GM Mark Paragua eyes another online chess title in GM Balinas Cup

GRANDMASTER (GM) Mark Paragua will be seeking another online chess title when the Baby Uno Chess Challenge dubbed as Grandmaster Rosendo Carreon Balinas Jr. online chess championship set on Sept. 6, 2020 at 11 a.m. at the lichess.org.

The total cash prize for the event held as part of the 79th birthday celebration of the late Grandmaster Rosendo Carreon Balinas Jr. on Sept. 10 is P35,000.

The organizing committee of Bayanihan Chess Club led by AGM Marlon Bernardino, Genghis Imperial, Jolina and Jenley Icao decided to have a new house rules that if a player violates the lichess terms of service with it (Computer Engine Assistance, Human Assistance, Piloting), his/her prizes will go to Bayanihan Chess Club Welfare Fund.

The “free registration” online tournament will be a 21-round Swiss System, two minutes plus two seconds increment time control format, is open to all Filipino chess players here and abroad.

Organized by Bayanihan Chess Club, the event, hosted by Bethesda, Maryland USA-based Joe Balinas in close cooperation with engineer Antonio Carreon Balinas and Mr. Fernan Donguines of Hybreed Apparel Collections, offers a whopping top purse of P10,000 to the champion, P2,500 to the runner-up, P1,500 to the third placer and P1,000 each to the fourth and fifth placers, respectively.

“We honor too and remember our past chess greats Cardoso, Lontok, Naranja, Reyes,” said Joe Balinas.

“Remember them? And all who molded our chess greats from Eugene, our beloved always faithful to Pinas GM Joey, world class Wesley So and the crop of our current GMs. To all of our young chess talents.” he added.

“We urge revitalization of business and corporate support to Philippine Chess to help too our chairman/president (Prospero) Pichay,” said Joe Balinas.

For more details, message Genghis Imperial in his facebook account. — Marlon Bernardino