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PH's real-life Beth Harmons ready for pro chess league

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/sports/01/11/20210111-catherine-perena-secopito.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>WIM Catherine Pereña-Secopito of the Palawan Queen&#x27;s Gambit chess team. <em>Handout photo</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA, Philippines -- Filipina chess players are ready to showcase their skills when the first conference of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) gets underway on Saturday on a virtual platform.</p><p>Palawan Queen&#x27;s Gambit is one of 24 teams competing in the inaugural season of the trailblazing league, which was founded last year and recognized as a professional outfit by the Games and Amusements Board.</p><p>Every member of the team is a woman, led by Women International Masters (WIM) Marie Antoinette San Diego and Mikee Charlene Suede, and coached by former De La Salle University player Susan Neri. The team drew inspiration from the hit Netflix series &quot;The Queen&#x27;s Gambit,&quot; about the life of the fictitious chess prodigy Beth Harmon who went on to defeat some of the best in the sport.</p><p>&quot;Just like &#x27;yung ginawa ng Netflix&#x27;s &#x27;Queen&#x27;s Gambit,&#x27; we are hoping na maka-inspire po kami, lalo ng mga women&#x27;s chess players around the world,&quot; said WIM Catherine Pereña-Secopito. </p><p>&quot;This is a big opportunity for us,&quot; she stressed.</p><p>The members of the team acknowledge that the Netflix series had a massive impact on the chess community but also on a personal level. &quot;The Queen&#x27;s Gambit&quot; was credited for <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/10/20/lockdown-queens-gambit-spectacular-for-chess-says-indian-gm">renewing the public&#x27;s interest in chess</a>, as sales of chess boards reportedly rose in the wake of its release.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/12/11/20/how-the-queens-gambit-is-inspiring-women-to-take-up-chess">READ: How &#x27;The Queen’s Gambit&#x27; is inspiring women to take up chess</a></li></ul><p>For the Filipina players, Beth Harmon&#x27;s story is a source of inspiration. In the Netflix series, the protagonist was orphaned at a young age, and was taught how to play by a custodian who realized her prodigious gifts. Harmon went on to win tournament after tournament in the United States, eventually beating the Russian world champion while also overcoming her personal demons.</p><p>&quot;Si Beth Harmon, lumabas siya sa isang mundo na male-dominated, pero kino-conquer niya &#x27;yung world na sinabi nga natin, male-dominated. Nag-stand out siya,&quot; noted Pereña-Secopito.</p><p>&quot;Beth Harmon didn&#x27;t think that being a woman makes you inferior in playing chess,&quot; said San Diego. &quot;I didn&#x27;t see a time na inisip niya na, &#x27;Puro lalaki ang kalaban ko.&#x27; She just played. And that&#x27;s what chess is all about -- it&#x27;s about playing the best moves.&quot;</p><p>As much as they were inspired by Harmon&#x27;s story, the Palawan Queen&#x27;s Gambit players are now looking to make a similar impact in the first season of PCAP. They start their campaign on Saturday, against the Iloilo Kisela Knights.</p><p>&quot;Kami, parang motivated din kami na definitely, there is not only one Beth Harmon,&quot; said Pereña-Secopito. &quot;Madami diyan na hindi lang nabibigyan ng right opportunity.&quot;</p><p>&quot;PCAP is a great avenue to show the real strength ng queen sa chess board, and that&#x27;s what we are, the Palawan Queen&#x27;s Gambit,&quot; she added.</p><p>The league&#x27;s 24 teams are divided into the North and South divisions. The winner of each division will meet in a championship series. </p><p>Each match is composed of seven boards: three homegrown, two rated, one lady, and one senior. Matches will be played online in the rapid and blitz formats, according to PCAP commissioner Atty. Paul Elauria. </p><p>Games will be shown live on the league&#x27;s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pcapchess">Facebook page</a>. </p><div><strong>Related video:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qKVIQI2XmrM?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Filipina chess players are ready to showcase their skills when the first conference of the PCAP gets underway on Saturday on a virtual platform.</p>

Filipina chess players are ready to showcase their skills when the first conference of the PCAP gets underway on Saturday on a virtual platform.

PH's real-life Beth Harmons ready for pro chess league

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PH's real-life Beth Harmons ready for pro chess league

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 11, 2021 04:24 PM PHT

Read More:

Professional Chess Association of the Philippines

chess

PCAP

The Queen's Gambit

Netflix

Palawan Queen's Gambit

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