Missing Star in the Battle of GMs 2009

It was previously reported that the country’s female chess sensation Chardine Cheradee Camacho would play in the ongoing Battle of Grandmasters 2009.

But when I browsed over the list of participants in the Women’s Division, her name was missing.

What happened? Can somebody in-the-know please provide some information for our enlightenment?

Can you still remember that it was this young Camacho who, among the Philippine Team members to the Dresden Olympiad, provided the most points?

In that Olympiad, she piled up 8.0 points, on top of GM John Paul Gomez’ 7.5 and GM Wesley So’s 7.0, in their respective divisions.

She was one of the three girls (with Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Cherry Ann Mejia, with Fronda participating in the Battle of GMs 2009) who recently made history in Philippine chess by bringing home the first ever bronze medal from World Youth Chess Championship.

In that same tournament, she made the best finish among 18 RP Team members. She finished 5th overall in the Girls 14 Category out of a total of 79 players.

Holding the Battle of GMs – Women’s Division sans the 14-year old Camacho seems to be incomplete.

It’s incomplete because the real star is missing.