REIGNING Balingasag “Dalawahan” chess team champions Clyde Harris Saraus and Bobby Salomon will lead a strong cast in the Kuyamis Festival slated January 10 to 11 at the Capitol Chess Park in Cagayan de Oro.

Bankrolled by the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental through Governor Emano, the Kuyamis Dalawahan chess team tourney offers P6,000, P3,000 and P2,000 plus trophies to the top-three team finishers.

“Dire masukod kon tuloy-tuloy na ba ang momentum sa ilang tandem,” said the province's resident chess arbiter Lorenzo Cuizon.

The Saraus-Salomon pair emerged fourth and champion, respectively, in the last two Dalawahan chess tourneys in the locality held then at Limketkai Mall here and in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.

During the Balingasag christmas chessfest, the youthful Saraus scored 5 of 7 on board one and Salomon delivered a more credible 6.5 of 7 performance on board 2 as their so-called “Team Revenge” went on to collar the P10,000 top purse and the championship trophy.

On January 12 to 13, top pawnpushers in Mindanao are expected to gather once more in Barangay Tablon, Cagayan de Oro for the cash-rich 2019 Tablon Fiesta Chess Team Tournament with the major prizes of P20,000, P15,000 and P10,000 awaiting the winners.