germany. He got his second in the 9th World Juniors Chess Championhip at the Petrosian Chess House in Yerevan, Armenia last Oct. 14. “I am very happy for my son. It’s a product of hard work. I knew he will become a GM, but I did not expect it to be this fast. It’s his childhood dream," said Wesley’s mother Eleonor, comptroller of the De la Salle Health Science Institute in Dasmarinas, Cavite. - Sun.Star