Can Quizon add SEAG victory to his treasure chest?

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino teenage chess sensation Daniel Quizon has won most of the blitz tournaments he participated in this year including the Battle of the Grandmasters at the PACE Center in Quezon City Tuesday night.

But can he win the gold in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in Subic Bay next month?

“We will do our best to win it,” the 14-year-old Quizon yesterday told The STAR.

Quizon scored 12 points out of the possible 15 to add another feather in his cap, winning by a full point against a strong field that included Olympiad veterans Grandmasters Banjo Barcenilla, Darwin Laylo and John Paul Gomez, International Masters Paulo Bersamina, Haridas Pascua and Jan Emmanuel Garcia and Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna.

The Dasmariñas, Cavite-based chesser also topped the Asian Juniors in Solo, Indonesia, the Pattaya Open in Thailand and the SEAG qualifying tournament in Makati City.

If there was any doubt about his status as the country’s blitz king, Quizon quashed it.

Quizon will be joined by David Elorta in the blitz event in the SEAG but the former will be the country’s top bet.

First things first, Quizon must find ways to beat the powerhouse Vietnam squad headed by former world blitz champion GM Le Quang Liem for him to have a chance at the gold.