Pinoy U.S. chess grand slam champ is from Leyte

“All I want to do, ever, is play chess.”

—Bobby Fischer

By Alex P. Vidal

MARIO Lawsin Rebano has done what other highly regarded Pinoy chess players campaigning in the United States have failed to do in recent memory: winning three chess championships in different high caliber tournaments in two years.

NM Rebano (L) ponders his move against a US grand master

A civil engineer by profession, the 53-year-old Filipino National Master (NM) chalked up another scintillating performance before the year 2019 ended by clinching the Empire City Open 2019 Under-2100 at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City held on December 26-28.

Finishing unscathed with five points and two draws after six rounds, Rebano shared the title with four others to pocket his third major title since winning the 17^th Chess-in-the-Park Rapid Open at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park on September 16, 2018 and the 11^th Annual Fairfield Country Open (U2200 division) in Norwalk, Connecticut on November 18, 2018.

In the Empire City Open, Rebano (2077), who survived the 2013 super storm “Yolanda” in Leyte, toppled four opponents: Eric Levin of New Jersey, Leonardo Liu of New York, Jose Villar of New York, and Sounak Bagchi of New York.

He drew with Kenneth Fernandez of New York and George Berg also of New York.

The three other co-champions who shared the trophy with Rebano were fellow Filipino Jan Paragua of New York, Mark De Dona of New York, and Luca Dona of Texas.

“I offer my victory to the victims of ‘Ursula’ typhoon and to the Taal volcano eruption,” Rebano exclaimed.

Asked how he felt to be a Filipino grand slam champion, Rebano, a soft-spoken former employee of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 10 years before campaigning as a chess player in the US, said his secret was “dedication, focus, prayers.”

Despite his busy schedule, Rebano, one of the few 50 above Filipino chess players who remain active in US tournaments, said he regularly studied the games of the world’s top grandmasters and the latest opening variations.

He thanked his adviser and No. 1 supporter Dr. Gil Asoy, Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Gonzalez-Romualdez and husband, former Mayor Alfred Romualdez, and his family for the moral support.

Rebano said despite his achievement, he will continue to play in other major tournaments this year “because my goal is to keep on winning and to give glory to my country, friends and family in the Philippines. God has been good to me throughout my campaign in the U.S.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

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Leyte typhoon victim conquers Connecticut Chess Open

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Two months after winning the 17th Chess-in-the-Park Rapid Open at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park on September 16, Filipino National Master (NM) Mario Lawsin Rebano brought home another chess title by topping the 11th Annual Fairfield County Open (U2200 division) in Norwalk, Connecticut November 18.
The 52-year-old Rebano (2094), a victim of super typhoon "Yolanda" in the Philippines in 2013, bounced back with four successive victories in the nine-round Swiss System tournament.
He absorbed two successive opening game defeats to three-time US Open champion, Grand Master Joel Benjamin and FIDE-rated Uri Moon-Rosha.

REBANO versus GM Benjamin in Round 1 (Photo by Rainer M. Labay)

After yielding another match to GM Alex Fishbein (2555) in Round 7, Rebano, a civil engineer, won his last two matches to finish with six points.
"NM Rebano was really determined to win," reported chess coach Rainier M. Labay, who acted as non-playing team captain of the Filipino contingent. "He worked hard for the victory."
"Una sa lahat, nagpapasalamat ako kay Lord. He really gave this tournament to me. Pangalawa, kay Dr. Gil Asoy, my adviser and chief supporter sa walang sawa na moral support even when I was still pursuing my national master norm in the Philippines," said the New Jersey-based Rebano, who worked in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 10 years.
Rebano said he wanted to share the honor to Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Gonzalez-Romualdez and husband, former Mayor Alfred Romualdez, his family and all the victims of typhoon "Yolanda" in Leyte.
Rebano recalled that he nearly died in the typhoon that destroyed his property and nearly ripped apart his life.
"If not for chess, I couldn't have made it to the United States," he added. "I have been a player in the Open section. I only learned about categories in the US."
Rebano, who has been campaigning in the US since 2014, targets next the Millionaire Chess Open in New Jersey and World Open in Philadelphia next year.
Rebano's compatriot Benchly Buccat (986) topped the Under1400 division with 4.5 points. Robert Chen won the Under1600 division with 4.5 points
The Open section was won by GM Aleksander Lenderman (2667) with 8 points. GM Maxim Dlugy (2618) and FIDE Master Hans Niemann (2395) tied for second with 7.5 points. Third was Benjamin with six points.
Filipino GM Mark Paragua (2622) notched 5.5 and wound up tied in fourth with GM Alex Fishbein (2555).
Other Filipinos in the five-hour speed chess (10 minutes per game) tournament organized by the Chess Club of Fairfield County were: FIDE Master Rico Salimbagat (2327) and United States Chess Federation (USCF) National Master Vincent Umayan (2303) who both scored five points.