Cepca plans to help more young Cebuano woodpushers

THE CEBU Executives and Professionals Chess Association (Cepca) is planning to continue helping young Cebuano woodpushers who wish to compete in the upcoming 19th ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships to be held at The Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City on June 18 to 28.

The group already helped in organizing a tournament at the Ayala Center Cebu last week to give young players the needed exposure in preparation for big tournaments such as the Asean event.

Cepca President Jerry Maratas said he will gather the group’s officers and brainstorm on how to further help potential talents in Cebu.

“We are planning but right now we don’t have the details yet because I have to meet with Cepca officials first about this matter,” said Maratas, who organized yesterday’s Cepca monthly tournament at the Mactan Newtown Beach Resort which was held simultaneously with his 39th birthday celebration.

So far, 12-year-old chess phenom Jerish John Velarde is the first Cebuano to confirm his participation in Asean Championships, according to his father Engr. Edilberto Velarde.

Velarde, from the Maria Ernestine School in Lapu-Lapu City, is by far the best bet for Cebu in the international woodpushing tournament. He won a bronze in the under-12 blitz competition of the 2018 Asian Youth Chess Championships in Thailand and also bagged the gold medal in the elementary boys blitz competition in the Palarong Pambansa in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, last month.

Maratas also revealed that the group is planning to open another chess center in one of the towns of Cebu province. Last year, Cepca opened its first chess center at the Cebu Technological University in Argao town, south Cebu.