Friday, September 29, 2006

For Flag and Country

Three Pinoy hopefuls are setting off on an overseas trek in search of glory. National master John-Paul Gomez is heading for the World Juniors Championships in Yerevan, Armenia. Marlon Bernardino quotes Gomez as saying, "For flag and country I will do my very best". Accompanying the 20-year old Gomez is Oliver Dimakiling who will apparently act as Gomez's second.

From Yerevan, the two Filipinos are slated to participate in the Calvia Chess Festival in Spain followed by an appearance at the 2006 Offene Internationale Bayerishe Schuch Meisterschaft in Bad Wiessee, Germany.

Another Pinoy who is on the hunt for his third GM norm is IM Jayson Gonzales. Marlon Bernardino just emailed me to say that Gonzales had already left RP shores last Wednesday to head off for Europe. It looks like Gonzales will hook up with his compatriots in the same two tournaments above. But while Gomez and Dimakiling will be back in RP by Christmas, Gonzales will apparently prolong his European stint and compete in the legendary Hastings event in England.

We pray (at least to that goddess of chess, Caissa) and wish the very best for our Pinoy warriors. That's just so cheesy, isn't it? But hey, we're Pinoys! And we're "OE".

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We also have 3 Aussies (+ coach) setting off for Yerevan, but perhaps without quite the same expectations of glory - just trying to repersent their country with tenacity and devotion...