Chess club legend cracks PH team for SEA Games

Rappler.com

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Chess club legend cracks PH team for SEA Games
David Elorta, 36, gets his day as he earns a spot in the core group for the biennial meet

MANILA, Philippines – A legend of chess clubs has finally entered national spotlight.

David Elorta, long admired and feared for his ability to create chances and win quickly, has made the Philippine team for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

After 4 days of 28 games of rapid chess in the SEA Games selection event, Elorta finished 2nd to Jan Emmanuel Garcia, who had 20.5 points. Elorta had 17, followed by Paulo Bersamina with 16.5.

Only blitz, where players are given 5 minutes each to finish a game, and rapid, where players have 15 minutes each, will be played in the biennial meet instead of the usual standard format of a total of 180 minutes.

Elorta, 36, is a habitue of the Guadalupe Chess Club. For stakes, big or small, he plays everyone with odds. Along with teaching, this is how the national master earns his living.

He had been unable to travel to Iloilo for the rapid semifinal, which generated comments on the National Chess Federation of the Philippines’ (NCFP) Facebook page.

“I didn’t have enough funds to go to Iloilo,” he said.

But Eugene Torre, the national coach, inserted him in the final.

Elorta advanced to the next stage, which began last week, but in the blitz tournament.

Since Daniel Quizon saw action in the Eastern Asia Youth Championship, the NCFP allowed him to play in the blitz while Elorta went to the rapid event. (READ: 5 Filipinos win blitz in Thailand chess tiff)

The 14-year-old Quizon won the 92-game blitz event ahead of Garcia and Bersamina.

“I’m just lucky,” said Elorta, using his usual reply.

But in the first phase of eliminations last month at Alphaland Makati Place, his opponents were in awe.

“He just finds the right moves. He ties it up together,” said Narquinden Reyes, who lost to Elorta. 

NCFP treasurer Cliburn Anthony Orbe, who led the live coverage, was astounded at how Elorta wound up having more time than he started as he gained time on the three-second increments.

But in an interview two months ago, Elorta said he has slowed down.

“I haven’t played much. I played quickly before when there are games for stakes.”

But last December, Elorta defeated Iranian grandmaster Ghaem Maghami in a long blitz match and for good money. Elorta confirmed this, adding Ghaem gave him odds on time.

Elorta has shied away from tournament play because prizes are not as big as before. He finds the registration fee for international events here stiff. 

Now that he is part of the core group for the SEA Games, it is expected that part of Elorta’s money woes will be eased.

The NCFP is expected to send its final lineup this week and Elorta will finally get his day. – Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!