2010 Asian Games

This will be the second time that chess will be included as an official sport in the Asian Games - only now when Asian Games is already in its 16th edition.

Considering that Asiad is held only every after four years (Asiad started in 1951) makes chess a real newbie in this regional competition.

Chess was first included as an official Asian game sport in 2006 during the 15th Asian Games which was held in Doha, Qatar. Some 42 Asian countries fielded delegations for the chess competition which consisted of three gold medal events: Mixed Team, Men`s individual and Women`s individual championships.

The team competitions were played over three boards with men on the first and third boards and a woman on second board. There were no alternates.

In the Mixed Team classical event, the Philippine Team finished at No.8. RP's GM Darwin Laylo (who was an IM then) and IM Ronald Dableo finished 8th and 15th, respectively, in the Men's Individual rapid category. Meanwhile, Jedara Docena made it to the 12th spot in the Women's Individual rapid category.

I am not sure if this year's edition, which will be held in Guangzhou, China in November, would still employ the same 3-board format.

By the way, it was reported that GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. was reinstated to the RP Team for the 16th Asian Games.

In the previous edition of the Asian Games, the RP Chess Team was not able to win any medal. Let's hope for a better performance this time.

GO RP CHESS TEAM!!