Aklan to host 2012 National Inter-cities chessfest

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan –The province of Aklan has fortified its stature as the chess capital in the Visayas with the hosting of the National Inter-Cities and Municipalities Chess Team Championships in 2012.

This early, Wilfredo Abalos, executive director of the governing National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), announced next year's staging in Aklan during the opening ceremony of the 2011 National Inter-Province Chess Team Championships here.

Abalos also cited the development of the province’s sports program in chess throughout the years that earned the nod of NCFP for the province of Aklan to host the 2012 edition of National Inter-Cities and Municipalities Chess Team Championships.

Provincial Sports Coordinator Wilfredo Neri said the hosting of Aklan next year might be scheduled before the 56^th Aklan Day anniversary on April.

“Big cities made a bid in the hosting of this prestigious chess competition. But Aklan, which currently hosting the 2011 National Inter-province chess fest and the 2010 National Age-group Championship for boys and girls, had proven its worth in hosting the NCFP events. This will surely be a big boost to our growing tourism industry in the coming year,” he said at the sidelines of the inter-province chess event.

Three Grandmasters – Wesley So, Mark Paragua and John Paul Gomez in the Top 5 highest rated players in the country are vying for honors in the chess tourney hosted by Aklan from April 1 to 5.