OZAMIZ – Categories at the inaugural Governor Henry S. Oaminal 8-in-1 Chess Festival, held at the OzMIamiz City Gymnasium in Misamis Occidental. The event runs from November 10 to November 12 as part of the province’s 94th Provincial Anniversary celebration.
Organized by Rey Urbiztondo, the Director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and President of Asenso Misamis Occidental Chess Association, the grand chess tournament is a collaborative effort with the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines, Games and Amusements Board’s Rapid Chess Champions League, and the Provincial Government.
“Originally, it was intended to be an inter-province national inter-province tournament, but we improved it to include eight events in one tournament. This is why we named it the First Governor Henry S. Oaminal. It’s very unique because these eight events are condensed into 3 days or 2 1/2 days to cover many tournaments and categories,” Urbiztondo said in Bisaya.
As part of the festival, Asia’s first-ever Chess Grandmaster, Eugene Torre, participated in a simultaneous exhibition match along with other champions from national and international chess competitions.
“The propagation, the interest in promoting chess here in Mindanao, and looking forward, I’m really hopeful that there will be more events like this to inspire and encourage especially young players. I’m looking forward to it because hopefully, Mindanao will produce its first grandmaster. That’s my dream for Mindanao to also produce its first grandmaster,” he added.
Among the competitors is 15-year-old Trixie Delle Mariñas, a member of the San Mateo Chess Club from San Mateo Rizal. It is her first national competition, despite having played chess for two years and winning several competitions.
“They just keep joining to become stronger,” Mariñas said.
The Provincial Government aims to promote sports development in the province by hosting chess events, supporting aspiring Filipino athletes, and particularly those from Misamisnon.
Governor Oaminal assures that the Provincial Government’s programs for the youth, especially in developing productive citizens, will continue. It is expected that 400-500 chess players from Visayas and Mindanao will participate in the competition, with a grand prize of 500 thousand pesos.
