Chess-playing accountants in Cebu

By Frank “Boy” Pestaño
Chessmoso

In previous articles, I featured chess-playing lawyers and engineers, and this time, it’s the turn of the accountants.

First on the list is one of the founders of the Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess association (Cepca), Gerry Tomakin, who is one of my closest friends and constant sparring partner in chess. He was previously connected with the Philippine Steam Navigation and later with Aboitiz Shipping, which is a hint that he is now in the eighties. He was a Philippine scout during the war and is now an American citizen.

OLD HAND. A former top honcho of Aboitiz Shipping and my classmate in grade school is Kiting Moro, who plays at Deep Blue Cafe in SM City. I still have to play Kiting, although the last time we met, during the Colegio del Santo Niño alumni homecoming, he said he wants to play with me.

It seems there are a lot of accountant-chessplayers in the Aboitiz Group of Companies, among them Alvin Arco, vice president of the Power Group, Jimmy Bacalso, assistant vice president of the Construction Group, and Cepca member Fred Sandalo, who has retired and is one of the top players of Cepca.

Chessplaying brothers are Conceso “Boy” Balbona of Pepsi-Cola, and the incoming treasurer of Cepca for 2005-06 Felix Balbona, father of the famous Balbona chess-playing kids who are dominant in the kiddies division in the local scene.

A long time Cepca member is Jun Ortiz, who is the auditor of Gaisano Main and Countrymall. Another good player is Alexander Obenza.

Private practitioners are Celeste “Dodong” Llenos, Rafael Perez and Ruel Senorin. Good players are Hersey Bastian of Pamocor and Manuel Anore, who is with Virginia Farms.

A new member of Cepca is Ivan Quijano, Felix Balbona’s colleague at the BIR. Another accountant, Filtro Galan, plays for San Miguel.

Formerly very active in the local chess scene but now based in the United States is Woman National Master Susan Itaas, who sponsors local tournaments from time to time. Another one is Art Cortes, also US-based.

Two very good players are Rodrigo Ababat, who plays master strength, and NM Ben Macapaz, my classmate in high school, who acquired his title in the famous Philippine Open tournament in 1972, where Bombi Aznar and Loloy Ruelan also became masters. Ben is connected with the Sacred Heart-Jesuit. Among those who participated in that tournament was Art Ynclino, a Cepca original.

I am sure this is only a partial list of chess-playing accountants and just like lawyers and engineers, their training makes them good players.

The monthly tournament of the club will be this Sunday, Nov. 13, at the Stella Maris Seafarer‘s Center in Pier 4 at 1 p.m.

Since this is the last tournament prior to the Grand Finals in December, members are urged to attend since we will also have a short meeting to discuss the coming induction of the new officers and members of the board of trustees on Nov. 27.

INDUCTION. To fund the induction as well as the Grand Finals tournament in December, we will also have a dinner show on Nov. 27 at the Handuraw Learning and Leisure Cafe in Mabolo. There will be two live bands. More details will be discussed during the meeting.

Solution to last week’s puzzle: Qd6. There were 43 correct entries and after a raffle. Here are the five winners; Paul Ceral, James Bermas, John Francis Balbona, Arlene Lao and Roger Tano.

Claim your P100 Globe prepaid card from Handuraw Cafe in Mabolo in the afternoon up to 11 p.m. The chess puzzle will resume next week.