Quizon, Concio top Asian Zonal chess tiff

MANILA, Philippines – Teenage International Masters Daniel Quizon and Michael Concio, Jr. finished first and second in the Asian Zonal 3.3 Chess Championships to claim the two slots to the World Cup 2021 slated in August in Minsk, Belarus.

Quizon, 16, split the point with Indonesian Grandmaster Susanto Megaranto while Concio, 15, had to scrape his way to a marathon 106-move win over GM Novendra Priasmoro also of Indonesia to become the first Filipino World Cup qualifiers since GM Inno Sadorra made it that far four years ago in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Quizon, the country’s blitz king, finished first as he went undefeated with five wins and four draws while Concio ended up solo second with 6.5 points on five triumphs and three draws against a single setback.

Quizon was also the first Filipino zonal titlist since GM Darwin Laylo achieved the feat 12 years ago in Vietnam. Interestingly, reigning Fischer Random king and two-time United States champion Wesley So, who is now an American, was second there.

For their feat, Quizon and Concio received a combined $3,750 or P187,000 plus another P75,000 and a new laptop each from patron and Dasmarinas, Cavite Congressman Elpidio Barzaga, Jr.

That is apart from the consolation money they would receive in the World Cup since all participants there are guaranteed a purse.

And Concio almost lost his spot.

In a must-win situation after losing to Quizon in the eighth and penultimate round the day before, Concio refused to yield even though he was a pawn down and the game appeared to be headed to a draw that would have eliminated him and put Priasmoro there in his place.

In the end, Concio found a way to corner Priasmoro in the a-file in a rook-and-bishop versus rook endgame and forced a smashing checkmate.