Chess Grandmasters of the Philippines

1. EUGENIO TORRE- Asia's 1st Grand Master, obtain his title in Nice France (1974) at age 22; 1st Asian to compete for elite Candidates Match for World Championship but lost in Quarter final to GM Ribli; 1st Filipino GM to defeat a reigning World Champion in a world non-title chess match.He beat Anatoly Karpov in Manila Leg.Reach his highest peak of world ranking at # 17.He hold the record of being the only GM to participate on 23 Chess Olympiad and at age 64 he is the oldest medalist on Chess Olympiad and the only player on chess Olympiad to have the privilege to man the Board # 1 in 17 occasions .He won bronze medal in Board # 3 on 42nd Baku Chess Olympiad in September 2016.Holds the record of most number of games played in Chess Olympiad (270).He was mentored by first Philippine chess National Master NM Florencio Campomanes, who later become 1st & only Filipino FIDE President from 1982-1995. He is also the 1st Filipino GM to appear in movie titled 'Isipin mong basta't Mahal kita' together with Vilma Santos & Coney Reyes.He is Mapuan & hails from Ilo-Ilo.

2. ROSENDO BALINAS Jr.- a lawyer,became GM on 1976.He hails from Antipolo City.He is the first Pinoy GM already dead. The First Filipino woodpusher to draw with Bobby Fischer happened on latter prime age.
The only Filipino who defeated Fischer is IM Rodolfo Tan Cardozo in 1957.The first Chess International Master (IM) of Asia, Cardozo then 19 and Fischer 14 years old, then a not yet world champ US child prodigy. The chess match was sponsored by Pepsi Cola. Fischer won the overall tournament match 6-2.

3. ROGELIO 'Joey' ANTONIO Jr.-He breaks the over a decade chess GM title drought of the Philippines when he got the title in 1993.He is the 1st Pinoy GM to qualify in Chess World Cup in 2009.He hails from Calapan, Oriental Mindoro.

4. BUENAVENTURA 'Bong' VILLAMAYOR (2000)

5. NELSON MARIANO II (2004)

6. MARK PARAGUA-(2005) 1st Filipino to obtain 2600 Elo rating; 1st Filipino to attain Super GM title.He hails from Tondo Manila.

7. DARWIN LAYLO (2007)

8. WESLEY SO- (2007) The 8th youngest Chess GM in the history of this sport at age 14 in the world.He become FIDE Master at age 11 (the youngest Pinoy FIDE Master is Alekhine Nouri @ age 7 on 2013) and Wesley is the Youngest Filipino NM & IM at age 12. He is also the youngest National Open Champion of the Philippines at age 14 and the youngest member of Philippine Chess Olympiad Team who competed in 32nd Turin Olympiad. He is the 2nd Filipino GM to reached Super GM title.The First Filipino GM to be included on elite Top 10 of chess player in the world. He is the youngest GM in the world at that time to attain 2600 Elo rating in 2008 at age 15 .He is also the First Pinoy GM to reach the 2700 points. He is the 12th man in history to reached the 2800 Elo rating barrier as of December 2016.The 1st to win 2 golds on represented Board (Board #3) & as a member of US champion team in Chess Olympiad.He had beaten or drawed with as many former world champions.He is the first Filipino GM to defeat highly regarded former world champion Gary Kasparov in 2014. He is ranked at World # 4 in December 2016 , ranked number 3 last January 2017 behind Carlsen & Caruana & ranked at his career highest at number 2 on July 2017.He is now the historic inaugural World Fischer Random Chess Champion (another Chess game variant) after beating reigning Regular FIDE Classical Chess World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway this November 2019. A son of both accountant parents. He hails from Bacoor, Cavite.

9.  JAYSON GONZALEZ (2008)---He also mentored 1st Pinay GM Janelle Mae Frayna.FEU Chess team coach.

10. JOHN PAUL GOMEZ (2008)

11. OSEPH SANCHEZ. (2009)-oldest Pinoy chess player to gain GM title at age 39 in 2009.Former coach of GM Mark Paragua.He is the 1st Cebuano GM.He is now base in Europe.

12. ROGELIO BARCENILLA (2009) campaigning chess in USA

13. ROLAND SALVADOR. (2010)

14. JULIO CATALINO SADORRA (2011)---currently with the highest Elo points Philippine base Pinoy GM.He is the 3rd Pinoy Super GM to attain 2600 statistical Elo points.

15. OLIVER BARBOSA. (2011) Native of Taytay,Rizal.

16. RICHARD BITOON. (2011)

17. JANELLE MAE FRAYNA---The 1st woman Filipino Chess Grand Master, the Asia's 11th Female Grand Master.
She obtain her title on September 2016 World Chess Olympiad.A BS Psychology cum laude graduate from FEU-Manila. She hails from Albay.