Sta. Rosa to host nat'l jrs, age group chess

MANILA, Philippines - The industrial hub of Sta. Rosa City, Laguna  south of Metro Manila will host the Luzon eliminations of the National Juniors Chess Championships and National Age Group Chess Championships starting this Friday on the second floor of its modern public market in the  center of the city plaza.

“With the support of Sta. Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas, we welcome the opportunity to host these two youth chess tournaments organized and sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines,” said Sta. Rosa sports director Dennis Aquino in yesterday’s PSA form at the Shakey’s UN Avenue branch in Manila.

NCFP executive director GM Jayson Gonzales, who joined Aquino in the session, thanked Aquino and Mayor Arcillas for staging both events beginning with the national age group Luzon competitions.

“Laguna is considered one of the hotbeds of the growing youth chess movement in Luzon so it is timely that we accepted the offer of the city of Sta. Rosa in hosting both tournaments,” said Gonzales of the city famous for the amusement park Enchanted Kingdom and its progressive techno-industrial zone.

Gonzales said that competition in the national age group Luzon elims will be in the 20-year-old-and under, 16-under, 14-under, 12-under, 10-under and 8-under in both boys and girls divisions.

He added that the champions in each category of the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao lets will represent the country in the 2012 Asean Age Group Chess Championships in Hue, Vietnam, while the  overall champions in the finals will compete for the Philippines in the 2012 Asian Youth Chess Championships in Sri Lanka.

On the other hand, the national juniors is slated at the same venue from March 5-8, Aquino said, featuring  20-under tournaments in the boys and girls divisions.

Cash prizes and trophies will be up for grabs for the participants, Gonzales said.

He added those interested to sign up for either the national age group and national juniors can contact international arbiter Gene Policarpio at cell phone number 0923-7309445, Aquino at 0939-9394922, Dr. Alfredo Paez at 0921-2728172, or they can also register at [email protected].