INTERNATIONAL Masters Angelo Young from the US and Joel Pimentel from Bacolod City will banner the Asenso Misamis Occidental National Open Chess Tournament slated on July 8 to 9 at the 6th Floor of the newly-opened eight-storey AYA Tower and Residences in Clarin, Misamis Occidental.
In celebration of the 75th Charter Day of Ozamiz City, the two-day event is bankrolled by the sports-loving Misamis Occidental Governor Henry S. Oaminal Sr., his fellow lawyer son in Ozamiz City Mayor Henry F. Oaminal, Jr., and Congressman Sancho Fernando F. Oaminal.
No less than Asia’s first Grandmaster and World Chess Hall of Famer Eugene Torre is invited to spice up the cash-rich tourney as he’ll be conducting a simultaneous display or exhibition matches against select homegrown youngsters at the sprawling AYA Tower and Residences.
Apart from Torre’s grandiose appearance, organizer AGM Rey Urbiztondo said he also expects the Manila-based IMs Ronald Bancod and Rolando Nolte as well as FIDE Masters Christopher Castellano and Ellan Asuela and newly-minted Arena Grandmaster Lyndon Lumancas to vie for around P200,000 in total cash prizes.
“So far karon, naa na ‘ta sa 230 entries kay 100 ang bisita ug 130 sa Misamis Occidental based sa atong online registration, though naa pay mga manual listing sa participants nga atong gipaabot,” Urbiztondo said.
Already, Urbiztondo expressed gratefulness to Misamis Oriental Governor Peter M. Unabia and his Provincial Sports Coordinator Francis Sean Condeza for acceding to the invitation of the organizing Misamis Occidental Federated Chess Association.
The Team Paglaum of Misamis Oriental will be sending in its Capitol players to be led by Mindanao’s top non-master Johnnel Balquin, Lorenzo Cuizon, and Arian Belly Calido who just won the 73rd Charter Day Inter-Agency Chess Team Championship of Cagayan de Oro.
The Misamis Occidental chessfest will also have the full support of Mindanao’s most active chess organization, the Golden Chess Friends of Cagayan de Oro.
“Yes, we’ll be (going) there not only to compete but forge unity and foster camaraderie with our chess fellows in Misamis Occidental,” said Benoni Wabe, founding head of the Golden Chess Friends (GCF) that regularly holds monthly chess event in Cagayan de Oro for the development of Mindanao's promising youth.
The Arena Grandmaster Urbiztondo, who is a board director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, said attractive cash prizes also await in high school and elementary categories of the MisOcc rapid tourney that will be administered by former NCFP official Atty. Cliburn Anthony Orbe.
