RP chess academy to be inaugurated

RP chess academy to be inaugurated
abs-cbnNEWS.com 03/17/2010 7:22 PM

MANILA, Philippines – The formal inauguration of the Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence (PACE) and induction ceremony of the Philippine Chess Knights League (PhilCheK) will take place on March 27.

The PACE, located at 56 Mindanao Avenue corner Road 1 in Project 6, Quezon City, will be a regular venue for chess classes for aspiring young players.

It will house a modern library, which offers wide-ranging books, internet services and other chess paraphernalia for regular members. It will also hold regular tournaments for titled and untitled players.

It is envisioned to become the first one-stop, fully-air-conditioned chess destination in the country comparable to the best chess clubs in the United States and Europe.

“We’re also planning to invite Russian and foreign chess instructors to conduct classes for our members,” said two-time Olympian GM Jayson Gonzales, who co-founded the academy with Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre.

“PACE will provide everything that the chess player needs, something which, unfortunately, we didn’t enjoy during our formative years in the sport,” added Gonzales. “This is a chess player’s dream come true.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. will be attended by FIDE (World Chess Federation) Honorary President Florencio Campomanes, National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) President/Chairman Prospero Pichay, Jr., Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Harry Angping, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, NCFP Secretary-General Mayor Abraham Tolentino, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.

The officers of PhilCheK, chairman emeritus Pichay, president emeritus Pimentel, chairman Torre, founding president Gonzales, and secretary-general Boyet Tardecilla, will be inducted during the same occasion.

– by Marlon Bernardino
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