SEARCH FOR NEW TALENTS. Grandmaster Rogelio Antonio Jr. discusses the upcoming 2019 GM Rosendo Balinas Memorial Cup chess championship during the 37th “Usapang Sports” by the Tabloids Organizations in Philippine Sports (TOPS) at the National Press Club in Intramuros on Thursday (Aug. 29, 2019). Antonio said he is hoping to discover more talented chess players during the tournament set on Sept. 2-10, 2019. Also in photo is TOPS president Ed Andaya. (TOPS Photo)
MANILA -- The 2019 GM Rosendo Balinas Memorial Cup chess championship, which begins on Monday, hopes to produce more talented players in the mold of the late Filipino champion.
It is also a good way to keep the memory of Balinas alive, especially to the younger batch of players.
"GM Balinas is really one of the best Filipino chess players ever. He was a real idol," GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. said during his appearance in the 37th "Usapang Sports" by the Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports (TOPS) at the National Press Club in Intramuros, Manila.
“I am deeply honored to be invited to play in the Balinas Memorial. I was a student of GM Balinas and I can say I am one of his more successful students. I really owe a lot to him,” said the 57-year-old Antonio, who attended the weekly public service program together with fellow GM Darwin Laylo, Balinas' older brother, engineer Tony Balinas, and Philippine Executives Chess Association (PECA) president Dr. Jenny Mayor.
Antonio, who made history by becoming the country’s third GM in 1993 after GM Eugene Torre and Balinas, and Laylo head 14 other players seeing action in the prestigious tournament scheduled at the Alphaland Place in Malugay St., Makati City on September 2-10.
"I was not able to meet GM Balinas, but I know him as one of our strongest players. I even studied some of his games,” said Laylo, who also made his first appearance in the session sponsored by the Philipine Sports Commission, National Press Club, Pagcor, Community Basketball Association, and HG Guyabano Tea Leaf Drinks.
The third GM in the field is John Paul Gomez.
Balinas said the 15-round tournament will use the standard format since “Balinas and other Filipino players excel in this type of competition.”
“You can see the beauty of chess in the old format, which is the standard or long game. It is a lot better than the rapid or blitz style,” explained Balinas, who is primarily responsible for the staging of the competition held in honor of his younger brother.
Mayor said at stake in the competition are trophies and cash prizes, with the champion getting the lion’s share of PHP50,000.
Aside from the champion’s purse of PHP50,000 top prize, the tournament offers PHP40,000 to the runner-up, PHP30,000 to the third placer, PHP20,000 to the fourth placer, and PHP20,000 to the fifth placer.
The sixth up to the 16th and last placer will also receive consolation cash prizes, according to Mayor.
Aside from the three GMs, the other participating players are IM Paulo Bersamina, IM Daniel Quizon, IM Angelo Young, NM Nick Nisperos, IM Ricky de Guzman, IM Cris Ramayrat, NM Carlo Magno Rosaupan, NM Julius Sinangote, and untitled qualifiers Sherwin Tiu, Kevin Mirano, Rolly Parondo Jr., Alfredo Rapanot, and Michael Concio Jr. (PR)
