Filipino International Master (IM) Daniel Quizon boosted his bid to become the country’s first world junior chess champion.

The 20-year-old wunderkind outlasted Russian IM Artiom Stribuk to forge a five-way deadlock at the top of standings through nine rounds of the 2024 FIDE World Juniors Open Chess Championships in Gujarat, India on Tuesday, June 11.

Displaying poise under pressure, Quizon pounced on the costly errors of his rival to complete a 63-move triumph via Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, catapulting him to a share of the top spot along with four others heading into the penultimate round of the tournament.

He currently shares the lead in the 11-round meet with 7.0 points, joining Grandmasters Mamikon Gharibyan of Armenia, Jose Gabriel Cardoso of Colombia, fellow IMs Kazybek Nogerbek of Kazakhstan, Rudik Makarian of Russia.

Quizon made the rise from the seventh spot at the end of Round 6 after also pulling off a 33-move shocker over Hungarian GM Gleb Dublin in the next round before drawing Indian GM Samant Aditya in the eighth round.

The World Cup veteran takes on Nogerbek in the 10th round – a contest seen as a make-or-break for the Filipino whiz’s bid for the coveted crown which also merits an automatic GM title for the solo champion.