ALL Sean Mervic Tiu, a 30-year-old who has cerebral palsy, wants in life is to continue play the game he loves — chess — and play some of the country’s top masters.
This weekend, Mr. Tiu will get his chance. Mr. Tiu will play five standard games against seasoned International Master (IM) Cris Ramayrat — two on Saturday and three on Sunday at the Sta. Rosa Barangay Hall in Pasig City.
National Master Jojo Legaspi has teamed up with Circa and Legacy Chess Clubs and the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) to make Mr. Tiu’s dream come true.
Mr. Tiu actually made a good account of himself early this month when he scored three points out of a possible five in a FIDE-rated tournament the NCFP organized at the PACE in Quezon City.
And there is hope he could pull off a miracle or two against Mr. Ramayrat, who was once one of the country’s fastest players in his younger days.
“We just want to give Sean a chance in life through chess and also encourage all differently able players to express themselves through chess,” said Mr. Legaspi. — Joey Villar