Quizon stuns Swedish GM in Pacquiao Chess Festival
International champion Daniel Quizon of the Philippines delivered the biggest shocker of the MCPL’s Manny Pacquiao International Open Chess Festival in General Santos City after downing third-seeded grandmaster Vitaly Sivuk of Sweden on Thursday.
The 18-year-old Hanoi Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist from Dasmarinas unleashed the King’s Indian Defense on 30-year-old Sivuk, emerging victorious in their razor-sharp duel in 41 moves to bolster his title chances.
The win catapulted Quizon into a six-man tie for third place with 4.0 points each, or just half a point behind co-leaders GMs Hovhannes Gabuzyan of Armenia and Lucas Van Foreest of the Netherlands who have 4.5 points each.
Gabuzyan and Van Foreest halved the score to stay at the helm in this P1.14 million champion-bet tournament.
Quizon is tied with fourth seed Pier Luigi Basso of Italy, IM John Daniel Bryant of the United States and Filipino IMs Kim Steven Yap and Ricky de Guzman.
Basso crushed IM Cris Ramayrat; Bryant interrupted Sherwin Tiu; Yap pulled the rug from under GM Darwin Laylo; and De Guzman surprised GM John Paul Gomez.
Tied for 9th with 3.5 points were Russian-born FIDE representative Konstantin Sek, IM Richilieu Salcedo, IM Michael Concio, Jr., FIDE Champion Mari Joseph Turqueza, IM Eric Labog, Jr., Sheider Nebato and GM Joey Antonio.
Quizon will be looking to catch a bigger fish as he fought the top-ranked Gabuzyan in the sixth round at press time. A victory here would increase his chances of earning his second of three norms to win the grandmaster title.
This nine-round tournament is also supported by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.