BUDAPEST, Hungary — The Philippines got off to an amazing start after it blanked both Aruba in the men’s division and Malawi in the women’s side via 4-0 scores Wednesday in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad at the BOK Sports Hall here.
Both International Master Daniel Quizon and Ruelle Canino lived up to hype on their debut as they pulled off impressive results with the former outlasting FIDE Master Juan Pablo De Mey in 35 moves of a Sicilian Dragon on top board and the latter weaving the English Opening like a magic wand with a 35-move win over Anne Simwabe on fourth board.
Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda did the honor by delivering the first victory for the country in this Olympiad edition by beating Tupokiwe Msukwa in 35 moves of an English on board three, barely edging the 16-year-old Canino by a few seconds to it.
And then it was like the dam broke as Grandmaster John Paul Gomez, WGM Janelle Mae Frayna, WIM Shania Mae Mendoza, IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia and then Quizon, whose trip is bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission through chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann and commissioner Ed Hayco and backed by National Chess Federation of the Philippines chief Prospero “Butch” Pichay.
IM Paulo Bersamina, mindless if he was in deep time trouble, then capped what was a momentous day by beating Ilya Stetsenko on board two.
“Great start,” said national women’s coach GM Jayson Gonzales, whose charges then went into the chess exhibitions in the next building and bought some cool, discounted chess books.
But the celebration was short-lived as the Filipinos would face tougher foes from here on with the heavily favored Germans in the men’s and the Americans waiting for them in the second round Thursday night.