Pinoy teen Canada's bet in intl chess tilt

An 18-year-old Filipino will represent Canada at the World Youth Chess Championship in Brazil this November, after topping the Canadian Youth Chess Championship in Toronto earlier this month. Loren Laceste bagged the championship less than two years after he and his family settled in Canada from Santo Tomas town in La Union province in the Philippines. “It was the toughest I’ve played so far," Loren said of his latest win over international master Arthur Calugar, according to an article posted on Philippine Asian News Today. One of the challenges waiting for Laceste, who recently graduated with honors from Carson Graham Secondary in North Vancouver, is raising enough funds for his trip to Brazil. “Sana ho matulungan kami [ng] ating mga kababayan para sa travel costs to Brazil at makabili ng laptop for Loren to use for chess game analysis of his opponent," said Melchor, Loren’s father. Melchor, a custodian at Capilano College in Canada, said he taught Loren to play chess when he was young. He said his son is now training for his next matches by playing chess online, and will play tune-up matches in British Columbia tournaments at the end of July and at Thanksgiving. The elder Laceste can be reached via email at melchorlaceste@rocketmail.com or by phone at 604-339-4079. — JE, GMA News