Rodolfo Tan Cardoso (born 25 December 1937, Anda, Pangasinan)[1] is a Philippine (Filipino) chess International Master.
In 1956, he won Philippine Junior Championship. In 1957, he took 5th in Toronto (4th World Junior Championship); William Lombardy won). In 1957 the Pepsi-Cola company sponsored an 8-game match in New York between Cardoso, the 19-year-old Philippine Junior Champion, and Bobby Fischer, the 14-year-old U.S. Junior Champion. Cardoso won only one game and Fischer claimed the $325 victor's prize with a 6−2 score (+5 –1 =2).[2]
In 1957/58, Cardoso won in Baguio City (zonal). In 1958, he took 19th in Portorož (Interzonal; Mikhail Tal won). He was Philippine Champion in 1958 and 1963. He took 2nd at Christchurch 1967 (New Zealand-ch; Yuri Averbakh won). In 1974, he tied for 1st-4th in Casablanca. In 1974, he took 14th in Manila (Evgeni Vasiukov won). In 1975, he tied for 13-14th in Oresne. In 1975, he took 10th in Las Palmas (Ruy Lopez Memorial; Ljubomir Ljubojević won).
Cardoso played for Philippines in four Chess Olympiads.[3]
He won individual silver medal at Moscow 1956.
Cardoso was awarded the International Master (IM) title in 1957,[1] making him the first Asian IM.