THE PHILIPPINES chess team earned a major victory at the recently concluded Hong Kong Bauhinia U18 Chess Invitational, finishing as champion in the team competition (main event).
The team is composed of Mark Jay Bacojo, Ayana Nicole Usman and Alexandra Sydney Paez. The Philippines’ strong performance is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players, as well as the support of their coaches and trainers. This achievement is a source of pride for the Philippines and demonstrates the country’s growing strength in the competitive world of chess.
The tournament, which was organized by the Hong Kong Chess Federation and featured 22 junior players aged 10-17 from Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong taking part, was divided into two parts: the main event (Standard Chess) and the friendly competition (Blitz Bowl).
In the main event’s individual category, 11-year-old Wong Yen-Hsiu Elliot from Singapore triumphed, while the Philippines’ bet Mark Jay Bacojo won as first runner-up. Bacojo also won first-runner-up in the Blitz bowl category.
Geoffrey Kao, the honorary president of the Hong Kong Chess Federation, said, “Although chess is a mind sport, a 4-5 hour game demands no less energy than a typical physical sport, and the players also need to put in much time in training. I hope that more and more people in Asia will learn about chess as a mentally and physically rewarding intellectual sport and support our players.”
