PH Teen Arca Upsets Super GM Gustafsson
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 16 Apr 2025
Arca (L) defeats super GM Gustafsson in the third round.
Bangkok, Thailand---Teen sensation FIDE Master Christian Gian Karlo Arca of the Philippines kept the lead after a third- round conquest of the top seed Super Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson of Germany in the on going 22nd Bangkok Chess Club Open Tuesday, April 15,2025 at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.
Playing white, Arca, who holds an ELO rating of 2250, prevailed over the two-time winner of Bangkok Chess Club Open Gustafsson, who possessed an ELO of 2601 after 39 moves of a Reti Opening.
"Hope yung magandang pagsisimula ng performance ko po dito sa Bangkok ay magtuloy tuloy para sa posibleng pag sungkit ng IM norm o GM norm," said the 16-year old Arca, who hails from Panabo City, Davao del Norte, the youngest member of the National Training Pool.
Also carried the good fight for the Filipinos were International Master Michael Concio Jr. and International Master Paulo Bersamina.
Concio toppled CM Benhood Delavari of Iran while Bersamina edged countryman Marc Kevin Labog.
With the win, Arca, Concio and Bersamina raised their total to 3.0 points, the same output of GM Evgeny Romanov of Macedonia, GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly of India, GM Vitaliy Bernadskiy of Ukraine, IM James Morris of Australia, GM Stephen Gordon of England, IM Arif Abdul Hafiz of Indonesia, Wei Yuyang of China, GM Babu MR Lalith of India and FM Alexander Chernyavsky of Russia.
Filipino and United chess master Almario Marlon Quiroz Bernardino Jr. defeated Peerathat Asvahem of Thailand in Round 3 of the Challenger section to score 2.0 points in 3 outings. Among those who are supporting NM Bernardino's chess campaign are ALC Group of Companies Chairman and CEO Dominic Edgard Cabangon, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) chairman and CEO Alejandro “Al” Tengco, Mayor Joy Belmonte, Mayor Jon Jon Ferrer, Mr. Jessie Villasin and International Billiard and Snooker Champion Marlon Manalo.
Meanwhile, WNM Arvie Lozano, John Paul De Guzman, Remark Bartolome, Zwe Wait Yan Lin of Myanmar, Tran Nguyen Dang Koa of Vietnam, Azzamy Khalid Shafwan of Indonesia and Nikolay Gutsulyak of Russia posted their third consecutive wins to create a 7-way tie for first placers in the Challenger section.-Marlon Bernardino-
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