30 chess teams to join inter-province championships
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan – More than 30 chess teams across the country will join the 2010 National Inter-Province Chess Team Championship to be hosted by the province of Aklan from April 11 to 15.
Provincial Sports Coordinator and National Master Wilfredo Neri said chess teams from Tagaytay City, Palawan, Cavite, Laguna, Makati City, Cebu, Misamis Oriental, Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Local Water Utilities Administration and Bicol will participate in the prestigious, five-day chess tournament.

“Aklan is fielding eight teams for this weeklong competition including two chess teams from Boracay are also joining the event bannered by International Master Ildefonso Datu in the Team A,” he said.
Organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and supported by the provincial government under the leadership of Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez, the event is scheduled to open on April 11 at the Gov. Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism and Training Center in Barangay Old Buswang.
Each team composed of five players will play a round-robin of nine rounds with the champion will receive P100,000 in cash, trophy and gold medals. The runner-up will bring home P70,000 and the third placer will pocket P50,000. Cash prizes will also be given to the fourth to 10th placers.
Neri said Grandmasters Mark Paragua, John Paul Gomez, Jayson Gonzales and World Cup chess campaigners Darwin Laylo and Rogelio Antonio, Jr. are expected to lead their teams in the NCFP-sponsored chess team competition.

NCFP, the governing chess body in the country, is headed by president/chairman Prospero "Butch" Pichay and Events Director Wilfredo Abalos.