Chess: Apple Rubin of Cebu gets first win at ASEAN championship

ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships: Rubin is lone Cebuana representing PH in Laos

Apple Rubin relaxes before her chess game starts in the 22nd ASEAN+ Age-Group Chess Championships 2024 in Vientiane, Laos. | Photo Jeah Gacang

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Toledo City’s rising chess talent, Apple Rubin, 14, secured her first win at the 22nd ASEAN+ Age-Group Chess Championships 2024 in Vientiane, Laos, on Friday, August 23. 

Rubin, the tournament’s third seed in the Girls-14 division, won a crucial match on board four against Vietnam’s Nhat Minh Dao, ranked 12th.

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This victory marks a significant comeback for Rubin, who faced a challenging start, losing to Vietnam’s Khanh Nguyen Bui, the 10th seed, in the first round on board three. 

Rubin, a first-timer in this prestigious international competition, is now in the third round against Vietnam’s Ha Trang Do, the division’s sixth seed. Rubin plays the white pieces.

Her victory has propelled her to 10th place in the standings, and she hopes to climb higher as the nine-round tournament continues over the next two days.

Meanwhile, fellow Filipinas Iana Angela Sotaridona and Anica Shey Dimatangihan are ranked sixth and ninth, respectively, each holding a 1-0 record. 

Their rankings, like Rubin’s, were determined by tie-break points. Sotaridona won in the second round against Laos’ Ryzia Suelo, while Dimatangihan triumphed over Vietnam’s Ngoc Linh Tran. In an exciting turn, Sotaridona and Dimatangihan are now set to face each other in the third round.

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Rubin is the lone representative from Cebu competing for the Philippines in this year’s ASEAN+ Age-Group Chess Championships.

Despite facing financial challenges, Rubin persevered, thanks to the support from the Toledo City government. 

The local government unit (LGU) received P80,000 in funding from Mayor Marjorie P. Perales and an additional P14,000 from the Toledo City Council, ensuring Rubin could compete on the international stage.