IT was one tough chess event that promising International Master Michael Concio Jr won’t ever forget.

In a field that included two strong Grandmasters and a horde of fellow masters around the country, the youthful IM Concio stamped his class to dominate the Asenso Pinoy Online Chess Tournament concluded recently via chess.com virtual platform.

The Dasmariñas-based Concio piled up 50 Arena points in the two-day chess fest bankrolled by friends of the Asenso Pinoy partylist to pocket the P8,000 top purse.

IM Ronald Dableo of the Philippine Army tallied 47 Arena points to bag the second place worth P4,000. While Fide Master Roel Abelgas and GM Darwin Laylo each scored 45 points to share the third place and split the combined P3,000 cash.

National Master Mark Jay Bacojo had 42 points to claim the fifth spot and P500.

Making it to the top-10 list are Jan Clifford Labog, Karl Victor Ochoa, IM Daniel Quizon, NM Gerardo Cabellon, and FM Sander Severino.

“Grabe ka kusog sa field naka eleventh-place lang si GM Mark Paragua. Sa mga nag-participate nga titled players, mora’g qualifying para sa gawas nga competition ang Asenso Pinoy tournament,” Mindanao’s top chess-playing executive, Honorary National Master Rey Urbiztondo told Gold Star Daily.

Overseeing the event are NM Henry Roger Lopez as tournament director and National Arbiter Cecilio ‘Ely’ Acas.

The top-30 performers are the following:
Champion IM Michael Concio
2nd IM Ronald Dableo
3rd FM Roel Abelgas
4th GM Darwin Laylo
5th Mark Jay Bacojo
6th Jan Clifford Labog
7th Karl Ochoa
8th IM Daniel Quizon
9th Gerardo Cabellon
10th FM Sander Severino
11th GM Mark Paragua
12th Nazario Ubanan
13th NM Christian Gian Karlo Arca
14th John Ranel Morazo
15th Allan Pason
16th Reggie Mel Santiago
17th Fritz Bryan Porras
18th IM Richelieu Salcedo III
19th Chin Lim
20th Menandro Redor
21st Richard Natividad
22nd NM Jonathan Tan
23rd NM Carlo Lorena
24th NM Noel Dela Cruz
25th Ritchie James Abeleda
26th NM Alexander Lupian
27th AGM Michael Joseph
28th Francis Talaboc
29th AGM Irwin Aton
30th Harison Maamo