THE PHILIPPINE chess crew quietly left the nation every week in the past with nothing in thoughts however a miracle within the 1st FIDE Olympiad for Folks with Disabilities in Belgrade, Serbia.
They’re coming again with their prayers answered.
Drawing energy from Darry Bernardo’s late heroics, the Filipinos battled their method from the jaws of defeat and escaped with a 2-2 draw in opposition to the mighty Indians to finish a formidable podium end within the six-round occasion that concluded Saturday.
Greedy at straws after trailing 1-2 on attracts by FIDE Grasp Sander Severino and Henry Lopez on boards one and two and a defeat by enjoying coach James Infiesto on board three, Mr. Bernardo stubbornly went for a win from what regarded like an equal place.
The ASEAN Para Video games gold medalist’s persistence paid off as he discovered a approach to sneak right into a weak again rank by Kumar Naveen to grab a pawn that he used to scrape out a marathon 79-move win of a Caro-Kann duel.
That was sufficient to forge a four-way tie with tie with India, Serbia 1 and Uzbekistan at No. 3 with eight match factors apiece and finally the bronze after rising with essentially the most superior tiebreaker.
And the feat will probably be remembered for a very long time because the being of 1 the rostrum finishers within the event’s very first staging.
It was made extra exceptional by Mr. Bernardo copping the person board 4 gold with an impressive rating of 5.5 factors out of the potential six and Mr. Severino snaring a silver on board one with 4.5 factors to indicate.
Curiously, the crew virtually didn’t make the journey as they encountered visa issues.
However due to the assistance of the Philippine Paralympic Committee, FIDE and the Philippine Sports activities Fee by way of commissioner Walter Torres, they made it by way of.
The miracle in Belgrade was one the most important feat by the Philippine para chess squad since reigning supreme within the on-line world championship for the bodily disabled three years in the past.
That was not counting the multitudes of golden feats within the ASEAN Para Video games and Asian Para Video games.
These most up-to-date ones ought to add to their large assortment because the crew, which additionally include its lone feminine member Cheyzer Mendoza, fly again to the nation tonight to the nice and cozy embrace of a rustic trying to find extra sporting heroes. — Joey Villar