310 players stay alive in Cebu Chess Festival

CEBU, Philippines - A total of 310 players advanced to the final round of the 1st Cebu Chess Festival, which main highlight is Cebu's Guinness record bid for the World's Largest Chess Tournament in Board Game category over the weekend at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).

 The top 32 in both elementary and secondary divisions will be fused in the finals to determine the grand champion of this ambitious project initiated by the Cebu City Sports Commission.

Among those who advanced include three-time Milo Little Olympics Most Outstanding Athlete Vic Glysen Derotas from the University of San Carlos-Basic Education.

Derotas was joined by Jonas Dustin Bajo, Chris Aldritz Pondoyo of the University of Cebu, Duane Borgonia of Guba Elementary School, Kirk Patrick Morala of Mabolo ES, Karl Alasagas of KFI Liloan, Adrian Basil Basilgo of Basak ES-Mandaue, Jay Batoon of Sabang Danao ES, and Lyka Pondoyo of Sogod ES among others.

In the open category, only 22 entries remained standing. Among them were Felix Balbona, Shawn Patrick Osorio, Airene Robillos, Emmanuel Arcamo Sr., Sherwin Cabrera, Ryan Daniot and Jeah Jean Gacang.

CCSC, in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), aims to again make history and put the Queen City of the South in the world map through this new record-breaking goal.

 The record is currently held by Russia when 1,214 participants took part in an event organized by Eugenie Kuznitsov on June 2, 2007 at the Central City Park in Krasnoyarsk.

Although no representative from Guinness came to witness the affair, CCSC chairman Edward Hayco said they will strictly monitor all the games and make sure that the event will be properly documented so that the attempt won't be declared null and void.

Three FIDE arbiters are involved in the conduct of the two-day finale in Felix Poloyapoy (chief arbiter), Luis Navaja of UC and Roger Abella (tournament director).—(FREEMAN)