1st Barangay Wesley Team Try-Out

This is one thing that the Philippine chess community could really be proud of in the whole world of chess: bayanihan.

I used the term bayanihan because no English word, or no word of any other origin, can fittingly describe what it really means as a Filipino.

Bayanihan is more than unity, more than sharing, more than brotherhood, more than people power. It's just that: bayanihan.

In this sense, it's bayanihan for the pursuit of irrepressible passion for the love of chess and for a patriotic call to advance Philippine chess.

Nowhere else in the world can you find a group of individuals whose extra-ordinary passion for chess brought them together and whose aspirations could move mountains in pursuit of their dreams.

Their historic attempt to make a difference led them to put into action a concrete step to contribute in fashioning out their dreamed Philippine chess.

The staging of the Barangay Wesley Team Try-outs and GM Wesley So vs GM John Paul Gomez Rapid Match last September 5, 2010 at the Robinsons Manila showed to the whole world the spirit of bayanihan.

This project - grand and historic in all history of Philippine chess - is a private sector initiative, put into reality by private individuals bonded by the love for chess, admiration for GM Wesley So, and selfless patriotism for the growth of Philippine chess.

This initiative showed that if there are leaders who have strong political will, people who are selfless to share their resources, members and followers who are all in unison in achieving a common purpose, then there's no such thing as impossible dream.

I took some photos of the event. Let me bring you first to the BW try-out (will do a story about the Wesley-JP match in my next post):

This attention-grabbing, giant billboard greets everybody at the venue.

A streamer near the registration area.

Mr. Reginald Tee (sitting) and Mr. William So busy preparing the venue. (Will talk about these two laptops in the foreground in my next blog)

All of the players helped in the preparations, a bayanihan spirit . . .

Sir Reggie preparing the hi-tech, elegant chess clocks. Even the chess sets will make a chess addict salivate.


More preparations


All is set . . .


Pinoymaster77 led the prayer


After the prayer, the players seemed they could no longer wait play and show off their prowess, hehe

A little more wait please . . .

Were they waiting for something or what??


Some few touches . . .


And the pairings . . . well taken care of by the main man, Captain Norlito Sepulvida a.ka. sugardom of Barangay Wesley. He ably commandeered the whole project.


Is this a firing line?


Nanobrain delivering the speech of the year. It looked like Kapgmigz (sitting with a hat, holding a professional camera and wearing a shade) was his No.1 audience and listener)


When this man speaks, everybody listens . . .


Oh, yeah. Kapmigz is Nanobrain's No.1 listener indeed


NM Glenn Bordonada sharing some wisdom in chess . . . and in life

Mr. Reginald Tee, a simple and selfless man.

NCFP President Prospero Pichay graced the event. During his speech, he addressed Sugardom as "Norli." Wow, so close and personal

Intelligence and fun can go together. These stand-up entertainers brought the house down in-between rounds.

Notice the audience at the left?


How about the audience at the right?


And the audience inside?

12-year old NM Paulo Bersamina (Spartan1998) gently pressing the hi-tech chess clock using his two fingers. OK, that's the way it's done . . .


But wait, Emir Gamis (Pulsar) seemed to be gentler with his one-finger touch. Wowowee!!

And the battles continued

This could be the game of the tournament. The 12-year old kid Spartan1998 vs the lawyer Nanobrain. It was a draw.

If you saw how his family looked so happy during this event, then you would not think twice of becoming a BW member. I salute EVLOZARE for his wonderful and dramatic participation in the tournament. What a family bonding!! Saludo ako sa inyo, sir!!

Serious battles . . . the future of Philippine team chess!! Whewww!!!

More serious fighting . . .

And more . . .

View from 2nd floor


A closely observed event . . .

The trophy that went to the eventual winner . . .

This is how a champion shows off his look . . . congrats Dyobskijamero, winner of the 1st Barangay Wesley Team Try-Out.


MORE PHOTOS TO COME