Woman International Master (WIM) Cristine Rose Mariano-Wågman returns to center stage as she sees action in the Baby Uno Chess Challenge dubbed as Grandmaster and Attorney Rosendo Carreon Balinas Jr. Death Anniversary Free Registration Online Chess Tournament on September 27 at lichess.org.
Mariano-Wågman, a former five-time National Womens’ Open Champion and World Chess Olympiad member, is currently based in Umeå, Sweden.
The tournament is open to all Filipino players, here and abroad. It is bankrolled by GM Balinas’ younger brother, Bethesda, Maryland USA based frontliner Dr. Joe Balinas, and older brother Engr. Antonio “Uncle Paps” Balinas.
Tournament director is Arena Grandmaster (AGM) Marlon Bernardino.
Bayanihan Chess Club co-founder Genghis Katipunan Imperial said that the tournament will be played in a 21-round Swiss System format of two minutes with a two-second increment.
Bayanihan Chess Club Honorary Chairman Engr. Antonio “Uncle Paps” Balinas said that all titled chess player will receive honorarium for their participation with P1,000 each for a Grandmaster, P2,000 for Woman Grandmaster, P500 or International Master and Woman International Master and P200 for the Fide Master, Woman Fide Master, National Master and Woman National Master.
Mariano-Wågman will donate her honorarium fee to former College of St. Benilde varsity chess player Jeffrey Daclan.
“Y’ung honorarium ko sa GM and Atty. Rosendo Carreon Balinas Jr. Death Anniversary tournament donate ko kay Jeffrey Daclan at daragdagan ko pa ng P500,” said Mariano-Wågman, an Arena Grandmaster (AGM) and a license Fide Trainer (FT) of the World Chess Federation.
The former Philippine Airforce chess team mainstay Mariano-Wågman already gave Daclan P1,000 thru Welfare Fund of Bayanihan Chess Club.
Daclan, a chess prodigy and a former student of the late National Master (NM) Erwin Carag, has been in a long time battle against Schizophrenia, a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally.
Meanwhile, Grandmasters (GMs) Mark Paragua and Rogelio “Banjo” Barenilla Jr. and International Master (IM) Jan Emmanuel Garcia continued to reap honors as they finished first, second and third in the Baby Uno Chess Challenge dubbed as Grandmaster and Attorney Rosendo Carreon Balinas Jr. 79th Birthday Celebration Chess Championship last September 6, 2020.