Team Philippines has indeed gotten off to a blazing start at the 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Both the men's and women's national squads dominant their opening rounds.
The Men's Team (Open Section) blanked Togo with a perfect 4-0 clean sweep in Round 1.
Making his Olympiad debut on Board 1, International Master Michael Concio Jr. delivered a winning performance to mark his first appearance on the world's biggest team-chess stage.
Also scoring wins for the Philippines were International Master Paulo Bersamina, Grandmaster Daniel Quizon, and International Master Jan Emmanuel Garcia.
Grandmaster Darwin Laylo was the fifth member of the squad but did not play in Round 1.
Concio defeated Yakini Tchouka in Board 1, Bersamina toppled Kokou Difendramakada Jacques Ballebako in Board 2, Quizon trounced Kodjovi Folly Corazon Doumassi in Board 3, while Garcia routed Lumen Paco Semeko in Board 4.
The Women's Team put on an equally explosive performance, shutting out Malawi.
Making her Olympiad debut on Board 1, Woman National Master Mhage Gerriahlou Sebastian delivered a winning performance-an impressive way to begin her first-ever Olympiad campaign.
Woman International Master Ruelle Canino, Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda, and Woman FIDE Master Shania Mae Mendoza fueled a decisive sweep to ensure a flawless start for the Filipinas.
Country's lone Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna was rested for Round 1.
Sebastian beat Woman Candidate Master Ellen Mpinganjira in Board 1, Canino waylaid Woman Candidate Master Tupokiwe Msukwa in Board 2, Fronda nipped Woman Candidate Master Rachel Jailos in Board 3, while Mendoza crushed Shalom Kapende in Board 4.
After a magnificent performance in the first round, the Philippine Men's Team walked into Round 2 with a formidable and heavy weight opponent against Azerbaijan while the Philippine Women's Team went up against Syria.
The Men's Team was coached by Asia's First Grandmaster Eugene Torre while the Women's Team was coached by Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales.-Marlon Bernardino–
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