Cebu’s feat of holding biggest chess tourney enters Guinness record

Continue the legacy.

This is what Cebu City Sports Commission chairman Edward Hayco aims to do after Cebu’s record-breaking feat of having the biggest chess tournament in the world last January.

Cebu beat Krasnoyarsk, Russia’s record after drawing 43,157 participants from public schools in Cebu.

In yesterday’s official unveiling of the copy of the official certificate of authentication from the Guinness Book of World Records at the Cebu City Sports Center, Hayco said he owes a lot to the volunteer public teachers who helped achieve the feat. He said their efforts of committing themselves to a sport they are not familiar with was the key to success.

“I hope this legacy will continue to the next generation,” said Hayco.

A massive 12×18-meter tarpaulin copy of the certificate was also unveiled yesterday.

After completing this feat for chess, Hayco is now turning his sights to the development of beach volleyball (see separate story).  /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL