LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Governor Amado I. Espino III vowed to continue the chess clinics and chess competitions in Pangasinan which are on its decade-long existence next year.
In the awarding rites of the 9th Gov. Amado Espino Cup Open Chess Championship on December 10 at the Pangasinan Training and Development Center (PTDC), the governor bared that the Chess Festival which consists of four activities—Chess Clinic, Age-Group Chess Championship, Pangasinan Chess Tournament and the Governor Amado Espino Open Chess Championship—is one of the greatest legacies of his father, the former governor and now 5thDistrict Representative Amado T. Espino, Jr. to Pangasinan.
For this year, the Open Chess Championship has gathered the most number of participants since it was launched in 2009 which totaled to 541 (362 for Open category and 179 for Kiddie).The project has drawn popularity over the years with more participants from other nearby provinces and even outside Luzon as recorded by the Pangasinan Chess League (PCL) and the Pangasinan Sports Development and Management Council (PSDMC).
Based on record, the 9th Open Chess Championship has listed a total of 262 participants from outside Pangasinan including woodpushers from as far as Davao City, Cebu, Albay, Bacolod City, Cagayan De Oro City and Naga City.
Elated over the development, the governor specifically mentioned in his message that the provincial government has started pooling potential athletes for the Pangasinan Sports Academy, a brainchild of his father, as he further said that other athletes who want to undergo training might also come from the field of chess.
The Open Division championship title was bagged by International Master (IM) Jan Emmanuel Garcia from Manila followed by another Manila chesser, IM Paulo Bersamina at 2nd place. Garcia took home a trophy and P25,000 while Bersamina received a trophy plus P20,000. Jerry Areque of Bulacan came on 3rd rank, FIDE Master Austin Jacob Literatus of
Manila occupied the 4th rank, and Cavite IM Roderick Nava inched closer at rank 5. Aside from trophies the 3rd to 5th rank received P15,000; P10,000 and P8,000 respectively.
Meanwhile, the Kiddie Category was topped by Justine Diego Mordido from Dasmarinas, Cavite at Rank 1 followed by Ronwell John De Leon from Tondo, Manila at Rank 2 and Jan Clifford Labog from Solano, Nueva Vizcaya at Rank 3. The top three kid woodpushers took home individual trophies and cash prizes of P10,000; P8,000; and P5,000 each.
Here is the complete list of winners under Open Division:
1. IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia- Manila
2. IM Paulo Bersamina- Manila
3. Jerry Areque- Bulacan
4. FM Austin Jacob Literatus- Manila
5. IM Roderick Nava- Cavite
6. Vince Angelo Medina- Manila
7. Jeth Romy Morado- Manila
8. GM Darwin Laylo- Manila
9. NM Noel Dela Cruz- Makati City
10. NM Alcon John Datu- Manila
11. NM Carlo Lorena- Albay
12. NM John Merrill Jacutina- Manila
13. Jerick Cajeras- Manila
14. FM Randy Segarra- Manila
15. Heirry Garbin Manaloto- Tarlac
16. NM March Christian- Manila
17. Jan Nigel Galan- Valenzuela
18. Eliseo Budoso- Navotas City
19. FM Nelson Mariano III- Cavite
20. FM Mari Joseph Turqueza- Quezon City
21. Francis Eugene Dimarucut- Tarlac
22. Bengt Largo- Iligan City
23. Jose Aquino- Antipolo City
24. Don Tyrone Delos Santos- Pasay City
25. Kimuel Aaron Lorenzo- Malabon City
For Kiddie Category, winners are as follows:
1. Justine Diego Mordido- Dasmarinas, Cavite
2. Ronwell John De Leon- Tondo, Manila
3. Jan Clifford Labog- Solano, Nueva Vizcaya
4. Lorenzo Aaron Cantela- Cavite
5. Chester Neil Reyes- Bugallon, Pangasinan
6. Paul Matthew Llanillo- Cavite
7. Cyrus Vladimir Francisco- Pasig City
8. Mark Gerald Reyes- Bugallon, Pangasinan
9. Dennis Gutierrez III- San Fabian, Pangasinan
10. Ronald Allan Velasco- San Carlos City, Pangasinan
11. Cedric Daniel Macato- Las Pinas
12. Juan Samson Guillermo Cantela- Cavite
13. Oscar Joseph Cantela- Cavite
14. Gene Kenneth Estrellado- Taytay, Rizal
15. Junsen Audric Maranan- Tanay, Rizal
Category Prize for Top Local went to FIDE Master Narquingden Reyes of Bugallon town while the Top Female and Top Senior were awarded to WFM Marie Antoinette San Diego of Cavite City and Winnie Boquerin of Malasiqui town, respectively.
Princess Mae Sombrito of Rosales town was given a special prize under 5 years old below and Shiela Gene Paragas of Lingayen town was cited as the youngest participant. (Ruby R. Bernardino)
