IM Daniel Quizon finishes second in Hanoi Grandmaster Closed Tournament

OLYMPIAD-bound International Master (IM) Daniel Quizon continued his strong showing after he finished second in the second group of the two-bracket Hanoi Grandmaster (GM) Closed Tournament in Vietnam recently.

Mr. Quizon, who topped the National Championship in Marikina City last January that secured him a spot to the Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary this September, actually finished and tied for first with Vietnamese GM Tran Tuan Minh with six points apiece of the possible nine.

But the World Cup veteran’s sixth-round defeat to Mr. Tran sealed the title for the latter while shoving the former to second.

Filipino GM Darwin Laylo was part of Mr. Quizon’s bracket but the former finished only sixth out of 10 with four points.

IM Michael Concio was pegged in the first group where he finished fifth with 4.5 points there.

The second and final leg of this GM series will resume in a few days with Mr. Quizon assigned to the first group and Messrs. Concio and Laylo in the second.

Mr. Quizon, a GM candidate, is using these tournaments as part of his preparation for his Olympiad debut in Budapest. — Joey Villar