Future chess masters learn tactics at Shell clinic

MANILA, Philippines - Carlo is a typical 13-year-old boy who loves computers, video games and other gadgets and gizmos popular with his peers. But unlike other teenagers who fight in the virtual world, Carlo battles on a board — a chessboard, that is.

Carlo started to play with this father’s chess set when he was a toddler. Since then, the teenager has stumped his opponents with his moves, winning chess competitions one after the other.  To broaden his skills, Carlo signed up for “An Interaction with Masters,” a two-day chess clinic spearheaded by Pilipinas Shell held on May 30 and 31.      

The Event Center of SM Megamall was filled with 161 young chess aficionados willing to learn chess tactics and strategies from chess masters.   After an initial assessment of their skills and understanding of the game, participants were grouped into four levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Masters.  FIDE Master Randy Segarra, coach of the De La Salle University-Taft chess team, served as one of the instructors. He spoke of the clinic’s importance and how all participants were expected to take part in the activities to develop their skills in the game of chess. At the same time, Segarra noted that the seminar was also intended to help future chess masters gain self-confidence, self-esteem, discipline, maturity, and foster camaraderie among themselves. During clinic sessions, participants learned basic chess moves as well as complicated techniques like the triangulation method, king and pawn ending, and the different types of tactics — pinning, skewer/ x-ray method, discovered attack and fork.  Their analytical skills were tested in various problem-solving quizzes.

The clinic also served as an outlet to expose them to the world of chess tournaments.  Aside from Segarra, other masters who interacted with the young chess players included Rolly Yutuc, an international arbiter, GM-elect Ronald Dableo, and International Master Idelfonso Datu, who also coaches the Ateneo chess team. Chess teachers from different schools around Metro Manila also acted as mentors.

An “Interaction with the Masters” is a yearly event conducted by Pilipinas Shell in support of the Department of Education’s memorandum to include chess in the school curriculum as a means to foster thinking skills and values in elementary and secondary levels. This year’s clinic is sponsored by Shell Fuel Save Unleaded and Diesel, Shell V-Power Nitro+, Shell Fuel Oil Plus and Shell Advance Motorcycle Oils, in partnership with SM Supermalls and Our Home.

Pilipinas Shell has taken great pride in investing in community-based programs that influence the overall development and growth of the Filipino youth.  Since 1992, Shell has helped thousands of youth champions engage in chess tournaments through the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship (also known as Shell Active Chess). For 20 years now, Shell has been instrumental in introducing chess to young people and providing them opportunities to enrich their game moves and strategies.

“Interaction with the Masters” lays the groundwork for Shell Active Chess, the nation’s longest-running, grassroots-based chess tournament. Upcoming chess players around the nation will battle it out in the juniors (20 years old and below) and kiddie (6 to 14-year-olds) categories.  Top finishers will duke it out in the grand finals later in the year.

For 13-year-old Carlo, “An Interaction with the Masters” proved to be one smart move. The teen bagged the top scores in the masters level, taking him one step closer to his goal of becoming a grand master.