IM Yap prepares for Dubai Open chess tourney

International Master (IM) Kim Steven Yap of Cebu is gearing up for the biggest tournament he will be joining this year that will help him in his pursuit for a Grand Master (GM) norm.

The 28-year-old Yap, currently the head coach of University of Cebu’s (UC) chess team, has a month to prepare for the prestigious 19th Dubai Open Chess Tournament slated April 3 to 12 in Dubai, UAE.

Yap has been an IM for the past decade and says it’s time for him to earn the coveted GM title.

“It’s been a while that I have been at the IM level so maybe it’s time for me to work harder to become a grand master in chess,” Yap said. “But it all depends on God’s will and timing so I will just do my best and leave everything to Him.”

Getting a GM norm won’t be easy as IM Yap must perform well in the tournament that will feature around 50 notable Grand Masters (GM) and Super Grand Masters (SGM) from around the world including last year’s champion GM Romain Edouard of France.

IM Yap said he is currently analyzing games and strategies to prepare for the tournament.

This will be the third time IM Yap will set foot in Dubai, UAE. He won a gold medal in the Asian Chess Clubs League in 2014 and placed 20th in the final rankings of the Dubai Open Chess Tournament in the same year.

UC, through its president Augusto Go, and Cebuano chess patron Boogie Lim of Rose Pharmacy, will shoulder IM Yap’s expenses for this tournament.

He said that he is very thankful for the unwavering support given to him.

“My next plan is to bring my students together with me in international tournaments because it’s better that they are exposed to this kind of competition and so that they will have a bigger chance of getting a GM norm at a young age,” IM Yap said.