Filipino chess player Jan Clifford Labog topped the Under-2000 standard category at the Asian Amateur Chess Championship in Hong Kong on Saturday. The native of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya achieved seven wins and two draws, earning HK$12,000 and securing a Candidate Masters title.
Labog’s victories included matches against Hong Kong’s Kyle Chen (Round 1), compatriot Johnny Wellem Carzano (Round 2), Arena Grandmaster Almario Marlon Bernardino Jr. (Round 3), Kazakhstan FIDE Master Nurasyl Zhumabek (Round 4), Chinese player Zhengcheng Liu (Round 5), Filipino Irwin Aton (Round 8), and Russian Egor Vlad Lovakov (Round 9). He drew with Chinese Wei Xu (Round 6) and Russian Mikhail Khmelev (Round 7).
Labog described his opponents as extremely competitive, stating, “With some luck, my experience still prevailed,” reflecting on his performance as a 19-year-old finance sophomore at the University of Santo Tomas.
Next, Labog will participate in the 4th Touchmove Invitational Open Rapid Chess in Roxas City, Capiz, on August 24.
