Early Christmas presents

Early Christmas presents in sports
Published : Tuesday, November 22, 2011 00:00

IT'S still five weeks away but already you can see Christmas coming.

You can always tell when it's getting close because television shows start making their countdown, and stores, parks and streets, especially in the more-affluent areas like Makati and Manila, are now adorned with brightly-lit Christmas lights and decorations.

Big, lighted Christmas trees put up along major avenues produce one of the great sights on earth.

It makes us like Christmas above anytime of the year.

It’s still a little too early to think about Christmas presents, but this is the time I usually think about them.

Several years ago, I listed some Christmas presents I would like to give to some of our favorite athletes and sports officials.

I have more this year.

World boxing champion Manny Pacquiao -- a convincing win in his long-awaited title fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. that will further cement his status as the world’s greatest boxer ever and a long and happy family life with wife Jinkee and their children during his retirement.

Chess sensation Wesley So -- another major international chess title that will finally put him in the list of the world's top 50 players in the FIDE (World Chess Federation). Failing to win the gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, a morale-boosting win in the coming ‘Battle of GMs’ would surely put the 18-year-old Filipino pride on the right track before his 2012 campaign.

More here.

Wesley So grabs gold in SEA Games blitz

With a perfect score, GM Wesley So of the Philippines won the gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games blitz tournament while Hoang Thi Nhu of Vietnam won gold in the women's blitz.

Vietnam won the overall chess medal tally followed by the Philippines and Indonesia. See chess-results.com for final standings and results. Visit the Asian Chess Federation site for photos and charts.

Attempting to break the world record

CCSC to tap private schools in attempt for world record, raises target from 10,000 to 40,000 players
By Rommel C. Manlosa
Sunday, November 6, 2011

THERE has been a change of plans and dates in the Cebu City Sports Commission’s bid to break the Guinness World Record for the largest chess tournament.

For one, CCSC chairman Edward Hayco and the commission have now included the private schools in their ambitious attempt.

“We have invited the private schools to join the Guinness World record chess attempt and we’re welcoming them to the meeting we called on Nov. 8,” Hayco told Sun.Star Cebu.

But since the addition of the private school students means more work for CCSC, the group is moving the event to Jan. 21 and 22 next year still at the Cebu City Sports Center.

“The event, which will be called the Cebu Chess Festival-the World’s Largest Chess Tournament, will now be a major highlight during the Sinulog Month,” Hayco said.

Originally, Haycos announced the holding of the Grand Finals on Nov. 24 before moving it to Dec. 10.

With the inclusion of the private schools, the CCSC and the Cebu Chess Federation (CCF) were forced to move the date to accommodate all those who want to join.

CCSC and CCF have gathered nearly 10,000 students playing at the classroom and school level tournaments among public schools. The entry of the private schools is expected to boost that number to between 30,000 and 40,000 participants.

Meanwhile, the chess attempt may be held a month later, but another regular Sinulog event and CCSC project, the Sinulog Cup, will be held a month earlier in December.

Sinulog Cup

The Sinulog Cup will have the men’s softball open, women’s softball open (for high school players and older), little league baseball for Boys 12-under, little league softball for girls 12-Under and Tee-Ball for players five to eight years old.

Tournament organizer Dionisio Bacarisas said he will call a meeting next week with the CCSC to discuss the ruless and guidelines of the event.

Bacarasisas said he expects the event to start after the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet in Bohol.

In the last Sinulog Cup, more than 20 teams joined the four events and Bacarisas is hoping to break that record.

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph

National Inter-Cities and Municipalities Chess Team Championship

Nat'l chess championship kicks off in Batangas
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 11/03/2011 7:07 PM | Updated as of 11/03/2011 7:21 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The 2011 National Inter-Cities and Municipalities Chess Team Championship kicks off Friday at the Pavilion Event Center in Tanauan City, Batangas.

The first round will commence right after the opening ceremony beginning 8:30 am, with National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) President Prospero Pichay Jr. leading the traditional ceremonial moves along with Tanauan Economic Council executive director, Atty. Ruel Canobas and NCFP executive director Grand Master (GM) Jayson Gonzales.

Tagaytay City is favored to go all the with GM Wesley So and National Master (NM) Edmundo Gatus at the helm.

The other fancied teams in the event are GM Rogelio Antonio's Mandaluyong City, GM Darwin Laylo's Misamis Oriental, GM John Paul Gomez' Tagbilaran City, GM-elect Oliver Barbosa's Tanauan City, GM-elect Richard Bitoon's Tandag City and International Master-elect Richelieu Salcedo's FEU-Manila.

The event will coincide with grand final of the Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence (PACE) - National Chess Academy (NAC) and NCFP 2011 Age-Group Chess Championships.

"The inter-cities and municipalities is one of the most anticipated events in our calendar," said Pichay. "It's a great wrap-up event for our top players before they compete in the Southeast Asian Games."

A total of 277 grand finalists are expected to see action in four age brackets - 17-under, 14-under, 11-under and 8-under.

The grand final will be the basis for selection of the Philippine national youth team that will compete in the Singapore Youth Festival Chess Championships on December 26-31.

"We are very excited to host a couple of big events in chess at the same time," said Tanauan's Atty. Canobas. "This event gives the future of Philippine chess a chance to see our best players in action."

NCFP executive director GM Jayson Gonzales and chief arbiter Gene Poliarco will supervise the event. -- By Marlon Bernardino.

Source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

It's official for Barbosa and Bitoon

FIDE confers Grandmaster titles to Barbosa, Bitoon
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer 8:37 pm | Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

MANILA, Philippines — The World Chess Federation (Fide) has conferred the Grandmaster title to Oliver Barbosa (2571) and Richard Bitoon (2515), hiking the total number of Filipino GMs to 16.

Barbosa, who hails from Taytay, Rizal, earned his third and final GM norm in the DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters last September in Kuala Lumpur where he bagged the overall title and the 4,000 RM (about P57,000) prize.

Bitoon obtained his final GM in the same event where he finished tied for second with IM Jahongir Vakhidov of Uzbekistan.

Barbosa and Bitoon joined the country’s elite GM circle, including Eugene Torre, Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr., Bong Villamayor, Nelson Mariano II, Mark Paragua, Wesley So, Darwin Laylo, Jayson Gonzales, John Paul Gomez, Joseph Sanchez, Roland Salvador, Rogelio Barcenilla Jr., Julio Catalino Sadorra and the late Rosendo Balinas Jr.

“Our target is to hit 20 Grandmasters next year so we can ask the World Chess Federation if we can have our zonal championships in the Philippines,” National Chess Federation of the Philippines head Prospero Pichay Jr. said.

Source: http://sports.inquirer.net