Filipino Grandmaster (GM) Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr. made the country proud anew by finishing 3rd overall in the blitz side event of the on-going 27th World Senior Chess Championship 2017 (50+ and 65+ Open-men and women) in Acqui Terme, Italy on Sunday.
The 55-years-old Calapan, Oriental, Mindoro native Antonio defeated IM Peter Hardicsay of Hungrary in the 9th and final round to finish with 7.0 points on seven wins and two loses.
IM Alexander Reprintsev of Ukraine won the title with 8.5 points followed by Rolf Fritsch of Germany with 7.5 points. The duo is the tormentor of Antonio in this Nine Round Swiss-system blitz tournament.
Earlier, Antonio defeated Johannes Melkevik of Norway, Corrado Astengo of Italy, FM Jorge Arturo Vega Garcia of Mexico in the first three outings but lost to eventual champion Reprintsev in the fourth round.
Then he crushed Moshe Gal of Israel in the 5th, Tiziano Godani of Italy in the 6th, FM Christoph Frick of Germany in the 7th round, but bowed to runner-up Fritsch in the eight round before beating Hardicsay in the last round.
Interestingly, according to Antonio's close confidante Philippine executive chess champion Atty. Cliburn Anthony A. Orbe, Antonio beat Reprintsev in just only four moves in the fourth round of the World Senior chess.
"In the main tournament, (GM Rogelio) Joey (Antonio) as white won against (IM Alexander) Reprintsev in 4 moves, (1. e4 d5 2. ed5 Qd5 3. Nc3 Qb5 4. Bb5 black resigns.)" said the native Iligan City Orbe, who watched the live games through internet chessbomb.com
"Joey already wrote in his scoresheet Qa5 when he noticed that the queen was on b5," added Orbe, director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) headed by it's Chairman/ President Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr.
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