IM Yap targets better outing in Negros Int’l Open

INTERNATIONAL Master (IM) Kim Steven Yap looks to regain his winning form when he and other Cebuano wood pushers compete in the Negros International Open Chess Championship starting tomorrow until Oct. 19 at the District North Point in Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

Yap finished just ninth place in last weekend’s 27th Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Association (Cepca) Anniversary Tournament in Cebu City, and he hopes to bounce back up from that dismal showing in order to improve his rating as he continues to seek a Grand Master (GM) norm.

“I badly want to win the title of this tournament because my previous performance in Cebu was not that good. I hope I will get lucky this time,” said the 29-year-old head coach of the University of Cebu (UC) chess team who was the top-seeded player in the Cepca contest.

But it won’t be an easy task for Yap as the tournament features top caliber GM’s Nigel Short of England, GM Karen Grigoryan of Armenia, GM Srinath Narayanan of India, GM Duc Hua Nguyen of Vietnam, among others. All will be vying for the $3,000 champion’s purse in the open division.

Fellow Cebuano, Edsel Montoya, who topped the 27th Cepca Anniversary Tournament, will also be joining in the open division along with Merben Roque. Other Cebuanos National Master (NM) Alidani Leonardo, Jerish John Velarde, Diego Caparino, Rey Flores and Biel Ortiz will vie in the challengers’ division.

The nine-day tournament is organized by A&V Negros Chess Club Inc. in cooperation with National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) under the auspices of FIDE.