ROSALES – She started playing chess at the age of three, even beating her own father in the game he taught her.

At age six, Samantha Glo Revita has already made her mark in the international chess leagues by winning the bronze medal in the Standard Chess (three hours) and the silver medal in the Blitz Chess (five minutes) in the 7th ASEAN Chess Championship held in Jakarta, Indonesia recently.

Through it all, Samantha, a grade one pupil at the Rosales North Central School who has wowed chess aficionados with her talent in chess, remains very much a child.

The child prodigy recently celebrated her 7th birthday and like every other girl, all she wanted was a bicycle for herself.

Her father and mentor, Engr. Sammy Revita, said his ultimate dream for his daughter is for her to be the first woman Grand Master in the country. And at the rate she is going, that dream may be realized sooner than he thinks.

August last year, Samantha was champion in the Cluster Zone Meet in her hometown Rosales. On Oct. 7-8, 2005, she was the champion of PRISAA (Private Schools Athletic Association) Zone 3 Meet in Sta. Maria town, followed by another championship plum in PRISAA Pangasinan 2 Division Meet in Binalonan.

Early this year, she emerged champion again in the Pangasinan 2 Provincial Meet in Mangaldan. She, however, placed second in the Ilocos Region Athletic Association held in  Lingayen  on March 20-24 having lost to a grade five student by a mere .5  point.

She got her vindication when she wrested the championship crown of the National  Age Group Chess Championship (Under 8-years) in Mandaluyong City four months  ago (sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines).

While her father religiously trains her on the game, Samantha’s mother, Gloria, a public school teacher, makes it a point to tutor her regularly on her academics.

Despite her chess stints, Samantha remains on top of her class with mathematics and science as her favorite subjects, the proud father said.

Samantha, who is already is amused by her new celebrity status, is given time to play with her friends in between studies and chess trainings, simply enjoying what other kids her age love doing.

The father revealed that part of her training is to play chess blindfolded while he dictates moves made by her opponents in order to further hone her mental skills.

Presently, the father-and-daughter tandem is preparing for the coming World Youth Chess Championship in Georgia on Oct. 19-29.

But as with most talented athletes and sportspersons in the country, financial support has been a major problem for them.

The daughter-and-father team continues to pray that they will never have to forgo a competition all because they don’t have the means to travel and compete. – EVA

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