In a remarkable display of skill, Filipino-American chess player, Megan Paragua, clinched third place in the highly competitive Weeramantry National blitz chess tournament of state champions held at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
Throughout the tournament, Megan, who is based in New York, showcased her chess prowess and drew her final round match on Sunday, concluding with an impressive tally of 6.5 points in the 1800-2199 section. Her stellar performance included five wins and three draws.
Though she found herself tied for second place with five other players, Megan officially earned the third place honors thanks to the application of a tie break.
The tournament’s top spot was claimed by Eric Feng, who secured victory by defeating Anjaneya Sripathy Rao in the final round, finishing with 7.0 points.
Following Megan’s outstanding performance were Advaith Vijayakumar in second place and Ehsaan Hebbar in fourth place, with Maxwell Barnes, Minh Binh Tran, and Valibhav Rojinjith Kalpaka in the respective order.
It is worth noting that Megan Paragua, a remarkable 10-year-old chess prodigy, currently attends Columbia Grammar Preparatory School in New York City, where she is in the fifth grade.
Undeterred by her recent success, Megan is already gearing up for her next challenge, as she prepares to take part in the prestigious 11th Annual WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions K-12, which will be held at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Monday.
Expressing his pride and support, Jan Vincent Paragua, the father of Megan and brother of Grandmaster Mark Paragua, shared his best wishes, hoping for Megan’s continued success in her future chess endeavors.
Meanwhile, the Filipino Grandmaster, Mark Paragua, paid a visit to the Philippine Consulate in New York City on Wednesday, where he had the opportunity to meet with Consul Ricarte Abejuela 3rd, Deputy Consul General Adrian Elmer Cruz, and Vice Consul Paolo Marco Mapula. Accompanying him were United States chess masters, Nonoy Rafael and Ernesto Encarnacion. (ai/mnm)
