21 Filipinos sign up for Sydney Open
TWENTY-ONE Filipino players led by Grandmaster Rogelio ""Joey"" Antonio Jr. have signed up for the annual Sydney International Open in New South Wales, Australia, the official website of the event reports.
The Swiss tournament is scheduled to be held at Sydney’s Paramatta Town Hall from Black Saturday, March 22, to Saturday next week, March 29.
Seeded No. 9, Antonio is one of 12 grandmasters gracing the popular annual event that has attracted a total of 149 players, 47 of them "challengers."
As reported last week, GM Joey will fly to Thailand soon after the Sydney competition to take part in the Bangkok Open, of which he has been champion a number of times in the past.
Actually, nine of the Filipinos led by Willie Abalos, executive director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, have signed up for the Challenge section.
Besides the 12 grandmasters, there are also eight international masters, six Fide masters, one woman grandmaster, two WIMs, and two WFMs.
The 12 Filipino players who have registered for the Open besides Antonio were Oliver Barbosa, Jesse Noel Sales, Joseph Julius de Ramos, Catherine Pereńa, Homer Cunanan, Ramon Manon-og, Sherily Cua, Leo Daylo jr., Kimberly Jane Cunanan, Christy Lamiel Bernales and Lorenzo Escalante,
Apart from Abalos, the other Filipinos who enlisted in the Challenge were Raymond Cabatbat, Kate Gladys Cunanan, Ronaldo Cunanan, Eriel Diofiles, Jocelyn Diaz, Maryrose Isaguirre, Zeth R. Lozano and Eryl Tuazon.
Most of them are believed to be Filipinos residing in Australia.
GM Zhang Zhong (2617) of Singapore is the top seed. He used to be China’s champion.
Among the other grandmasters who have signed up are Vadim Milakhalko of Belgium, Varushan Akobian of the United States, Surya Shekhar of India and Gawain Jones of England.
The average Elo rating of the entire field is 2147. Australia now has a third grandmaster, Zhao Zong-Yuan but he still needs to raise his rating from the current 2487.
The other active homegrown Australian GM is Darryl Johansen of Melbourne. GM Ian Rogers has retired from active competition because of illness.