Recarte Tiauson ties for third in Malaysia chessfest

By Marlon Bernardino

FILIPINO chess standout Recarte Tiauson capped a strong campaign by tying for third place at the conclusion of the Daniel Yong-Chen I Memorial Merdeka Chess Challenge 2026 – Event 6 on Sunday at Level 2 of KL Gateway in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Talisay City, Negros Occidental pride split the point with Indonesia’s AIM Alexander Philip Kurniawan in the final round to finish with 6.5 points on six wins, two losses and one draw in the nine-round Swiss-system FIDE Standard tournament.

After the tiebreak was applied, Tiauson officially settled for third place overall.

“My hard work paid off,” said Tiauson, who continues to make his mark in international chess.

Tiauson is under the guidance and support of former Senator Manny Pacquiao, Talisay City Mayor Atty. Weng Lopez Lizares and Talisay City Chess Club president Ely Jimenez.

Also finishing with 6.5 points were fourth placer AIM Alexander Philip Kurniawan of Indonesia, fifth placer Nhavin Kumaresan of Malaysia, sixth placer Zhaksylyk Akylbek of Kazakhstan, seventh placer Jie Jonathan Koh En of Singapore, eighth placer Je Hern Teoh of Malaysia and ninth placer Yik Chean Tan of Malaysia.

Jiayou Yang of China dominated the tournament with 8.5 points to claim the championship, while WCM Sagdarsuren Uranzaya of Mongolia finished runner-up with 7.0 points.

Tiauson’s latest international result adds to an impressive record in regional competition.

At the 2025 Asian Amateur Chess Championship in Hong Kong, he also tied for second place with 8.0 points after nine rounds, but officially finished third on tiebreaks. He placed behind fellow Filipino FIDE Master Alekhine Nouri, who captured the gold medal in the Blitz category.

Tiauson also turned in a solid performance in the Rapid division of the same championship, finishing fourth.