By Raydes B. Barcia
Legazpi City – Bince Rafael Operiano, 9, grade 3 student of San Isidro Elementary School, Busac Village, Oas town in Albay who represented the Philippines in the Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship bagged the championship title over the weekend in Thailand.
Bince, a son of a security guard and the middle child of couple Ben and Rosemary Operiano, brings home the bacon in the concluded 2022 Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championships held in Bangkok this November 5-12, 2022.
The country’s representative was awarded the Conditional Candidate Master (CM) Title in the Boys Under 10 years old category (Standard Event) Individual category in the championship.
He got ranked 1st in the said category after nine rounds in which there were 29 players.
Bince was dubbed as the next Eugene Torre, one of the Philippines’ chess Grandmasters.
According to the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), Operiano will be granted the status of National Master (NM) when he reaches 10 years old.
It will be recalled that Bince’s family asked for help in September to pay the registration fee to represent the country in the said competition.
Before leaving for Bangkok, Thailand, the Albayanos including local politicians provided assistance to Bince to represent the country from the concluded Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship. (Raydes B. Barcia)