John Paul Gomez

John Paul Gomez (born May 23, 1986[1]) is a Filipino chess player. He was awarded the title of International Master (IM) in 2007 and International Grandmaster (GM) in 2009. He is a three-time Filipino national junior champion and has also won the Filipino Chess Championship.

John Paul Gomez
Gomez at the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany
CountryPhilippines
Born (1986-05-23) 23 May 1986
Biñan, Laguna Province, Philippines
TitleGrandmaster (2009)
FIDE rating2442 (August 2020)
Peak rating2541 (November 2013)

Early life and education

Gomez is from Biñan, Laguna Province in the Philippines.[2][3] He began playing chess when he was three years old and began beating older players when he was five. After becoming bored with chess, he started playing tennis, even becoming a top player in the ten-and-under age category; a fractured hand suffered while playing tennis, however, led him to switch back to chess.[4]

Gomez graduated from De La Salle University with a degree in mechanical engineering.[5]

Chess

While attending De La Salle, Gomez led the school's chess team to the UAAP men's chess championship for 2004–2005 season.[6] Gomez won five "Most Valuable Player" awards and was named the UAAP's "Athlete of the Year" for Season 71 (2008–2009).[3][4][7]

Gomez has won the Flipino National Junior Championship three times.[8] In October 2006, he finished the 45th World Junior Chess Championship with a score of 6.5 out of 13,[9] which was good enough to earn him an IM norm.

In July 2008, he won the Filipino Chess Championship;[10][11] this not only qualified him for the Filipino team competing in 38th Chess Olympiad later that year in November, but also earned him his first GM norm.[12] At the olympiad, Gomez's draw with Czech GM Viktor Láznička in the 9th round was enough to earn his final GM norm and the GM title, making him just the tenth Filipino to do so.[13] Gomez finished the olympiad as the top scorer for the Filipino team.[5] Gomez also was a member of the Filipino team for the 39th, 40th, 41st, 42nd and 43rd Chess Olympiads.[14][15]

Gomez represented the Philippines at the 2011 Southeast Asian Games and won a silver medal for blindfold chess. Gomez actually finished tied for first with Lê Quang Liêm of Vietnam at seven points apiece, but Liêm was awarded the gold medal on tie-break points.[16]

Gomez won a gold medal representing Albay Province at the 2018 Philippine National Games.[17][18]

References
  1. Di Felice, Gino (2018). Chess International Titleholders, 1950-2016. McFarland. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-4766-3361-9. Retrieved February 20, 2020 – via Google Books.
  2. "American IM Bryant beats Pinoy GM Gomez in Iloilo chess tilt". Philippine Olympic Committee. January 14, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  3. "GM John Paul Gomez wins UAAP Athlete of the Year plum". GMA News Online. March 13, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  4. "GM John Paul Gomez: Tennis' loss is RP chess' gain". GMA News Online. March 15, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  5. Luarca, Roy (May 28, 2010). "GM Lopez seizes solo lead". Philippine Inquirer. Retrieved February 13, 2020 – via PressReader.
  6. "La Salle captures UAAP men's chess crown". ABS-CBN News. March 2, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  7. Viloria, Barry (May 30, 2016). "Do you still remember these past UAAP Athlete of the Year awardees?". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  8. "Gomez takes solo lead at Chess Olympiad qualifier". GMA News Online. July 3, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
  9. "World Juniors Chess Championship 2006". FIDE. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  10. "National Championship Finals". FIDE. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  11. Ang, Bobby (July 14, 2008). "Philippines National Championship Finals Ends!". FIDE. Archived from the original on November 23, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  12. "Gomez nears Chess Olympiad berth". GMA News Online. July 12, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  13. "Czechs stop RP chessers; Gomez GM". The Philippine Star. November 24, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  14. Bancod, Rey (August 29, 2016). "Torre heads chess team to Olympiad". Tempo. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  15. "66-year-old Torre suits up again for PH in chess Olympiad". Rappler. June 19, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  16. Bernardino, Marlon (November 16, 2011). "SEAG: PH chess team wins 2 silvers, bronze". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  17. "John Paul Gomez of Albay Province bags first gold of Philippine National Games". SportsManila.net. May 25, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  18. "Gomez, Frayna rule 2018 PNG chess". Manila Bulletin. May 27, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
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