Aklan hosts national age-group, juniors chess championships
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL / Panay News

KALIBO, Aklan - The National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) announced the holding of the first-ever national age-group and junior chess championships this April here.
The weeklong National Age-Group Chess Championships on April 18 to 22 and National Junior Chess Championships on April 24 to 28 will be held at the Gov. Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism and Training Center in Barangay Old Buswang.
The age-group championships sanctioned by NCFP and hosted by Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez will have six divisions in both boys and girls – 18-under, 16-under, 14-under, 12-under, 10-under and 8-under.
NCFP, formed in 2000, is headed by president Prospero "Butch" Pichay, Jr. The hosting of the prestigious chess competition in Aklan is handled by NCFP regional coordinator National Master Fred Neri.
The champions in all six categories will earn slots to the 10th Asean Age-Group Championships in Hue , Vietnam on June 11 to 20, 2009 and in the World Youth Championships in Condino, Italy from November 23 to 29, 2009.
Eligible to join in the National Juniors are woodpushers 20 years old and below. The champions will represent the country in the 2009 World Juniors Chess Championship organized by World Chess Federation (FIDE) in Mar del Plata, Argentina on October 16 to 29, 2009.
Last year, the City of Mandaluyong hosted the National Age-Group Chess Championships from April 1 to 6 at the Kaban ng Hiyas Building.