GM Barcenilla eyes Olympic stint
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 08 Jul 2020
MANILA, Philippines – Grandmaster Rogelio "Banjo" Barcenilla Jr. will chase an Olympic stint on 64 square board for chess.
Barcenilla, a two-time (1989 and 1990) Asian Junior champion in India and Dubai and 1991 Bronze medalist in World Juniors championship in Romania, will lead the six-player cast in this in this weekend’s two-day qualifying tournament to the first ever FIDE Online Olympiad 2020 scheduled July 22 to August 30.
The Chandler, Arizona based Barcenilla will test the mettle of New York based GM Mark Paragua (replacement of Dallas, Texas based GM Julio Catalino Sadorra), GM John Paul Gomez, GM Darwin Laylo, International Master Paolo Bersamina and IM Haridas Pascua.
"I hope to do well in this event," said Barcenilla, the pride of Barangay Malamig in Mandaluyong City under the leadership of International Billiards Champion Marlon Manalo.
It shall be recalled that Barcenilla won the 2019 Philippines National Chess Championship dubbed as Battle of the Grandmasters in an impressive fashion held at the Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence (PACE), 2nd floor, No. 56 Mindanao Avenue, Project 6 in Quezon City last November 26.
Due to the global pandemic crisis Covid 19, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) decided not to push through the actual or over the board chess competition but rather to continue the game of chess through an online chess competition.
According to National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) executive director Atty. Cliburn Anthony Orbe, only the top four players will make the team with only two men can play per round. Each team is allowed to play six players a game with the four being two women, one junior player aged Under-20 and an U20 girl.
The tryout for boys Under-20 players is also set this weekend while those for the women and girls will have a separate schedule.
Meanwhile, Gabriel "Gab" Barcenilla newest music video “Mira” was released already.
Gabriel, a professional Singer, Song-writer, Dancer, and Model is a son of GM Barcenilla and former world chess Olympiad member Woman National Master Lilibeth Lee-Barcenilla.-Marlon Bernardino-
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