482 players hurdle Gov. Espino Chess Clinic in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan: A total of 482 chess players from Pangasinan and nearby provinces participated in this year’s Governor Amado Espino Chess Clinic held from Sept. 17 to 18 and 24 to 25 that kicked off this year's 6th Pangasinan Chess Festival set on different dates from October to December.

Sponsored by the Pangasinan provincial government, the chess clinic-sponsored chess clinic was held in two parts at the Pangasinan Training and Development Center is part of Governor Amado Espino, 3rd's program to enhance the game of chess in the province.

“We will continue to support this chess clinic, as well as all the other sporting events because of your unfailing patronage,” vowed Espino, who was overwhelmed by the huge turnout of participants.

He said that these efforts are geared towards developing the next generation as leaders espe

“Who knows the next Filipino Olympic medalist would come from Pangasinan?” he said.

The chess clinic was offered from beginner to advanced and intermediate levels from town and cities in Pangasinan and the neighboring provinces of Nueva Ecija and Zambales.

The Pangasinan Chess Festival will kick off on October 22-23 with the holding of the 6th Pangasinan Age Group Chess Championships Tournament; to be followed by the 6th Pangasinan Chess Championships on November 19-20; and the 8th Governor Amado Espino Cup Open Chess Tournament, December 16-18.

Dubbed as the biggest and most popular local sporting event sponsored by the provincial government, the Pangasinan Chess Festival is the lone chess festival being hosted by a province in the Philippines.

Launched six years ago, the yearly chess festival already produced national and international chess champions, one of them is Grand Master-elect Haridas Pascua from Mangatarem town.

The yearly Pangasinan Chess Festival is co- sponsored by the Pangasinan Chess Club headed by secretary-general German Francisco and president Juan Vicente Sison, along with the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.