Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Battle of Grandmasters 2010

And so (according to reports), the Battle of Grandmasters (BOGM) 2010, which was previously scheduled to be held in Dapitan from March 15 to 22, will now be staged at the City State Tower Hotel in Ermita, Manila from March 23 to 30.

The good news is that Phoenix Petroleum, Inc. agreed to sponsor the event for the second straight year. A project of this kind is livelier and richer with the support of the private sector.

Let's hope that Phoenix Petroleum make the BOGM a yearly project. If Shell is into the country's grassroots chess for the youth, Phoenix can take care of the country's top professional chess players. Thinking that there are private sponsors supporting the top-level and grassroots chess in the country is something assuring. Who will take care then of the middle, meaning the non-master tournaments? Any private commercial firm interested? Oh yes, Magnolia is there, but its support is very much limited in Paranaque.

Here are the BOGM 2010 casts:

MEN

GM Wesley So (2665) Two-time and defending champion
GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. (2572)
GM Darwin Laylo (2527)
GMs Eugene Torre (2506)
GM Mark Paragua (2497)
GM Jayson Gonzales (2441)
IMs Ronald Dableo (2464)
Richard Bitoon (2458)
Oliver Dimakiling (2441)
Rolando Nolte (2420)
FM Haridas Pascua (2358)
NM Alcon John Datu (2220)

WOMEN

WFM Shercila Cua (defending champion)
WIM Beverly Mendoza
WFM Chardine Cheradee Camacho
WFM Catherine Perena
WFM Cherry Ann Mejia
Daisy Rivera
Christy Lamiel Bernales
Jan Jodilyn Fronda
Jedara Docena
Rulp Ylem Jose
Mikee Charlene Suede
Loreshyl Cuizon

So what are at stake at the BOGM 2010, aside from the cash prizes? Let me note some:

GM WESLEY SO - His 2700-mark campaign is certainly on the menu. Any draw will drag his Elo rating down, a win does not promise much incremental gain, a loss would be fatal.

GM ANTONIO - Now with 2572 Elo rating, a good campaign could boost his 2600-mark quest.

GM TORRE - A bad campaign could pull him out of the 2500-mark which he has preserved for more than 20 or 30 years

GM PARAGUA - A chance to get back to the 2500-mark

IM RONALD DABLEO - A chance to win precious Elo points to finally earn his full GM title. He needs 36 Elo points more.

IMs BITOON, DIMAKILING, NOLTE - I don't know if BOGM is a norm-producing tournament. If so, at stake for them is a GM norm.

FM PASCUA and NM DATU - An IM Norm?

For the women, WIM norms?

Candidly, the Battle of Grandmasters is an arena to produce more of the country's titled players. Is it good for the progressive development of Philippine chess? What's your take?

3 Comments:

Anonymous said...

ask ko lang po kung bakit wala name ni GM Bong Villamayor? di po ba siya malalaro ?

Tony said...

May final venue na ba, this coming week na eto...

Unknown said...

Though, GM Le Quang Liem won the Vietnam Chess Championship 2010 qualification convincingly, finishing 1.5 points ahead of competition, in the National Swiss system championship he gained 7.5/9, winning six games and drawing three ...

ref: http://reports.chessdom.com/news-2010/le-quang-liem-vietnam-chess-qualifications

But STILL he lose ... -2.30 Pts ELO !!!

ref:
http://ratings.fide.com/individual_calculations.phtml?idnumber=12401137&rating_period=2010-05-01

From this ... we could further deduce that GM Wesley So(2665) ... has placed his ELO ratings at A High RISK ... by JOINING the BATTLE of GMs (BOGM) come May 24 - 31 2010 in Tagaytay.

He has to win all his games to gain precious but meager points and avoid drawing or losing to lower rated players which will cost him a fortune since he is the Top Rated player!

for more details & analysis @
http://forum.philboxing.com/viewtopic.php?f=94&t=162497&hilit=&sid=e10ec9f5e5338741034022da62caea2c&start=375