CHESS development in the Misamis Occidental area will get a boost with the support of the Masonry Organization in Northern Mindanao.
Sponsored by Misamis Occidental Governor Henry S. Oaminal, the 1st Masonic District Chess Tournament will be held on Tuesday, April 25 at Function Hall 1 in Tangub City.
“The tournament is primarily aimed to support the MisOcc student bets in the DepEd-run Palarong Pampook. So, this will serve as an ‘Inter-MisOcc Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association Tune-up Games,’” said Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo, a board member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, in his message forwarded to Gold Star Daily.
Urbiztondo said that Gov. Oaminal ― a lawyer by profession ― is a fellow mason and chess lover, which explains his positive response when asked to get involved in grassroots chess development for Misamis Occidental province.
Events on tap for the Masonic chessfest are the 12-under, 17-under, and Open categories.
The top three winners in each division will pocket P3,000, P2,000, and P1,000, respectively, with the fourth and fifth finishers out to receive P750 and P500 apiece.
Sixth to 10th placers will get P200 each, while those who make the cut for the top 20 will settle for P100.
Each of the top ladies in said three categories will be given P500.
“The Masonry Organization is also into sports, though we prefer the mental combat chess that is tailor-made for the relatively short but inherently talented Filipinos,” Urbiztondo further told Gold Star Daily.
