Stacked calendar in store for Philippine chess

MANILA, Philippines — It will be a busy next few months for Philippine chess with a slew of tournaments slated, starting with the National Age Group Championships and the Battle of the Grandmasters this month.

The youth tilt is unfolding Thursday and ending Sunday in Olongapo City, with winners of the boys and girls’ Under-14, U16, U18 and U20 earning spots to the 24th ASEAN+ Age Group Championships set August 7-17 in Singapore.

There would also be divisions for U8, U10 and U12 boys and girls in three different events — standard, rapid and blitz.

The Battle of the GMs, for its part, is set June 23 to July 1 at the PACE on Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City, with a total of three slots to this September’s World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan being staked.

GMs Daniel Quizon, John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo, International Masters Pau Bersamina and Jem Garcia and WGM Janelle Mae Frayna and WIM Ruelle Canino are among the notable chessers wading into battle there.

From there, the country will host an Invitational and International tournaments a month later, a Philippine Children’s Championship on August 28 at PACE and Philippine Women’s and Juniors Championships in Alicia, Isabela on September 4.

“Philippine chess will be alive in the next few months and we hope to sustain it by the end of the year,” said NCFP CEO GM Jayson Gonzales.