HENRY LOPEZ, fresh from his double-gold medal effort in the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, will spearhead a head-to-head duel between Mindanao’s finest woodpushers against the best of the Visayas best in the first Gov. Henry S. Oaminal 7-in-1 Chess Festival set Nov. 10 to 12 in Ozamiz City.
Mr. Lopez, a polio victim from Panabo, Davao del Norte, who ended up as one of the most decorated members of the Philippine para chess team, just recently snared the gold in the men’s individual and team standard P1 class and should come in ready for battle.
Also part Mr. Lopez’s team are International Master (IM) Richilieu Salcedo III, FIDE Masters Victor Lluch, Austin Jacob Literatus and Ellan Asuela and a slew of local masters that included Joey Florendo, Bob Jones Liwagon, Raymund Salcedo, Lennon Hart Salgados, Jason Salubre, Jonnel Balquin and National Chess Federation of the Philippines board member Rey Urbiztondo.
Olympiad veteran Rico Mascariñas and fellow IMs Joel Pimentel and Kim Steven Yap, FM Mario Mangubat and National Masters Cyril Ortega, Rommel Ganzon, Melben Roque, Rogelio Enriquez, Jason Bandal and Rafael Perez lead the 20-strong Visayas squad.
Other matches featured are Northern Mindanao versus “The Rest of Mindanao” executives headed by national para chess team coach James Infiesto on 23 boards, and Region 10 vs Region 9.
