Panaboan NM, PH Para chess team targets crown in 4th World Championship for People with Disabilities

DAVAO CITY---A veteran National Master from Panabo City, Davao del Norte is part of the Philippine paralympic chess team that will compete in the 4th World Championship for People with Disabilities to be held from November 5-14.

NM Henry Lopez is part of the team that will compete in the international chess tournament alongside  FM Severino from Silay City, Negros Occidental, Masters Jasper Rom from Danao City, Cebu, and Darry Bernardo from Angeles City, Pampanga.

According to the international chess federation, the 9-round Swiss tournament with 45 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1,  is an individual competition with an additional team ranking. 

Its winners will earn the titles of “World Chess Champion among Disabled 2021” in the individual ranking and “World Chess Team Champion among Disabled 2021” in the team competition.

Close to 200 chessers from over 40 countries are participating in the 10-day event which saw Rom, Bernardo and Lopez seeded 13th, 26th, and 27th, respectively.

The Para chess team is confident of their chances in the competition since they are the leader in the ongoing third conference of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) in the Southern division. (Romeo Braceros Jr.)

Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates stun frontrunning PH Para team in PCAP 3rd conference

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DAVAO CITY---The struggling Mindanaoan team Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates made a splash in the second round of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) 3rd Conference after they upset the Southern division frontrunner Philippine Paralympic 2-1 in Armageddon tiebreaker on November 3.

The win is a huge morale boost for the Checkmates since it is against one of the top teams in PCAP and only their third win after 15 matches.

Davao's National Master Jonathan Tan and Cagayan de Oro's Lennon Hart Salgados played here for the Checkmates by scoring the much-needed points to secure the win.

NM Tan and Lennon Hart won over FM Severino and NM Menandro Redor to get the much-needed victory.

"Lennon Hart and NM Tan's roles in crucial matches were not that easy as they managed to upset FM Severino who is a world chess champion himself," Checkmates owner Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo said.

Severino is the 2020 International Physically Disabled Chess Association (IPCA) Online Rapid Chess Championship champion. 

"It's gonna be a tall order for us to either duplicate or surpass our quarterfinals stint last conference 'coz we need at least 5 wins in our remaining nine-game assignments to stay in contention. Ubos taas atong mga pag-ampo ini," Urbiztondo added.(Romeo Braceros Jr.)