PH draws India, 2-2, with board four win of Bernardo; finishes 3rd in Serbia, FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 05 Feb 2023
Final Standing/Team Ranking (26 teams)
12.0 match points---Poland
10.0 match points---IPCA
8.0 match points---Philippines, India, Serbia 1, Uzbekistan
7.0 match points---Croatia, Israel, Hungary, FIDE
MANILA---National Master Darry Bernardo put up another strong showing to lead the Philippine Chess team to a third place finish with a marathon 79-move win over Kumar A.Naveen of an Caro-Kann duel Saturday, February 4, 2023 in the FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities held at the Belgrade's Crown Plaza Hotel in Belgrade, Serbia.
Bernardo showed incredible grit in delivering a match-saving victory on fourth board helped the Filipinos secure the 2-2 standoff with India in the sixth and final round and a place in a four way tie for third place with 8.0 match points, the same output of India (fourth), Serbia 1 (fifth) and Uzbekistan (sixth). However, they were ranked according to their accumulated tie-break points.
“Right now I don’t have anything on my mind. I am just happy. We will just continue doing what we are doing so far,” said Bernardo, who won individual gold medal on fourth board with undefeated record 5.5 points in six outings on account of five wins and one draw.
Earlier, Playing Coach National Master James Infiesto lost to Inani Darpan after 57 moves of Bishop Opening on Board 3 and the match between Fide Master Sander Severino and Kutwal Shashikant ended in a draw after 37 moves of Caro-Kann Defense on Board 1 and so did as National Master Henry Roger Lopez and Gangolli Kishan halving the points after 34 moves of Queen's Gambit Declined on Board 2.
"We do this for flag and country," added Severino, who won individual silver medal on the top board after tallying three wins and three draws.
In 2020, the Talisay City, Negros Occidental Severino clinched the International Physically Disabled Chess Association (IPCA) World Online Chess Rapid Championship title becoming the first player representing the Philippines to do so.
"Thank God for this blessings. Individual Gold for NM Darry Bernardo; Individual Silver for FM Sander Severino and Bronze Medal for Team Philippines," said Playing Coach NM Infiesto.
Other member of the team are NM Lopez and Atty. Cheyzer Crystal Mendoza.
With the victory, Team Philippine's performance boosted the nation's morale, said Rep. Prospero "Butch" Arreza Pichay Jr., chairman/ president of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.
“Once again our flag has been raised in this foreign land after knowing that our Filipino kababayan finishes 3rd,” he said.
In other games, top ranked Poland banked on the lower boards nipping second ranked Israel, 3-1, to secure the coveted title and the gold medal with perfect 12.0 match points.
Pawel Piekielny defeated International Master Andrei Gurbanov after 28 moves of Catalan Opening on Board 3 while International Master Jacek Stachanczyk beat Woman Fide Master Aleksandra Aleksandrova after 42 moves of Philidors Defense on Board 4.
Grandmaster Marcin Tazbir drew with Grandmaster Yehuda Gruenfeld on Board 1 while Fide Master Marcin Molenda settled for a truce with Fide Master Alexey Streltsov on Board 2.
International Association of Chess with Physical Disability, the tournament's seventh seed, is in second place with 10.0 match points after edging No. 3 Hungary, 2.5-1.5.-Marlon Bernardino-
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