By Marlon Bernardino
David Ray Sarmiento, 21-year-old chess prodigy from Nueva Ecija, Philippines, won the 50th Anniversary Emden Chess Club Rapid Chess Championships held September 14, 2025 at the Culture Center in Emden, Germany.
Sarmiento was undefeated with an impressive score of 6.0 points from 5 wins and 2 draws.
David Ray Sarmiento’s triumph is a proud moment for the Philippines. It shall be recalled that Sarmiento finished second place at the B division of the Grenke Chess Open held from April 17-21, 2025 at the Kongresszentrum Karlsruhe, Germany. Sarmiento had 8.0 points on account of 7 wins and 2 draws, in a tie with Tim Lehmann of Germany, Daniel Aziz of the Netherlands, Elman Tariverdiyev of Germany and David Tulchnysky of Germany. The Filipino won runner-up honors after the tie break points were applied to bring home the 1,500 euros for his efforts.