Pascua wants to be new PH grandmaster By Johanne Macob | May. 01, 2014 LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Newly proclaimed chess international master Haridas Pascua has his next move set on a grand master title. The 20-year-old information technology senior at the University of Baguio, also has his target on cross hair.“I want to be like Magnus Carlsen,” said Mangatarem town pride, Pascua told Manila Standard last April 28. GM Carlsen, a 23-year-old Norwegian, is the world’s No. 1 chess player, with an Elo rating of 2881, the highest in history. At present, Haridas has an Elo rating of 2375. Elo, named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor, is a rating system to calculating the relative skill levels of players in chess. Pascua is Pangasinan’s second IM, 57 years after the late Rodolfo Cardoso of Alaminos City earned his IM title. Pascua wa second in the Dytm Raja Dr. Nazrin International Open Chess Championships (open category) held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last April 3 to 11 in a pool of at least 88 players from 20 countries. His father Gilbert said Haridas started dabbling with the chessboard at four. “We had this stall in the market where chess club members used to play,” he told Manila Standard in Pangasinense. “Haridas has been fond of watching these players, then he would ask on the different moves, until eventually he started playing as well.” The young Pascua said he played his first tournament at six; at Grade 2 elementary, he joined the Palarong Pambansa, the country’s national game for schools. Meanwhile, at last Monday’s regular session, the provincial board cited his achievement through Resolution 534-2014. “The sterling performance of Haridas Pascua at an early age is an inspiration and model of the youth of the province,” read the resolution which also provided P15,000 in assistance. Father and son attended the ceremony, thanking the local government led by Governor Amado T. Espino Jr. (source: manilastandardtoday/2014/05/01/pascua-wants-to-be-new-ph-grandmaster/)
Posted on: Thu, 01 May 2014 10:05:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015