CHRISTIAN GIAN KARLO ARCA, Ashzley Aya Paquinol and Mar Aviel Carredo saved the day for the Philippines following golden performances in the rapid event of the 21st ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships in Bangkok, Thailand over the weekend.
Mr. Arca, 14, ran away with the Open Under-18 (U-18) title where he scored an impressive 6.5 points out of the possible seven including a final-round win over Vietnamese Pham Cong Minh.
The Dasmariñas-based, Panabo, Davao del Norte native was so dominant that he ended up 1.5 points ahead of his closest pursuer — countryman Mark Jay Bacojo.
Ms. Paquinol was as impressive as she topped the girls’ U-12 class by finishing with six points, a full point ahead of five others including eventual second and third placers Tong Thai Hiang An and Nguyen Minh Chi both of Vietnam.
For Mr. Carredo, he needed to sideswipe Vietnamese Nguyen Nam Kiet in the last round and edge another Vietnam bet Nguyen Quang Minh via higher tiebreak score to snatch the Open U12 title.
It made up for heartbreaking collapses by Filipino standard champions International Master Daniel Quizon and Ruelle Canino.
Mr. Quizon, 19, wound up second behind eventual titlist FIDE Master Prin Laohawirapap of Thailand in the premier Open U20 while Ms. Canino, 15, was good for third in the girls’ U16 crown.
The Filipinos, whose trip was bankrolled by the PSC and backed by the NCFP and POC, were gunning for more titles in the blitz section at press time. — Joey Villar