NM REGGIE OLAY BAGS 2ND IM NORM IN 6TH PICHAY CUP INTERNATIONAL

Originally posted at Philippine Chess Portal Website.


Congratulations to NM Edgar Reggie Olay for nailing his 2nd IM Norm in the just concluded 6th Prospero Pichay Cup International Chess Tournament at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Adriatico St. Manila. It was in the 2008 Subic International Open where Olay got his first IM norm, the day he fully returned to active competition after several years of hiatus. Olay is a Palarong Pambansa gold medalist in 1993 and topped the 1996 Shell Youth Active Chess Championship juniors' category in 1996. In 1997, Olay won a big tournament in Subic over a tough field of competitors. The victory was worth P30,000 and an NM title for Olay.

The soft-spoken Olay, a registered nurse, also played for Davao City in the National Inter-Cities and Municipalities Chess Championships from 1994 to 1998.

Then came the accident in February 2001 that almost cost him his life. Olay and several other players were returning to Kidapawan City from Amas after a chess tournament when the pick-up truck they were riding in turned turtle along the road. Fortunately for Olay and his companions, no one was killed in the freak incident.

Olay, however, suffered a cut in his head that needed seven stitches to close.

The accident didn't stop Olay from playing chess, but it affected his performance and this, coupled by the fact that he landed a job at the Kidapawan Doctors Hospital, forced him to stay away from the game for quite a while.

In 2006, Olay played again and won the Davao Open Chess. A year later, he won the Chadric Open, showing he still got the talent to dominate the big names in local chess arena.


Final standing - 6th Pichay Cup International

Name OLAY Edgar Reggie
Starting rank 29
Rating 2289
Rating national 0
Rating international 2289
Ratingperformance 2455
FIDE rtg +/- 30,5
Points 5,5
Rank 8
Federation PHI
Ident-Number 0


Rd. SNo Name Rtg FED Pts. Res.
1 6 GM GOMEZ John Paul 2527 PHI 6,0 w 0
2 8 GM HAZNEDAROGLU Kivanc 2501 TUR 5,5 s ½
3 41 LEGASPI Edmundo 2118 PHI 0,5 w 1
4 26 FM SEGARRA Randy 2308 PHI 4,5 s 1
5 16 IM RANOLA Yves 2397 PHI 5,5 w ½
6 25 WGM POURKASHIYAN Atousa 2308 IRI 5,0 s 0
7 22 IM TIRTO 2360 INA 3,5 w 1
8 12 IM NOLTE Rolando 2425 PHI 5,5 s ½
9 11 GM GONZALES Jayson 2435 PHI 4,5 w 1