FILIPINO Grandmaster (GM) Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. secured the runner-up honors in the 27th World Senior Chess Championship 2017 (50+ and 65+ Open-men and women) in Acqui Terme, Italy, on Sunday.
The undefeated Antonio collected 8.5 points on six wins and five draws to tie GM Eric Prie of France in the No. 2 spot.
The 13-time Philippine Open champion Antonio grabbed the silver by virtue of superior tiebreak points, leaving Prie at third place.
Top seed GM Julio Granda Zuniga of Peru bagged the crown after earning 9.5 points on eight wins and three draws in the 50 and over division.
Handling the advantageous white pieces, the 55-year-old Calapan, Oriental Mindoro native Antonio played superb throughout the game against
Italian International Master Spartaco Sarno, winning after 51 moves of Caro-kann-French defense transposition skirmish.
Zuniga, for his part, made a quick draw against GM Giorgi Bagaturov of Georgia after 10 moves of Queens Gambit Declined while Prie halved a point with IM Evgenij Kalegin of Russia after six moves of Center Counter game.
According to Philippine executive chess champion Atty. Cliburn Anthony A. Orbe, who watched the game live through chessbomb.com, in the end,
Antonio had two connected pawns in f and g-file against Sarno’s rook and a pawn in the a-file.
“He made good on his promise to fight with all his might in the last round to make the country proud,” said Philippine executive chess champion Atty. Cliburn Anthony A. Orbe, director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines headed by chairman/president Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr.