San Diego stuns WGM Enkhtuul of Mongolia to share second in ASEAN+ Individual Chess Championships
THEY say fortune favors the bold. It was the case with Filipina Marie Antoinette San Diego. Needing a…
THEY say fortune favors the bold.
It was the case with Filipina Marie Antoinette San Diego.
Needing a miracle with little time, inferior position and a pawn down, the 27-year-old Woman International Master’s (WIM) prayers were answered after escaping with a 68-move shocker over seventh seed Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Altan-Ulzii Enkhtuul of Mongolia in the 7th ASEAN+ Individual Chess Championships at the Amorap in Misamis Occidental on Thursday.
The Dasmariñas bet parried all the ferocious attacks launched by the former national Mongolian champion by digging deep from her reservoir of tactics, which kept the latter off-balance and uncomfortable.
A pawn down in a rook and pawn endgame, Ms. Enkhtuul succumbed to pressure and blundered her rook to the confident Ms. San Diego, who pounced on it without batting an eyelash.
“She had a rook blunder in the endgame,” said the former national champion, who also slew WGM Janelle Mae Frayna and WIM Ruelle Canino in the first two rounds.
The result propelled her to joint No. 2 with Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Shree Reddy Keerti of India with 3.5 points each and half a point behind another Indian, WIM Bordoloi Pratitee.
Ms. Keerti outlasted Filipina WIM Kylen Joy Mordido in 39 moves of a Sicilian while Ms. Pratitee edged Vietnamese WGM Nguyen Thi Mai Hung in 41 moves of a French Defense in this week-long meet financed by host Governor Henry S. Oaminal, Sr. and backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and WR Chess.
Filipina Ms. Canino dismantled Singaporean WFM Fang Kun’s Slav Defense in 20 moves while WFM Master Shania Mae Mendoza downed teenage sensation Ericka Ordizo in 63 moves of a Queen’s Gambit.
In the open division, FM Alekhine Nouri opted to play it safe after halving the point with Thai IM Prin Laohawirapap in 14 moves of a Four Knights duel.
Other Filipinos staying in contention with 2.5 points each were GM Darwin Laylo and IMs Paulo Bersamina and Michael Concio, Jr. — Joey Villar
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