Daniel Quizon Becomes Philippines' 17th Chess Grandmaster at 20, Ending 13-Year Wait!

Daniel Quizon, a rising chess star from Cavite, has achieved the prestigious GM title at just 20 years old. His remarkable feat was accomplished at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, where he not only defeated grandmaster Igor Efimov but also surpassed the 2500 Elo rating mark. This win makes Quizon the Philippines' 17th grandmaster, a milestone that hasn’t been reached since 2011 when Oliver Barbosa and Richard Bitoon earned their titles. The country’s last grandmaster, Janelle Mae Frayna, became the first and only female grandmaster in 2017.

Quizon’s journey to the top has been nothing short of extraordinary. His rise in the chess world began in August 2018, when he secured the International Master (IM) title by winning the Eastern Asian Juniors Open Championships in South Korea with an impressive 7.5 points from nine rounds. The following year, he qualified for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games but narrowly missed the podium.

In 2019, Quizon was honored as the MILO Junior Male Athlete of the Year by the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association, sharing the accolade with tennis sensation Alex Eala. That same year, he claimed gold in the under-16 standard competition at the Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championships in Bangkok, amassing 8.5 points from nine rounds.

Quizon’s journey continued with his qualification for the Chess World Cup in 2021, where he competed in the first round against Russian-Canadian GM Evgeny Bareev. Despite an early exit, Quizon remained focused on his dream of becoming a grandmaster, diligently working to secure the three required GM norms.

His dedication paid off with his first GM norm achieved in February 2023 during the AQ Prime ASEAN Chess Championship. He earned his second norm in December 2023 by winning the Open division at the Eastern Asia Juniors and Girls Chess Championship. The final norm came in March 2024 at the Hanoi Grandmaster Chess Tournament in Vietnam, solidifying his status as a grandmaster.

Daniel Quizon's ascent to chess greatness exemplifies extraordinary talent, hard work, and perseverance. As he takes his place among the elite chess players of the world, the Philippines proudly hails its newest grandmaster.