Quizon, Concio Finish 1st-2nd in Zone 3.3 Zonal Hybrid Chess Championship

Teenage International Masters Daniel Quizon (above left), 17, and Michael Concio Jr. (above right), 16, both of the Philippines, finished first and second, respectively, in the Zone 3.3 Zonal Hybrid Chess Championship on Tornelo to qualify into the World Cup slated July in Sochi, Russia. Visit chess-results.com to download games and for round by round results and standings. Watch games live on Followchess, chessbomb, chess.com and chess24.

Quizon escaped with a draw against a fierce attack by Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto (photo above). From the white site of a Queen’s Gambit Accepted, Megaranto quickly controlled the center and brought his pieces to the kingside. After 30.Bd3 (see diagram above) instead of the stronger 30.Bxg6, Quizon freed his Queen and Megaranto accepted the draw offer. Quizon finished alone in first with 7 points in the 9-round Swiss System for the top prize of $700.

Concio outmaneuvered the Sicilian Defense of GM Novendra Priasmoro of Indonesia (photo above) who mirrored symmetrical positions for the first eight moves. Priasmoro had to give up a Knight to prevent pawn promotion on the 56^th move. In the ensuing Rook and Bishop vs. Rook endgame they made 36 moves, 14 short of the 50-move draw rule, when Priasmoro committed a blunder (see diagram above) 103… Ka5? which trapped his King in a mating net after 104.Rh1!. Concio finished alone in second place with 6.5 points for cash prize of $500.

Priasmoro won the bronze medal and $300 with 6 points, tied with five others, namely compatriot IMs (left to right above) Mohamad Ervan, Yoseph Theolifus Taher and Sean Winshand Cuhendi, Singaporean IM Tin Jingyao (below left) and Malaysian FM Lye Lik Zang (below right).

Lye essayed the Trompovsky Attack against Mohamad Ervan to win the Rook and Pawn endgame in 49 moves. Tin Jingyao’s English Opening crushed the Dutch Defense of IM John Marvin Miciano in 47 moves. Taher used the Sicilian Defense against FM Rohan Shan Tze Navaratnam of Malaysia who gave a Knight on the 12^th move to gain two pawns and pry open the castled Black king. Taher forced an exchange of Queen’s on the 19^th move and when his attack fizzled out, Navaratnam resigned on the 28^th move. Cuhendi was held to a draw by Merben Roque of the Philippines in 49 moves of a Queen’s Pawn Game.

Many thanks to the Arbiters above. Read previous articles of Zone 3.3 Zonal Hybrid Chess Championship