PACE-NSA chessfest goes to SM Rosales

The second leg of the PACE-NCA 2011 age-group chess championship will be held at the SM City Entertainment Center in Rosales, Pangasinan on March 12-13. The two-day event is being organized by the Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence (PACE), headed by its president, Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales, in cooperation with the National Chess Academy (NCA) and the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP). The second leg will be hosted by SM City, Rosales. The event is part of the 12-leg series of qualifying tournaments, which is being done to select players who will compose the members of the country’s delegation to the 2011 Singapore Youth Chess Festival to be held on December 25-30 in Singapore. Gonzales, also the NCFP director for grassroots development, said the tournament is open to all youth players. The participants will be divided into four categories — 17 years old and below (boys and girls); 14 years old and below (boys and girls); 11 years old and below (boys and girls); and 8 years old and below (boys and girls). The top five finishers in each category will advance to the grand finals slated on Oct. 24-28 in Manila. Also up for grabs in the five to six rounds Swiss system competition are cash prizes, trophies and medals to be awarded to all qualifiers, and special prizes for the top five female players in each category. Interested parties may register (or through texting) at the Local Water District office of Rosales, Pangasinan, c/o Engr. Sammy Revita (cell no. 09178600489); or at the PACE office at No. 56 Mindanao Ave., Project 6, Quezon City c/o National Arbiter Florendo Zamora (tel no. 473-7008 or cell no. 09351965650). - KY,RCJ, GMA News