Pinoy GMs vie in inter-province tilt

MANILA, Philippines - GMs Wesley So, Mark Paragua and John Paul Gomez have confirmed their participation in the 2011 National Inter-Province chess team championship, ensuring a banner field in the annual event set April 1-5 in Kalibo, Aklan.

So, the country’s highest-rated player with a 2667 rating, will banner Tagaytay City team while Paragua will lead the fight for Misamis Oriental in the five-day event.

Gomez, on the other hand, will spearhead the title-retention bid of LWUA-Quezon City-A.

Others in the fold are Palawan, Oriental Mindoro, Iloilo Province, Antique, Pampanga, Laguna, Rizal, Bohol, Capiz, Aklan, Sulong Roxas City, LWUA-Quezon City B and C, DAR-Quezon City, PNP-Quezon City, Makati City, Bacolod City and Iloilo City, Pasig City and other cities and provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.

A guaranteed cash prize of P100,000 and trophy is at stake in the event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) in cooperation with the Aklan provincial government.

The runner-up and the third placer will receive P70,000 and P50,000, respectively.

NCFP executive director Willie Abalos said the participating team can field field four regular players and one alternate. Teams, however, can only field one titled player - GM, IM, FM or NM - who will play on top board.

For details, contact NCFP at 02-3817224 or 0949-1760889 and 0929-2266210, or NCFP regional director and Aklan sports coordinator Willie Neri at 0920-5636732.

or email [email protected]/[email protected].