Cebu City goes for checkmate

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) takes one last hurdle to fulfill its ambitious project of breaking a Guinness record for the “World’s Largest Chess Tournament” in Board Game category as the final competition starts at 1 pm today at the Cebu City Sports Center.

CCSC, in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), hopes to again make history and put the Queen City of the South in the world map through this new record-breaking attempt.

The record is currently held by Russia when 1, 214 participants took part in an event organized by Eugenie Kuznitsov on June 2, 2007 at the Central City Park in Krasnoyarsk.

CCSC chairman Edward Hayco is hopeful that they would be able to break the record as they have tapped around 43,000 participants for his gargantuan mission.

Hayco stressed though that the main objective of this project is the application of its grassroots program and promote the sport to the youth.

 “We expect that the rediscovery of the excitement and drama of the game of chess by the youth shall be sustained by overwhelming awareness of 43,000 kids in the public schools. And the event will be able to create a rippling effect towards the future, that this unique game will one day deliver us an Olympic medallist by a barangay kid from Cebu,” said Hayco.

 The 43,000 kids competed over the past two months of continuous classroom and school-wide competitions from over a hundred schools within Cebu City. The remaining 3,000 advanced to the penultimate battle today.

Before today's contest proper, a one-of-a-kind ceremonial opening move is expected to dazzle the participants, guests and spectators as well.

To add glitz to the memorable affair, the members of Dancesport-Team Cebu City will perform a unique production number wherein they will dance unique chess movements, with the 32 dancers representing chess pieces in a giant chess board.

Last minute preparations were done yesterday including the briefing of seven arbiters, 30 deputy arbiters and 150 stewards.

Three FIDE arbiters are invloved in the conduct of the two-day finale in Felix Poloyapoy (chief arbiter), Luis Navaja of the University of Cebu and Roger Abella (tournament director).

 “We already made a tournament simulation last week at the grandstand venue. All in all, the grand finalists will be spread along the 16 sections at the grandstand which are color-coded and divided by railings,” said Abella.

Aside from the competition, some exciting sidelights are also in place such as the selection of the best mascot and most unique chess board.  (FREEMAN)