Aklan chess player off to World Chess championships

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Eight-year old Precious Day Ame Yecla will represent the country in the world chess tourney after she won the 2014 National Youth Chess Championships grand finals Girls 9 held from August 22 to 25.

FIDE chess master Yecla, a grade 3 pupil of Saint Dominic School of Kalibo, Aklan, finished full point ahead of the field with four points followed by Princess Louise Oncita with 3 points, Arianne Pearl Caalim (1.5 points), Kelsey dela Cruz (1 point) and Joellyn Pineda with 0.5 point. 

Yecla is the highest-rated player in the five-player field with ELO rating of 1830. 

The chess tournament in PSC Administration Building in Vito Cruz, Manila was organized by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission  (PSC).

Precious Day is the youngest daughter of Joeralin Ame-Yecla of Mobo, Kalibo, Aklan and Yusi Seraspi Yecla of Polo, Banga, Aklan.

Yecla will spearhead the country’s campaign in the FIDE 2014 World Chess Championships on September 18 to 30, 2014 in International Convention Centre, Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. It is organized by the South African Chess Federation. 

Yecla also represented the Philippines and bagged gold and silver medals in the Girls 8-under standard and rapid chess categories of the 15th ASEAN+ Age Group Championships at the Cotai Sands Conference Centre in Macau, China from June 3 to 12.