Sports Eye

By January 19, 2015Opinion, Sports Eye

Pangasinan chess

Jess Garcia

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

UNKNOWN perhaps to many sports fans here, our many Pangasinenses have become chess lovers over the last four years. The Pangasinan Chess League (PCL) under the leadership of Lingayen son Don Juan Vicente Sison as its president, and the provincial government headed by Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. have been very busy organizing chess tournaments in the province.

Last year, the 4th edition of the Pangasinan Chess Festival staged a series of chess tourneys that ended on Dec. 28-29, dubbed as “Pangasinan Open Chess Tournament,” eventually ruled by International Master (IM) Oliver Dimakiling of Davao City. Our very own Haridas Pascua of Mangatarem who just earned his first grandmaster norm landed third.

Pascua, now with elo rating of 2404, placed sixth in the Quezon City tilt but beat the eventual winner and top seed GM Anton Demchenko of Russia. The University of Baguio student Pascua, 20, needs to turn out two more wins in subsequent tournaments to earn the full grandmaster title, and I believe that he can do it. Pascua is the only IM from Pangasinan after the late IM Anda born but Alaminos City-based Rodolfo Tan Cardoso who earned the title in 1957. Pascua on November 8-9 last year defended his title as the official Pangasinan Provincial Chess Champion by winning the 4th Pangasinan Chess Championship.
When the PCL staged a free chess clinic last September, and a typhoon hit the province on the opening day, it did not discourage the participants from coming and about 150 was able to register on opening day, and 292 on the final day.

The players came from the cities of Alaminos, Dagupan, Urdaneta and San Carlos and from the towns of Aguilar, Anda, Binmaley, Bugallon, Calasiao, Lingayen, Malasiqui, Mangatarem, San Jacinto, Sta. Barbara, Urbiztondo and Villasis.

Unfortunately, nobody from my town Mangaldan registered despite having a chess genius kid named John Mark Anastacio (who topped the 14 and under category in the 4th Pangasinan Age Group Chess Championship last October 18-19). The tourney was the largest in terms of the number of participants that competed in seven age group divisions, under 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20.

Our Pangasinan wood-pushers also dominated the chess event during the 2014 Region 1 Athletic Association Meet held in Agoo, La Union on February 24-27. Our local bets grabbed all the qualifying slots in the boys and girls divisions and represented our region in the Palarong Pambansa. The team was led by Rosales lass WFM Samantha Glo Revita, Danica Ablang of San Fabian and Precious Eve Ferrer of Lingayen.

Believe it or not, two of our province’s young chess whiz kids already won some international laurels abroad. To name some, the San Fabian ace Brylle Vinluan won three gold medals in the Asean Age Group Chess Championship in Macau, China last June 3-12 while townmate Dennis Gutirrez III topped the 20th Annual New York State Open Blitz Championship last May 18-20 scoring an amazing seven wins in eight encounters.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And Phillip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him. “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Phillip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? JOHN 14: 8-9

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