The checkered life of a champ
By ANGELO G. GARCIA
Manila Bulletin – Philippines
John Paul Gomez started playing chess at the age of three, learning the game from his father Juan. Then at the age of five, he started playing with and beating his father’s officemates in the game. Even tricycle drivers waiting outside his father’s office in Biñan Laguna were amazed at how this little whiz could make them surrender their kings so easily.
When he was nine years old, John started playing competitively so that by the time he was 10, he was already the Palarong Pambansa champion. He became the National Junior Champion at the age of 13 in 2000, and twice more in 2001 and 2006.
Now 22 years old, John is the National Senior Champion, receiving the title Grandmaster (GM) when he joined the World Olympiad in Dresden, Germany last year. He is ranked number three overall in the country at present.
A graduating Mechanical Engineering student of De La Salle University (DLSU), John has been consistently winning and outplaying chess masters throughout his young career. No wonder that he is a five-time University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) most valuable player.
With all the success under his belt, one would think that he’s already an expert but John admits that he does still feel the pressure.
“Ang tagal ko kasi nakuha yung GM, ilang tournaments din yun, malakas talaga yung pressure. Ngayon GM na, malakas pa rin ang pressure kasi kailangan mong i-prove yung pagiging GM mo.”
Looking up to Gary Kasparov, touted as the world’s greatest chess player, John dreams on becoming a Super GM and playing in the World Cup. His impressive track record and undying determination tell that his ultimate goal is within striking distance.
EARLY CHECKERED CAREER
John learned the game from his father in an unusual way.
“Yung father ko kasi hindi homebody, palagi siyang late umuuwi. Kaya ayun, gumawa siya ng mapaglilipasan ng oras, ako yung nakapaglibangan niya, may chess board kami, eh marunong siya mag chess.”
He began to develop the love for the game. “Nagustuhan ko na talaga siya, kasi nung five years old na ako, tumatalo na ako ng mga tricycle drivers sa labas ng office niya pati na rin officemate niya.”
He abandoned chess for a while and switched to tennis instead. But the seed had been deeply planted and he heeded the call to go back to his first love. When he started playing chess again at age nine, the deal was sealed — chess was going to be in his life for a long, long time.
In 2000, he became the National Junior Champion, the youngest on record that time at 13 years old. He again won the championship in 2001 and after placing second two times and missing tournaments because of his studies, he again bagged the title in 2006 when he was already 20 years old.
Just last year, after many years of waiting, he won the National Senior Championship, winning over Wesley So, the current number one chess player in the country, by just half a point. This assured him a place to join the World Chess Olympiad held in Germany in the same year.
BOOKS BEFORE (CHESS) BOARD
Under a full scholarship at DLSU, John makes sure that he doesn’t fail in any subject. It’s always studies first, before chess, before anything else. “Inuuna ko yung studies ko, binigyan ako ng scholarship ng La Salle para mag laro naman basically sa UAAP.’’
Training in chess is much like schoolwork, John says. “Sa chess kasi parang school yan madami ako naging tutors. Kasi sa chess marami, may tactics, may ending, opening, tapos may positional, tapos yung iba malalalim, napaka advance talaga, so iba yung nagtuturo sa bawat isa”
He is graduating this month and his eyes are keenly set on becoming an engineer. He advices budding chess players to work hard and study hard. “Practice lang, may books naman sa chess, magbasa kayo ng books at saka yung tutors malaking bagay. Pero before anything else, mag-aral muna kayo.”
This year, in between competitions, John plans on reviewing for the board exams in October. Two to three years down the road, he sees himself achieving his goal to join the World Cup and attaining the Super Grandmaster title.
Source: http://www.mb.com.ph
This is a good example. So should do the same. Education is very important.
Thanks susan for giving ur spaces in your blog the chess talent in some 3rd world country especially Nepal & Philippines
roland, Phil
I agree. Education is important.
I hate to disappoint JP but there is no such as a Super Grandmaster title.
But I’m sure he knows that…;)
Ever so deep thinking Scud, John Paul Gomez strives to achieve and maintain the 2600 plus ELO rating.
Considered the Super GM level.
The 2700 plus ratings is considered the Elite GM level.
But it is a matter of semantics. Isn’t it Scud.
And you know what semantics mean don’t you?
So do not disappoint, man.
Perhaps after getting his degree, GM Gomez can start concentrating more on chess. If he can become a GM while concentrating more on his studies, just imagine what he can achieve if he devotes more time to chess. The Chinese and the Indians have already placed several players in the 2700 club. It’s time for the Philippines to do the same.
Any Filipino GMs with college degrees?
Sammy Estimo, master level is a lawyer.
Eugene almost finished his Engineering degree from Mapua.
The late GM Rosendo Balinas was a full pledge college graduate, and a lawyer.
Bobby Ang had a nice write up on GM Balinas in his Indo Chess columns.
On the term super GM, don’t know what Sculgrad is eating and what his chess title is, but I would side with GM elect John Paul Gomez about his ambition to be a Super GM.
Meaning the ELO rating of 2600 and above.
Sounds reasonable isn’t it.
Grand Master is a two words title, hence, GM.
Agree with SCUGrad there is no such title i.e. super grand master.
If you want to be Grand Master so be it.
If you want to be called Super Master so be it. But never a SUPER GRAND MASTER. Its too much for the asking.
Super International Master?
Super National Master?
One superlative adjective is enough to denote a Master.