The 15-year-old is seen as the next big thing in Philippine chess | So Good News

Philstar.com

November 1, 2022 | 15:10

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Female National Chess Grandmaster April Joy Claros is recognized as a young chess prodigy.

She has been groomed by the Philippine National Chess Federation in collaboration with Far Eastern University to become the next female Grandmaster of the Philippines as she is currently trained and mentored by multi-award winning chess coach and FIDE Senior Coach Grandmaster Jason Gonzalez.

Claros learned the basics of chess at the age of eight from his father, Henry, and at the age of 10 he participated in his first chess tournament.

Now, the 15-year-old from Angeles City, Pampanga – a Grade 10 student at FEU Diliman University in Quezon City – is the only Filipino to reach the quarterfinals of the 2021 FIDE Cadet World Chess Championship.

Claros scored a grand slam this year, winning the National Under-16 Girls Championship in Malolos in March 2022, the National Youth and U15 Girls Championship in Dapitan last September, and the National Youth U20 Girls Championship in Dapitan last September.

Taking part in the East Asia Youth Chess Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand from November 4-12, the chess prodigy is competing for glory.

She will also play in the Philippine Women’s National Chess Championship from November 29 to December 7.

Its local and international chess campaign is supported by FEU President Aurelio Montinola III, FEU Athletic Director Mark Oliver Molina and NCFP President/Chairman Hon. Prospero A. Pichay Jr.

“April Joy (Claros) is one of the most talented players I have ever seen and I expect her to become a Philippine Women’s World Grandmaster in the next few years, with the right training and discipline and especially the financial support she needs,” he said. Gonzalez. – Marlon Bernardino