by Marlon Bernardino
MATAPOS ang matagumpay na kampanya nitong nakaraang taon tungo sa pagkopo ng kanyang pinakamalaking paycheck ay nakatuon si International Master (IM) Angelo Young sa pangarap ng bawat manlalarong chess player na masungkit ang elusive grandmaster chess title.

Ang 1982 Philippine Junior champion ay misyon niyang mapataas ang FIDE rating 2260 sa 2500.

Nakamit ng 54-years old Young ang first grandmaster norm sa 1996 World Open chess sa Philadelphia kung saan nakasalo niya ang kabbayang 13-times Philippine Open champion GM Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr. sa pagdomina ng top under 2450 section sa nasabing tournament. Kasalukuyan tangan din ni Young ang United States Chess Federation (USCF) rating 2302.

Si Young, ang Eight-times Illinois champion ay nagkampeon sa Under 2300 section sa last year's World Open chess tungo sa biggest paycheck $5,000 top purse.

"This Spring's GM/IM Norm Invitational will be our fifth Invitational tournament - our first four events have produced 12 FIDE title norms. There will be twenty players, among them 3 GMs, 9 IMs, 5 FMs, and 3 NMs, each rated over 2300 USCF. Fourteen of these players will be competing to earn their title norms and titles. The average rating is 2375 FIDE and 2460 USCF!" ayon sa organizing committee.

Si Young ay ininbitahan na maglaro sa fifth Spring's GM/IM Norm Invitational tournament sa Marso 28, 2018 hanggang Abril 4, 2018 na gaganapin sa Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy sa Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

Lalahok siya sa IM section na kinabibilangan nina IM Felix Ynojosa Aponte (Venezuela, FIDE 2390, USCF 2471), John Ludwig (Florida, FIDE 2388, USCF 2459), IM Roberto Martin del Campo (Mexico, FIDE 2357, USCF 2429), FM/WIM Annie Wang (California, FIDE 2321, USCF 2382), FM Gauri Shankar (India, FIDE 2315, USCF 2417), FM Christopher Yoo (California, FIDE 2293, USCF 2334), Tianqi Wang (North Carolina, FIDE 2291, USCF 2368), FM Sahil Sinha (Maryland, FIDE 2246, USCF 2355) at Justin Paul (Virginia, FIDE 2218, USCF 2295).

Habang ang invited players naman sa GM section ay sina GM Tanguy Ringoir (Belgium, FIDE 2541, USCF 2614), IM Michael Brown (California, FIDE 2497, USCF 2588), GM Ashwin Jayaram (India, FIDE 2484, USCF 2576), IM Steven Zierk (California, FIDE 2482, USCF 2543), IM John Bartholomew (Minnesota, FIDE 2477, USCF 2575), GM Denes Boros (Hungary, FIDE 2429, USCF 2500), IM Craig Hilby (California, FIDE 2419, USCF 2549), IM Kassa Korley (Denmark, FIDE 2385, USCF 2477), IM Philip Wang (California, FIDE 2380, USCF 2474) at FM Brandon Jacobson (New Jersey, FIDE 2329, USCF 2454).-Marlon Bernardino-