Quizon still leads Philippine National Chess Championships after draw

MANILA, Philippines – International Master Daniel Quizon drew with FIDE Master Mark Jay Bacojo in 34 moves of the Queen’s Pawn London System in the fifth round Friday to stay on top of the Philippine National Chess Championships at the Marikina Community Convention Center. 

The standoff came hours after the 19-year-old 2021 national champion pulled the rug from under Grandmaster Darwin Laylo, his fourth straight victory in the 13-round tournament presented by Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro and Congresswoman Maan Teodoro.

It bolstered Quizon’s chances of capturing one of the three berths to the national squad seeing action in the World Chess Olympiad set in September next year in Budapest, Hungary and the top prize amounting to P120,000.

Half a point behind him was former co-leader IM Jem Garcia, who settled for a second straight draw, the last one with Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna, after racking up three straight triumphs to open his campaign.

At No. 3 with three points apiece were Bacojo, Frayna, teenage phenom Christian Gian Karlo Arca and battle-scarred GM John Paul Gomez.

The 14-year-old Arca, the reigning World Youth blitz champion, and Gomez halved the point to stay in the Olympiad hunt.

The event backed by NCFP chairman president Prospero Pichay Jr., POC president Abraham Tolentino, PSC chair Richard Bachmann, the Eugene Torre Chess Foundation, Pan de Amerikana’s Jundio Salvador, takes a New Year’s respite and would resume Jan. 3.