EIGHT young Filipino woodpushers will carry the country’s colors as members of Team ASEAN who will see action in the China-ASEAN Youth Chess Classic from Aug. 23 to 28 at the Lanice Hotel Inn in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China.
The country’s representatives are Dennis Gutierrez III, Ronald Canino, Julius Gonzales, Daryl Unix Samantila, Irish Yngayo, Samantha Glo Revita, and Jerlyn Mae and Marie Antoinette San Diego.
Gutierrez III and Canino will see action in the open 8-year-and-under; Gonzales will compete in the open under-10 while Samantila will vie in the open under-12. Jerlyn and Yngayo will see action in the girls under-8 while Marie Antoinette and Samantha Glo will play in the girls under-12.
Three age groups, U-8, 10 and 12 will be played in the Double-Round Scheveningen System. Medals will be awarded to the top three individual winners while the winning team will receive the Challenge Cup.
The PH age group chess team will leave for China on Aug. 22. It is backed up by the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee and the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.
NCFP head Prospero Pichay said the players earned the right to represent the country following their strong showing in 12th Asean age-group chess competition in Tarakan, Indonesia last June.
The China-ASEAN Youth Chess Classic Tournament is jointly organized by Kunming Sports Development, Kunming Chess Association and Jinma Chess Club under the auspices of Asean Chess Confederation and the Chinese Chess Association. Correspondent MARLON BERNARDINO