Top chess grandmasters square off in Aklan tourney

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan - Just one week to go before the country's finest chess grandmasters square off for the 2011 National Inter-Province Chess Team Championships here, Tagaytay team bannered by GM Wesley Barbasa So (ELO rating 2667) has been installed as early favorite to clinch the coveted title.

The 17-year old chess whiz kid, the world's No. 4 junior player, is vying for honors with 24-year old GM John Paul Gomez (ELO rating 2538) of reigning titlist Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA)-Quezon City and 27-year old GM Mark Callano Paragua (ELO rating 2547) of Misamis Oriental.

The chess championship is sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) in coordination with the Aklan provincial government under the leadership of Governior Carlito Marquez from April 1 to 5 at the Gov. Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism and Training Center in Barangay New Buswang, this town.

This marks the second consecutive year the province of Aklan and the town of Kalibo will host the Inter-Province Chess Team Championships.

The top prize of P100,000 and trophy will be disputed by reputable chess players, among them, National Master Cesar Mariano of South Cotabato, International Master Kim Steven Yap of Cebu, Fide Master Roderick Nava of Laguna, National Master Jony Habla of DepEd-Pasig, National Master Francis Jocson of Capiz, International Master Oliver Barbosa of Rizal, David Elorta of Makati, National Master Rodrigo Atotubo of Club 64-Iloilo, National Master Rhobel Legaspi of Antique, Fide Master Roderick Nava of Laguna and National Master Rhobel Sarip of Lanao del Sur.

Other chess teams players in the hunt for the top prize are Women National Master Jedara Docena of LWUA-Quezon City C, National Master Leonardo Aldani of Mandaue, National Master Edmundo Gatus of Bulacan, National Master Reggie Olay of Cotabato, National Master Paulo Bersamina of LWUA-Quezon City B, National Master Fernandito Pialan of Iligan City and Horizon Villanueva of Iloilo City.

According to Provincial Sports Coordinator and National Master Wilfredo Neri, the host province of Aklan may opt to field at least 10 chess teams in the five-day competition. Each team can field four regular players and one alternate where one titled player - GM, IM, FM or NM - can only play on top board.

NCFP has announced the runner-up team will take home cash prize of P70,000 and the third placer will receive P50,000. The other cash prizes are: P30,000 for fourth place, P20,000 for fifth placer; P10,000 to the sixth placer; P9,000 to the seventh placer; P8,000 to the eighth placer; P7,000 to the ninth placer; and P6,000 to the 10th placer.

The top individual performers from boards one to five will also get P2,000 each and medals.