Sa FIDE Chess Olympiad for PWDs
PH 3RD PLACE SA SERBIA

Final Standing/Team Ranking (26 teams)

12.0 match points—Poland

10.0 match points—IPCA

8.0 match points—Philippines, India, Serbia 1, Uzbekistan

7.0 match points—Croatia, Israel, Hungary, FIDE

MANILA — Pinangunahan ni National Master Darry Bernardo ang Philippine chess team sa third place finish nang magwagi sa 79-move marathon kontra kay Kumar A. Naveen sa kanilang Caro-Kann duel, nitong Sabado, 4 Pebrero 2023 sa FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities na ginanap sa Belgrade’s Crown Plaza Hotel sa Belgrade, Serbia.

Ipinamalas ni Bernardo ang kanyang husay sa pagkamada ng panalo sa fourth board para ihatid ang Filipino sa 2-2 standoff kontra sa India sa sixth at final round tungo sa four way tie sa third place na may 8.0 match points, iskor na naitarak ng India (fourth), Serbia 1 (fifth) at Uzbekistan (sixth). Nailagay sila sa kani-kanilang puwesto matapos ipatupad ang tie-break points.

“Right now, I don’t have anything on my mind. I am just happy. We will just continue doing what we are doing so far,” sambit ni Bernardo, na nagwagi ng individual gold medal sa fourth board na may undefeated record 5.5 points sa six outings na may account five wins at one draw.

Una rito ay natalo si Playing Coach National Master James Infiesto kontra kay Inani Darpan matapos ang 57 moves ng Bishop Opening sa Board 3.

Tabla sina FIDE Master Sander Severino at Kutwal Shashikant sa 37 moves ng Caro-Kann Defense sa Board 1 at tabla rin sina National Master Henry Roger Lopez at Gangolli Kishan sa 34 moves ng Queen’s Gambit Declined sa Board 2.

“We do this for flag and country,” ani Severino, na nagwagi ng individual silver medal sa top board after ng tangang three wins at three draws.

Nitong 2020, ang Silay City, Negros Occidental Severino ay nakopo ang International Physically Disabled Chess Association (IPCA) World Online Chess Rapid Championship title.

“Thank God for this blessings. Individual Gold for NM Darry Bernardo; Individual Silver for FM Sander Severino and Bronze Medal for Team Philippines,” sambit ni Playing Coach NM Infiesto.

Ang iba pang miyembro ng PH team ay sina NM Lopez at Atty. Cheyzer Crystal Mendoza.

Sa pagkapanalo ng Team Philippine, napataas ang moral ng bansa ayon kay Rep. Prospero “Butch” Arreza Pichay Jr., chairman/ president ng National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

“Once again our flag has been raised in this foreign land after knowing that our Filipino kababayan finishes 3rd,” ani Rep. Pichay.

Sa iba pang kaganapan ay umaasa ang top ranked Poland sa kanilang lower boards para talunin ang  second ranked Israel, 3-1, tungo sa coveted title at gold medal tangan ang perfect 12.0 match points.

Giniba ni Pawel Piekielny si International Master Andrei Gurbanov sa 28 moves ng Catalan Opening sa Board 3 habang iwinasiwas ni International Master Jacek Stachanczyk si Woman Fide Master Aleksandra Aleksandrova sa 42 moves ng Philidors Defense sa Board 4.

Tabla si Grandmaster Marcin Tazbir kontra Grandmaster Yehuda Gruenfeld sa Board 1 at tabla rin si FIDE Master Marcin Molenda kay Fide Master Alexey Streltsov sa Board 2.

Bida rin ang International Association of Chess with Physical Disability, ang tournament’s seventh seed, na nasa second place, may 10.0 match points bunga ng panalo sa No. 3 Hungary, 2.5-1.5. (MARLON BERNARDINO)