Youth Chess: Camacho sparks strong RP finish

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines
Nov 15 2004

WORLD YOUTH CHESS
Camacho sparks strong RP finish

By Roy Luarca
Inquirer News Service

Editor’s Note: Published on page A27 of the Nov. 15, 2004 issue of
the Philippine Daily Inquirer

CRETE, Greece — Team Philippines, led by Chardine Cheradee Camacho,
came through with a strong finishing kick in the 2004 World Youth
Chess Championships Saturday at the Creta Maris hotel here.

Camacho humbled top seed Reddy Tejeswini of India to place fifth in
the girls’ under-10 class, while Wesley So and Prince Mark Aquino
also hurdled their Round 11 matches to land 13th in the boys’
under-12 and under-10, respectively.

The trio’s combined effort gave the Filipinos their worthiest showing
yet in the annual tournament which lured 1,028 players from 84
countries to this historic resort island.

Third victory in a row

The 10-year-old Camacho, pride of Caba town, La Union province,
secured her third straight win in 54 moves of an English opening and
wound up with 8.0 points, the same total posted by China’s Xu Huahua
and Moldova’s Diana Baciu. Xu took fourth when the tiebreak was
applied.

Woman Fide Master Mary Arabidze of Georgia set a record with a
perfect 11 points
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in the girls’ under-10, 2.5 clear of fellow Georgian Nino Anakidze
and Poland’s Alexandra Lach.

So dumped Turkey’s Ogulean Kanmazalo in 35 moves of a Sicilian to
notch 7.5 points and better his 19th place effort in last year’s
edition. That time So, who was supported by Tagaytay Mayor Abraham
Tolentino, copped 7.0 points.

While Camacho and So were expected to do good, Aquino was a
revelation.

Revelation for RP team

The 9-year-old Aquino, who learned to play the game only last year,
whipped Armenia’s Tigran Petrosian, namesake of the late world
champion from 1963-68, in 27 moves of a Sicilian-Dragon to finish
with 7.5 points.

Rosalinda Camacho happily informed husband Conrado of the fine effort
of her daughter Chardine, a sixth-grader at Aringay School of
Science, Arts, Technology and Trade, in this five-division
tournament.

Other Philippine results saw Kimberly Jane Cunanan (girls’ under-14),
Jayveelyn Fronda (girls’ under-18) and Jesus Alfonso Datu draw their
games.

Leo Daylo Jr. won in the boys’ under-14, while Christy Lamiel
Bernales (girls’ under-12), Geneline de Ramos (girls’ under-16) and
Joseph Julius de Ramos (boys’ under-18) dropped their final round
matches.

Bernales posted 5.0 points, Cunanan 4.5, Geneline de Ramos 4.0,
Fronda 4.0, Datu 4.5, Daylo 4.5 and Joseph Julius de Ramos 4.5.

Division winners

Other girls’ division winners were Poland’s Laudia Kulon in the
under-12 with 9.5 points, Indian WGM Dronavalli Harika (9.0) in the
under-14, Georgia’s Bela Khotenashvili (9.5) in the under-16 and
Polish WIM Johanta Zawadzka (8.0 points) in the under-18.

The boys’ champions were China’s Yu Yangyi with 9.0 points in the
under-10, China’s Zhao Nan in the under-12 (9.5 points), Russian IM
Ildar Khairullin (8.5) in the under-14, Israel’s Maxim Rodshtein
(8.5) in the under-16, and Polish IM Radoslav Wojtaszek (9.0) in the
under-18.

Elated by the youngsters’ performance, National Chess Federation of
the Philippines president Go Teng Kok said he would set a welcome
party and arrange a courtesy call with First Gentleman Jose Miguel
“Mike” Arroyo for Team Philippines.

Team Philippines will take a nine-hour ferry ride to Athens Saturday
night and leave the 2004 Olympic site by plane at 5:55 p.m. (11:55 in
Manila) en route to Frankfurt. They will arrive home on Monday
evening.