Baguio’s Pascua guns for GM title

BAGUIO CITY: International Master Haridas Pascua, a local resident and University of Baguio graduate, will be competing in several international tournaments this year for a chance to reach the 2500 elo rating needed to become a Grandmaster—the highest rank a chess player can achieve.

According to the chess prodigy’s father and coach, Gilbert Pascua of the Pines City Chess Club, his son will join the Len Lapid Rapid Open Chess Tournament in Bandong, Indonesia slated on November 5 to 6, the Malaysia Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship on November 12 to 13 and the Raja Catur Sabak Bernam on November 19, both in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Philippine International Chess Championship on December 5 to 11, the PSC-Puregold Chess Challenge on December 13 to 18, both at the Celebrity Sports Plaza, Quezon City, and the Jollimark International Open Chess Championship slated on December 25 to 31 in Hong Kong.