Country's youngest Woman Fide Master (WFM) Antonella Berthe “Tonelle” Murillo Racasa left the country Thursday night aboard Qatar Airways hoping to put up a string of solid finishes for a shot at the tough and prestigious World Cadets Chess Championships.
A total of 106 players from 53 countries will take part in the tournament in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain in the Under 12 girls division to be held November 3 to 16,
Aside from gold medal, an outright Woman Fide Master (WFM) and Woman International Master (WIM) norm will be awarded to the champion according to Roberto Racasa, father and coach of Antonella Berthe, who accompanied her daughter.
“I’m looking forward to it for a top-10 finish (Antonella Berthe) at the tough and prestigious World Cadets Chess Championships in Spain,” said Roberto, also an International Memory champion, dubbed as the founder and father of Memory Sports in the Philippines.
The Mandaluyong City resident Antonella Berthe is seeded number 80 whose Europe campaign is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, National Chess Federation of the Philippines, Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos, councilor Charisse Marie Abalos-Vargas, Herminio “Hermie” Esguerra of Herma Group of Companies, sportsman Reli de Leon, Rotary Club of Pasig thru Engineer Rogelio Lim, Dr. Jess Acantillado and Philippine Executive Chess Association (PECA) President lawyer Cliburn Anthony A. Orbe.
“I hope to do well in this event and gain some ELO rating points,” said the 11-year-old, a Grade 5 pupil of Home School Global who possessed an ELO rating of 1342.
Woman Candidate Master Amina Kairbekova (1939) of Kazakhstan is the top seed while Machteld Van Foreest (1934) of the Netherlands is the second seed in this FIDE-sanctioned tournament.
During the 19th Asean International Age Group Chess Championships last June in Davao City, Antonella Berthe claimed an outright WFM title with her victory in the Girls 12-under category, thus making her the youngest Filipino Woman FIDE Master.
She also won the Asean Chess Master title (International Age Group Chess Championships in Kuantan Malaysia) at the age of 10 and the National Age Group Girls Under 10 Champion held in Cebu City at the age of 9.