The new rising star woodpusher Chester Acuyong of Roxas City clinched the title for the Under-15 Boys elimination for National Youth and Schools Chess Championship held at Himaya Hall in Himamaylan City Hall, Negros Occidental, April 16.
Acuyong, a grade-9 student of Capiz National High School in Roxas City scored perfectly after seven rounds of Swiss system to top against 32 chess players from different schools, cities and provinces in the country.
According to Capiz’s first chess National Master Francis Jocson, “May he obtain his National or FIDE Masters title soon.”
This writer believes “this could be the spark that should make chess the provincial passion once again.”
Not since the glory days of Capiz chess in the ’70s when Frederick Tumanon salvaged the 1974 Philippine Junior Chess title and in the late ’90s, Francis Jocson garnered a perfect score of 5 points and was awarded the National Master title during the 1999 Philippine Inter-Cities/Provinces held in Cagayan de Oro City.
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