Pamangkin GM Mark Callano Paragua
WFM MEGAN ALTHEA, UNANG PINOY NA NAGWAGI SA WORLD CADET RAPID & BLITZ CHAMPIONSHIPS

MANILA — Iniangat ni Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Megan Althea Obrero Paragua ang World Cadet Rapid & Blitz Championships 2024 trophy matapos ang 66 moves na tagumpay sa Catalan Opening gamit ang black pieces laban sa 35th seed Vietnamese Hong Ha My Nguyen sa Rapid Girls 12 and Under nitong Linggo (Manila Time) sa Grand Blue FAFA Resort sa Durres, Albania.

Ang 11-anyos na WFM na si Megan Althea, pamangkin ni GM Mark Callano Paragua, ang World No.1 ay gumawa ng kasaysayan bilang kauna-unahang Filipino na nagwagi ng World Cadet Rapid & Blitz Championships.

“I think I played very well and was mentally strong and I am happy I was able to keep my composure throughout the match,” sabi ni New York City resident WFM  Megan Althea, ang Filipino by blood na kumakatawan sa United States Chess Federation.

Sa kanyang makasaysayang tagumpay, sambit ni WFM Megan Althea, “It’s very overwhelming right now. But I think this is a huge step for me personally as well. I am super happy to represent my country and do something worthwhile for the big platform and being able to inspire other younger people.”

“I am very happy with the way I handled each and every point. I had a lot of moments in this tournament where I was down, and I could have lost a set and could have gotten mad easily but I didn’t. I think my behavior throughout the whole week was something I can be proud of,” anang 5th Grade Pupil ng Columbia Grammar Preparatory School sa New York City na nasa gabay ni Sophia Rhode.

Tinalo ni WFM Megan Althea sina Nurhan Babanazarova ng Turkmenistan (Round 1), Alicja Gruszecka ng Poland (Round 2), Khanzada Amanzhol ng Kazakhstan (Round 3), Le Vy Tran ng Vietnam (Round 4) at Nguyen Minh Chi ng Vietnam (Round 5) .

Pinutol niya ang kanyang anim na sunod na panalo nang makatabla siya laban kay Thai Hoang An Tong ng Vietnam sa ikaanim na round.

Pagkatapos ay tinalo ni WFM Megan Althea si Nika Venskaya ng Russia sa ikapitong round at si Varvara Matskevich ng Poland sa walong round.

Hinati niya ang mga puntos kay Daliya Diaskyzy ng Kazakhstan sa ika-siyam na round at Anastasiya Aleks Barabash ng Russia sa ika-sampu at penultimate round bago talunin si Viet Hong Ha My Nguyen sa huling round.

Si WFM Megan Althea, ang nangungunang manlalaro ng Empire Chess Training School of Chess sa USA ay nakatakdang lumaban sa 2024 US Girls’ Junior Championship sa Hulyo sa Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.

Si WFM Megan Althea, ay anak nina Jan Vincent at Jennifer Obrero-Paragua mula sa Marilao, Bulacan.

Matatandaan na si WFM Megan Althea ay tumira para sa runner-up trophy sa likod ng nagwagi na si Devindya Oshini Gunawardhana ng Sri Lanka ng FIDE World Cadets and Youth Rapid Chess Championships Girls 10 and under virtually (online chess tournament sa panahon ng pandemic) na ginanap sa Tornelo Platform noong 31 Agosto 2021.

“WFM Megan Althea will go a long, long way in her chess career. We expect WFM Megan Althea to bring more honors to the country, and her accomplishment would definitely inspire young Filipinos to follow in her footsteps,” sabi ng proud father na si Jan Vincent.

“Congratulations WFM Megan Althea Obrero Paragua. You have made all the Filipino chess players very proud of what you have done,” sabi ni National Chess Federation of the Philippines Chairman/ President Prospero “Butch” Arreza Pichay, Jr.

Nakuha ni WFM Megan Althea ang ginto na may 9.5 puntos sa account ng 8 panalo at 3 tabla.

Si Nika Venskaya ng Russia ay nagtapos ng solo second na may 8.5 points at nakakuha ng silver medal.

Nanalo ng tansong medalya si Khanzada Amanzhol ng Kazakhstan matapos talunin ang kapwa eight pointers sa tie break points na sina third placer Daliya Diaskyzy ng Kazakhstan, fourth placer at fifth placer Anastasiya Aleks Barabash ng Kazakhstan.

Sa solo ang ikaanim na puwesto ay si Varvara Matskevich ng Poland na may 7.5 puntos.

Ang round off sa nangungunang 12 nakakuha ng tig-7.0 puntos ay sina Nguyen Minh Chi (Vietnam), Le Vy Tran (Vietnam), Thai Hoang An Tong  (Vietnam), Hong Ha My Nguyen  (Vietnam), Alicja Gruszecka (Poland) at Michalina Popczynska (Poland).

Samantala, tinapos ni National Master (NM) Nika Juris Nicolas ng Filipinas ang kanyang kampanya sa kabuuang 23th placers. Ang 11-anyos na si NM Nika Juris, estudyante ng Victory Christian International School ay nagtala ng anim na puntos, isang magandang bahagi ng 17th hanggang 25th placers na umakit ng 43 bansa at 56 manlalaro. (MARLON BERNARDINO)