Diego Flores You entered great history chess patriotic. With him He paints In the last round with Federico Perez Ponsa, He won the Argentine Chess Championship for the eighth timewhose 100th celebration was held at the headquarters of the city government, Parque Patricios. Winner stood Along with the legendary Miguel Najdorf On the first step onto the platform of the greatest winners in history; Nejdorf’s name may not be familiar to younger generations, but he is a world chess legend. Born in Poland and based in Argentina, the grandmaster has been one of the best players in the world for decades. He became an Argentine by conviction, was our chess patriarch and won the national championship eight times. Today, Diego Flores equals that number and stands on that pedestal of honor.
Flores has been shining in our environment for over twenty years. He has won a large number of championships. If I’m not mistaken, he is the Argentine who has won the most chess competitions ever. Since he is also very effective at fast paces, he adds many more victories in the fast game to his many victories in classical chess.
A prominent and distinctive feature is his dynamic and pioneering style. Always play to winHe always does this by creating situations in which the magic of chess flows. That’s why A crowd favorite, Always gives an offer. A selection of Flores’s best games is a treat for anyone familiar with the subject. Another quality of Diego is his passion to represent the country in the Chess Olympiad. He is very involved in the team, and in this ecumenical competition, perhaps inspired by the global atmosphere, he outdoes himself, usually performing better than usual.
He has 43 years old He is born in Junín, but resides in Buenos Aires. He is married with three children, a Boca Juniors fan, and an unconditional follower of Lionel Messi. In a short conversation, after congratulating him, I asked him about his performance in the match against Argentina, and he told me: “I am completely happy and satisfied with the level of play, although I did not like at all the way I played in the first rounds. Later, I did not play well at all, I started scoring, and that helped me adapt in the tournament. And after that yes, I started playing better and played some good matches, which raised my morale. It also helped me not to struggle in the opening matches, which happens to me sometimes.” In the end, I am very happy with the tournament.”
he runner up It was his last opponent, Pérez Ponsa, who performed well, and could have done even better had he not lost two matches in which he had good positions. he Third place From the doctor Diego Valerga It was a surprise, but it reveals the virtues that adorn it: technical knowledge, superior understanding, and academic rigor. good Fourth place to Leonardo TristanWho started poorly but found her game again as the tournament progressed.
Fifth and Sixth She was left behind Faustino Oro and Pablo Acostawho tied with each other in the final round. Neither of them can be satisfied with their performance. Faustino had an excellent start, which raised expectations of great achievements, but he did not achieve them later. In reality, He didn’t perform badlybecause The boy kept his grades in order. It must be remembered that it only has 12 yearsSometimes we expect him to break the sound barrier, when he should follow a logical maturation process. The path to excellence has ups and downs, and contradictions help you overcome them in the future. In a few days you will face a new challenge, A The main tournament in Buenos AiresWhich will be another opportunity to shine.
For his part, Acosta started out as one of the candidates, but he did not live up to what was expected of him. He looked weak especially in the slots. Yes, it was a good tournament for the man from Salta Julian FilkaWho fought in all matches. Mario Villanueva He showed great preparation and toughness in his game, but lacked a bit of spark when it came to playing to win. They followed them in order of arrival David Gomez, Christian Dolezal, Candela Francisco and Pablo BarrionuevoWho did what they could, with the limited resources they were offered.
Another thing about the competition is that it is considered universal. Personal opinion on some factors that seem striking to me. The prestige of the Argentine championship has been preserved through the ages. This 100th edition received a large following on the Internet, at the level of major international Masters tournaments. I have to say that a large part of this interest has arisen from Faustino Oro, but the Argentine’s name also has great appeal. The rule that a tie could not be offered in the first thirty moves was valid; There was a lot of fighting In all tours.
But some criticisms can also be made. Not getting at least a day off is detrimental to the mental health of players. I think about Faustino, his 12 years, and it seems to me that the rhythm of his life is very demanding. Play eleven days in a row. The athletic level was irregular; At times there was good chess, especially by Flores, but there was also an abundance of blunders. This is something that must be corrected, by seeking to create a more homogeneous playing force among all participants.