JOHN PAUL GOMEZ'S NEXT TARGET: AEROFLOT CHESS TOURNEY

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

FILIPINO GRANDMASTER (GM) John Paul Gomez (in photo) is looking forward to his next big tournament – the 2011 Aeroflot Open chess championship on Feb. 7-18 in Moscow, Russia.

Hardly disappointed by his third place finish in the 1st HD Bank Chess Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam last Sunday, the La Salle Taft ace is preparing for another acid test in his chess career.

"It’s a new challenge for me," said Gomez, who is set to arrive the country tomorrow from his stint formerly known Saigon City.

"It’s like in other chess tournament. Madami ding magagaling at mahuhusay na mga players ang kasali dito sa Aeroflot," added Gomez who failed to secure the coveted chess title in Vietnam after losing his ninth and final round assignment against local hero GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, the 2005 Manila Southeast Asian Games most bemedalled athlete with five gold.

Gomez will be joined in Aeroflot by fellow GMs Darwin Laylo and Roland Salvador, IMs Richard Bitoon and Oliver Barbosa and youthful and reigning RP junior champion Paulo Bersamina.

Long-time chess benefactor Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr., the president and chairman of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines is very confident that the RP chess team will peform well in the Aeroflot chess.

"Magandang tournament itong Aeroflot at kumpiyansa ako na magbibigay ng magandang laban ang mga Pinoy woodpushers natin,," added Pichay, also head of LWUA.
Gomez, Laylo and Salvador will compete in the centerpiece Category A for players with ELO rating higher than 2549.

The total prize fund in the Aeroflot tournament is 70,000 euro, with the champion getting the lion’s share of 20,000 euro, the runner-up receiving 10,000 euro and the third placer pocketing 7,000 euro. Cash prizes will also be given from the fourth up to the 30th placer.

Aside from the cash prizes, the champion will also get outright invitation to play in the prestigious Dortmund round-robin tournament.

Among the early entries are GM Sergei Movsesian of Slovakia (2723), GM Baadur Jobava of Georgia (2710), GM Gata Kamsky of the United States (2705), GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam (2694), GM Viktor Bologan of Moldova (2690), GM Artyom Timofeev and GM Alexander Rianzantsev of Russia (2686) and GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan (2685).