GM WESLEY SO HEADS RP TEAM TO ASIAN CITIES CHESS MEET

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

SUPER Grandmaster (GM) Wesley So (in photo) will spearhead Tagaytay-Philippine team competing in the Asian Cities chess team championships in Jakarta, Indonesia starting on Good Friday, April 22.

This was announced yesterday by NCFP president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr.

“The NCFP is fielding two talent-laden teams to the Asian Cities championship as part of our program to improve our standings in the world chess hierarchy,” said Pichay, who personally wished the players good luck during a meeting at the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) Bldg. in Quezon City recently.

“Wesley will surely be one of the players to watch, but the rest of our players are just as talented and capable of making the country proud. Let’s just hope they will play well and continue to bring honors to the country,” added Pichay.

Joining So in the team being fielded by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines are GMs Rogelio Antonio Jr., John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo.

So who notched perfect 9 points to powered Tagaytay into the over-all Nationall Inter-Province chess team championships in Aklan, also top player of Philippine Team who won silver medal in the last Asian Games in Guangzhou, China which composed of Antonio, Gomez, Laylo and Asia's First GM Eugene Torre, behind only host China and ahead of such powerhouse Asian teams as India, Vietnam and Kazakhstan.

The second team here In Indonesia will be bannered by comebacking GM Mark Paragua and IMs Oliver Barbosa, Richard Bitoon and Rolando Note.The Filipinos are scheduled to leave the country for Jakarta via Cebu Pacific on Wednesday, April 20.The first round is scheduled on Good Friday, April 22.