11-anyos PH chess wizard nagkamit ng double gold international chess tournament

MANILA — Nakuha ng isang batang Filipino chess player ang pangunahing puwesto sa kanyang age group matapos masungkit ang tagumpay sa Chinese Taipei Chess Association International Open Tournament 2024 Open Standard at Open Blitz Championships na ginanap noong 22 Hulyo hanggang 27 Hulyo sa Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Si PH chess genius Nika Juris Nicolas, isang National Master, ay nanalo ng dalawang gintong medalya at tropeo mula sa patimpalak.

Nanguna ang 11-anyosna estudyante ng Victory Christian International School sa Under 13 Standard Open at overall champion sa pinagsamang U13, U15, G13, at G15 kategorya.

Siya ay may kabuuang output na 7.0 puntos sa account ng 6 panalo, 2 draw at 1 talo.

Tinalo ni NM Nicolas sina Min-Hao Lin ng Chinese-Taipei sa first round, Shao-Yen Hung ng Chinese-Taipei sa second round, Enzo Wang ng Canada sa fourth round, Hao-Xuan Huang ng Chinese-Taipei sa fifth round , Yu-En Yen ng Chinese-Taipei sa ikapitong round, at Yu Chen Cheng ng Chinese-Taipei sa ikasiyam at huling round.

Hinati niya ang mga puntos kina AFM Hao Chen Yung ng Chinese-Taipei sa sixth round at Yu-Chi Xavier Wang ng Chinese-Taipei sa eight round.

Natalo siya kay Rainen Yi-Fan Simpson ng Chinese-Taipei sa ikatlong round.

Sa Open blitz competition, nanalo ang chess wizard mula sa Pasig City sa Under-13 class at 3rd overall sa pinagsanib na Open, U19, U17, U15, U11, U9, U7, G19, G17, G15, G11, G9, at G7).

Nagtala si NM Nicolas ng 7 panalo at 2 talo.

Tinalo niya sina Adrian Tung Jan ng Chinese-Taipei (Round 1), Hung-Chuan Chiu ng Chinese-Taipei (Round 2), Cheng-Yan Yang ng Chinese-Taipei (Round 3), Chen- Hao Wu ng Chinese-Taipei (Round 4), Nok Hang Jonathan Ho ng Hong Kong (Round 5), Lourecel Hernandez Ecot ng Filipinas (Round 7), at Howard Sun ng United States (Round 8).

               Ang kanyang pagkatalo ay kina International Master Adelard Bai ng Chinese-Taipei (Round 6) at International Master Raymond Kaufman ng Canada (Round 9).

“Again I would like to dedicate my victory to my countrymen. It’s an honor to represent our country,” sabi ni NM Nicolas.

Dahil sa tagumpay ay napataas ni NM Nicolas ang moral ng bansa.

“We’re very proud of what she has accomplished and I think she’s representative of the quality of the younger generation,” sambit ng proud mother lawyer na si Nikki de Vega na siyang legal adviser ng National Chess Federation of the Philippines sa magiting na pamumuno ni chairman/ president Prospero “Butch” Arreza Pichay, Jr.

“The Philippines only National Master who is female is also making waves abroad by playing in the open division and has emerged as double champion. She is also the only girl in the international tournament who has secured podium finishes there,” ani lawyer De Vega.

Si NM Nicolas ay nasa gabay ng kanyang coaches na sina GM Jayson Gonzales, WGM Janelle Mae Frayna, Lourecel Hernandez Ecot, at Raul Miguel Damuy. (MARLON BERNARDINO)