TAGAYTAY — Darry Bernardo made history by winning the men’s title in the 3rd Asian Chess Championship for Players with Disabilities at the Character Hotel here Sunday, Dec. 7.
Drawing inspiration from his teammates and supporters, Bernardo outwitted AIM Arman Subaste in a thrilling battle in the ninth and final round to finish with 7.5 points on six wins and three draws in the prestigious, nine-round tournament organized by the Asian Chess Federation, Philippine Para Chess Association and Tagaytay Chess Club.
The 25-year-old partially-blind champion from Pampanga, who rose to prominence by winning six gold medals in the ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia in 2023, swept his last three assignments.
With the win, Bernardo clinched an outright FM title.
Bernardo actually finished in a two-way tie for the top spot with Alimzhan Ayapov of Kazakshtan with 7.5 points.
But Ayapov, who made history by winning the 23rd International Physically Disabled Chess
Association (IPCA) World Individual Chess Championship in Gyumri, Armenia last year, settled for runner-up honor by virtue of lower tiebreak score.
Another Filipino campaigner, AGM Henry Lopez, finished in third place with 6.5 points on four wins and five draws.
Lopez, a native of Panabo, Davao del Norte, earned a candidate master title.
Menandro Redor and FM Sirojiddin Zayniginov of Uzbekistan shared fourth to fifth places with 5.5 points.
In the women’s division, Nguyen Thi Hong of Vietnam and Kyla Jane Langue of the Philippines shared first place with identical scores of eight points.
Hong, however, took first place with higher tiebreak score than Langue.
Langue, a beautiful young blind girl from Magallanes, Agusan del Norte, earned runner-up honor.
Top seed Cheyzer Mendoza wound up solo third place with 6.5 points.
Pham Thi Huong of Vietnam and Aiganym Kambarova of Kazakshtan also made it to the top five finishers with 5.5 points.
Former International Physically Disabled Chess Association (IPCA) world online chess rapid champion FM Sander Severino and Cheyzer Mendoza also received the trophies for dominating the blitz side event tournament held earlier this week.
A one-minute silent prayer before the start of the ninth and final round was made to honor the memory of ACF Executive Director Casto “Toti” Abundo, who passed away due to lingering illness on Sunday.
Incoming Philippine Para Chess Association president Dr. Fred Paez and National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) director Martin “Binky” Gaticales awarded the trophies and medals to the top finishers, assisted by tournament director Patrick Lee, chief arbiter James Infiesto, deputy chief arbiters Red Dumuk, Ricky Navalta and Roy Madayag.
Aside from the trophies, medals were also awarded to the top three finishers in the visually, physically, and hearing impaired divisions.
