Six Pinoys in 2011 Dubai Open

Six Pinoy campaigners - all of them without FIDE titles - are on a brave mission to wave the Philippine flag in the 2011 Dubai Open which runs from April 9 to April 19.

Let's meet our gallant Pinoy campaigners in the United Arab Emirates:

Francis Erwin Dimarucut (2156)
Marvin Marcos (2134)
Rocky Pabalan (2062)
Robert Arellano (2060)
Carlos De Guzman (1981)
Mama Ingcongan (1977)

I believe that these Pinoys are OFWs, our present day heroes, and are active members of a chess club in Dubai.

They will battle it out in a tough 168-player field participated in by at least 41 GMs, 9 WGMs, and 22 IMs. The Top 30 seeds are all GMs that include GM Sasikiran Krishnan (2682), GM Akopian Vladimir (2675), GM Miroshnichenko Evgenij (2670), GM Andriasian Zaven (2645), and GM Ganguly Surya Shekhar (2643).

It can be recalled that a Filipino had already topped this highly competitive field. The historic moment happened in 2008 when GM Wesley So, then only 14 years old, essayed a superb 7/9 performance to win this cash-rich tournament.

Good luck to the six Pinoys who are in a herculean mission to make our country proud.

Go, little David! Beat the giant Goliath!

AVAILABLE GAMES: 2011 Dubai Open
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