CHESS wizards will battle for supremacy when the 3rd Boy “Chessmoso” Pestaño Memorial Chess Cup Tatluhan Rapid Tournament takes center stage on Oct. 19 to 20 at the Barracks Chess Club in Robinsons Galleria Cebu.
A strong field of out-of-town players will be coming over to challenge Cebu’s hometown bets in the tournament organized by the Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Association (Cepca).
The chess event is held in memory of the late Boy Pestaño, one of the founding fathers of Cepca. He was also a sports columnist at SunStar Cebu and SunStar Superbalita.
Cepca president Jerry Maratas said they’re expecting around 50 to 60 teams from Cebu and also out-of-town delegates during a press conference on Tuesday night, Oct. 15, 2019.
One of the out-of-town bets to watch out for will be Cagayan de Oro City, who finished third in last year’s edition. The team will be led by Jaime Joshua Frias II, who recently won two international tournaments.
Frias won the Australian Open dubbed as the 2019 02C Doeberl Cup Major Chess Tournament on April 19 to 22 in Canbera Southern Cross Club in Canbera before winning the open division of the 26th Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival on Aug. 10.
Frias, who is also a former SunStar Cebu sportswriter, will be with teammates Cleto Vasquez and Edward Tare.
On the other hand, the Sagay City Chess Club in Negros Occidental bannered by Cocoy Pimentel will be fielding in two teams, Tagbilaran City will parade Norman Longjas, Glicerio Pardilla and Genesis Apog, while Toledo City will count on Bonn Rainuld Tibod, Christopher Tubalado and Rosano Manigo.
Cepca Team A, manned this time by Venancio Loyola, National Master Arnolito Cadiz and Carlo Maraat, are back to defend their title.
Others players to watch out for are Richard Natividad, Ruel Nutal and Martin Kwan of The Bachelors, Joel Pacuribot, Carlos Moreno III and Bong San Pascual of Cebu Progress Marketing, Tony Cabibil of Team DPWH, and International Masters Kim Steven Yap and Joel Pimentel, who will spearhead their squads.
Close to P100,000 in cash prizes will be given away to the top finishers of the 9-round Swiss system contest.
The champion will pocket P50,000, while the second to fifth placers will take home P20,000, P10,000, P7,000 and P5,000, respectively. Those who will make it to the Top 12 will get a consolation prize of P2,000 each.
The organizers will be accepting on-site registration until an hour before the competition starts on Saturday. The entry fee is P1,800. (RSC)