LESS fortunate children who are hoping to build a future with the Cantilado Chess Club got some luck last Sunday when good Samaritans came to brighten up their day.
Chess-loving businessman Ben Wabe gave some cash rewards and chess boards to support a day-long rapid tourney, and his nephew Wilderness ‘Bibong’ Culanag donated a dozen of fresh-from-China chess mats to the club along with the chess materials and magazines hand-carried by Green CdeO Eagles Club president Jaime Joshua Frias II to the area.
“It was so touching to hear a story nga gapanag-ob sa tubig ang mga bata para naa silay tigom pang registration sa mga torneyo nga ilang apilan. In fact, naay ga-apason sa bunal pero nausab ra sab ang panglantaw sa mga ginikanan after ilang na-realize nga adunay mga benefits sa dula nga chess,” Wabe told Gold Star Daily.
The still ninth-month-old Cantilado Chess Club is located at the city’s Calaanan Relocation Site in Barangay Canitoan where the majority of the families settling there are living below the poverty line.
“Dako’g matabang ang chess nga ma-scholar puhon ‘ning mga bataa sa kolehiyo,” said Arian Belly Calido, among the leading players of the Golden Chess Friends (GCF) Club, who encouraged another chess lover Mary Suan from Xavier University College into motivating the aspiring Calaanan kids by giving them some grocery items.
In their first-ever experience to challenge much older foes in a seven-round Swiss tourney, the young ones failed to make it to the top six occupied by seasoned campaigners Rodney Opada (6 points), Calido (5.5 pts), Frias (5), Herbert Abar (5), Cleto Vasquez (5), and Bobby Salomon (5).
Still, the top-six children received cash prizes from Wabe’s Golden Chess Friends, namely Cyrus Dave Gallana, Richmond Valmores, Jter Doseck Jumawan, and Dave Cris Angelo Virador ― who all scored four points each ― and Queen Angela Banaag with 3.5 points to show.
The 10-year-old Gallana was given P500 plus an expensive chess set.
Two other female kids also availed the GCF chess sets as the Cantilado Chess Club capped the day with a sumptuous dinner.
“Daghan talented nga bata nga matabangan mohayag ila future basta naa lay moabag sa ilang development. Mogasto man gani kita sa walay hinungdan, kini pa nga mahimo kitang tipik sa ilang kaugmaon,” explained Wabe of his generosity and unconditional love to the local chess community.
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