GM Barcenilla targets Olympiad 2020

Last updated on May 6th, 2021 at 10:36 am

MANILA – Grandmaster Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla Jr. eyes an Olympic stint after topping the topping the tournament in the FIDE Online Olympiad 2020.

GM Barncenilla, a two time Asian Juniors champion in India and Dubai and a Bronze medalist in the 1991 World Juniors championship took a step closer toward slots to the inaugural FIDE Online Chess Olympiad.

He will be leading the six-player cast in this weekend’s two-day qualifying tournament scheduled on July 22 to August 30, 2020.

Joining the team will be GM Mark Paragua, GM John Paul Gomez, GM Darwin Laylo, IM Paolo Bersamina and IM Haridas Pascua.

The win was the second time Barcenilla won an Olympiad qualifier as he also ruled the 2019 Philippines National Chess Championship last November. The traditional over-the-board Olympiad has been temporary suspended due to the 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. World Chess Federation (FIDE) decided to do the tournament using a unique format of allowing a maximum of six boards consisting of two men, two women, one U-20 boy and girl per chess game.