Rodolfo Tan Cardoso


Rodolfo Tan Cardoso was a Filipino chess International Master. He earned his title in 1957, making him the first Asian to achieve it.
Cardoso was born in Anda, Pangasinan. In 1956, he won Philippine Junior Championship. In 1957, he took fifth place in the fourth World Junior Championship in Toronto, which was won by William Lombardy with a perfect score of 11-0. In the same year, the Pepsi-Cola company sponsored an eight-game match in New York City between Cardoso, the 19-year-old Philippine Junior Champion, and Bobby Fischer, the 14-year-old U.S. Junior Champion. He was the only Filipino to beat Fischer. Fischer claimed the $325 victor's prize with a 6−2 score.
In 1957/58, Cardoso won the Baguio City, thus qualifying him for the 1958 Portorož Interzonal, in which he finished 19th. In this tournament he scored an upset win over David Bronstein in the final round, thereby denying him a place in the 1959 Candidates Tournament. He was Philippine Champion in 1958 and 1963. He took second place at Christchurch 1967. In 1974, he tied for first through fourth place in Casablanca. In 1974, he took 14th in Manila. In 1975, he tied for 13-14th in Orense. In 1975, he took 10th in Las Palmas.
Cardoso played for Philippines in four Chess Olympiads.
He won the individual silver medal at Moscow 1956 with his winning percentage of.765.
He died of a heart attack in Quezon City at the Philippine Heart Center on 21 August 2013.