IM Yap hopes to earn GM norm in US stints

CEBU, Philippines — Cebuano International Master Kim Steven Yap is a man on a mission as he leaves for the United States next week to showcase his skills in a series of major chess tournaments.

Yap was invited by Larry King of the Continental Chess Association based in New York to compete in eight events but he will be joining only three of them.

These are the Philadelphia International on June 28-July 3 and the World Open on July 3-8, both in Pennsylvania, and the Atlantic Open on August 24-26 in Falls Church, Virginia.

"It will be participated in by top chess masters including GMs around the world that is why I will give my all-out best and hopefully get a GM norm by joining in these tournaments," said Yap, who had been molding young talents as director of the Cebu School of Chess and head coach of the University of Cebu (UC) chess varsity team.

In chess, an IM like Yap needs to clinch at least norms to become a full-fledged GM.

In his US trip, Yap is backed up by UC under the leadership of its dynamic president Atty. Augusto 'Gus' W. Go and Rose Pharmacy, Inc. through the benevolence of longtime chess patron Boojie Lim.— EBV