National chess team championship opens Sunday
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan – World class players will participate in the 2010 National Inter-Provincial Chess Team Championship, which will kick off on April 11 to 15 here.
Provincial Sports Coordinator Wilfredo Neri said that almost 150 players from 30 teams, including rated woodpushers of the country, would come to the province of Aklan to join the chess championship.
The competition will start on Sunday afternoon with National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) under president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay and Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez expected to make the ceremonial moves to officially mark the first ever hosting of the province of Aklan of a national chess team championship.

Neri said Senator Manuel ‘Lito’ Lapid will grace the opening ceremony to be held at Gov. Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism and Training Center in Barangay Old Buswang.
Grandmaster John Paul Gomez will lead the Local Water Utilities Administration-Team A, Grandmaster Rogelio Antonio, Jr. (Palawan) and Grandmaster Darwin Laylo (Tagaytay City).
Other teams vying for the title are National Master Levi Mercado of Misamis Oriental, National Master Rodrigo Atotubo (La Paz-Iloilo), National Master Edmundo Gatus (Bicol), Fide Master David Elorta (Makati), International Master Ildefonso Datu (Boracay-A) and National Master Cesar Mariano (Iloilo City).
Fide Master Emmanuel Senador (Laguna), National Master Francis Jocson (Capiz), Fide Master Roderick Nava (DAR-Lanao del Sur), National Master Alfred Acaling (Aklan Junior), Alcon John Datu (LWUA-B), National Master Rolando Andador (Bacolod) and International Master Oliver Barbosa (Rizal) will also see action in the five-day tournament.

Aside from the P100,000 top purse for the champion, the runner-up will also receive P70,000 and third placer P50,000.
Neri said each team may field a minimum of four and a maximum of five players, including only one titled player (grandmaster, International master, FIDE master or national master).