INTERNATIONAL Master Daniel Quizon and Christian Gian Karlo Arca hurdled their first-round assignments to seize an early share of the lead in their respective divisions in the ASEAN Age Group Chess Championships in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday.
The top-seeded Quizon walloped Vietnamese Nguyen Hyunh Minh to jump to a five-player tie for first in the premier Open Under-20 division, while Arca, 14, turned back Thai Wakin Krisnawongsakul to zoom to a 10-man logjam at the helm in the Open U18.
IM Michael Concio, Jr., the country’s best bet next to Quizon, was slowed down by an upset draw by unheralded Kota Nagataki and was half a point off the pace.
For Arca, he hopes to prove that he’s the next big top junior player among the Filipinos more likely to succeed Quizon and Concio by topping the field which has chessers three to four years older than him.
The country, backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, National Chess Federation of the Philippines and the Philippine Olympic Committee, has sent the best of the best from its series of qualification tournaments back home.