GM’S ANTONIO AT LAYLO IKINAGALAK ANG BALIK FACE-TO- FACE COMPETITION SA PH CHESS
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IKINAGALAK nina GMs Darwin Laylo at Rogelio Antonio, Jr. ang pagkakaroon na ng panibagong oportunidad upang makalarong muli naturang board game ang lahat ng chass enthusiasts sa bansa lalo ngayong bunubuti na ang lagay sa alert level ng IATF kaugnay ng paglaban sa pandemya.
Sinabi ng dalawang Grandmasters na isang magandang development na ang paglalaro ng face to face competitions katulad ng idinaraos n idinaraos na 2021Philippine National Chess Championship sa Solea Hotel sa Mactan Island, Cebu.
Sina Laylo at Antonio ay kabilang sa 12 players na sumasabak sa prestihiyosong taktakang inorganisa ng National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) sa kooperasyon ng Chess Movement, Inc. and Barkadahan Para sa Bansa.
“We’re all excited to play over-the-board chess game again after almost two years due to the pandemic,” wika ni Laylo sa 131st “Usapang Sports on Air” ng Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports (TOPS) via Zoom.
Si Laylo, na nakamit ang kanyang ikatlo at final GM norm noong 2007 Asian Chess Championship sa Cebu City ay sinabing “online chess thrived even during the pandemic through the launching of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP).
Sa chess, tuloy-tuloy naman ang games dahil nagkaroon ng professional league with PCAP. Pero siyempre, iba pa din yung pressure, yun excitement na maglaro ka over-the-board,” dagdag ni Laylo sa lingguhang public service program na iniisponsoran ng Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and Games at Amusements Board (GAB).
Ayon naman kay Antonio, ang 12-player over-the-board competition ay kasing- challenging di ng nakaraang PCAP online tournaments.
“Most of the country’s top players, including the fast-rising IMs, are there (in Mactan). We have to keep our focus, especially now that face-to-face na uli ang laban,” ani Antonio,gumawa ng kasaysayan nang siya’y maging ikatlong GM ng bansa noong 1993 nauna sinar GM Eugene Torre at namayapang si GM Rosendo Balinas.
“Hindi naman nahinto ang paglalaro natin ng chess. Kundisyon pa din para sa darating the national championship,” saad pa ni Antonio, player ng Iloilo Kisela Knights in PCAP.
“As usual, I will do my best to win as many games as possible and maybe, win the championship.”(Danny Simon)