Wednesday, September 3, 2008

IM Julio Catalino Sadorra: Overall Winner of the 1st ASEAN Grand Prix


The chess hero of the 1st ASEAN Gran Prix


Singapore based IM Julio Catalino Sadorra emerge as the over all winner of the 1st ASEAN Grand Prix. The 21-year-old Sadorra, who earned his first GM norm during the third Pichay Cup in Manila last year, edge his more celebrated compatriot, Filipino prodigy Wesley So who placed second over all. Third and fourth places were also won by Filipino players, IM's Rolando Nolte and Richard Bitoon. Sadorra finish in a five-way tie for first in the Philippine Open chess championship at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center last May this year, his most important victory of the Grand Prix. For more of this development go to the ASEAN chess website. To download the over all standings click HERE.

Below is our pick from one of his most notable games of the Grand Prix. We always heard that a bishop pair is usually better against a pair of knights, right? Better think again ;)


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought that the 2008 PGMA cup and Pichay cup is part of the asean grand prix since both are being organized by itchess I beleive? anyway sadorra made a right decision by sticking with the grand prix tournaments just exactly what Wang Yue is doing at FIDE grand prix.

Des Catolos said...

Hi boy lopez, about the PGMA and Pichay cup? No. the dragon capital-Vietnam open is the last tourney of the Grand Prix. Though Sadorra didn't fair well in Vietnam, he made up for his strong showings in other GP tournaments. There were in total 6 tournaments: The 3rd PGMA Cup 2007 and 2nd Pichay Cup 2007 in Manila followed by the Singapore Open 2007, the Philippines Open 2008 and the 1st Subic International Open 2008 in Subic-Olangapo City, and the 1st Dragon Capital - Vietnam Open 2008.